Josh Inglis hundred trumps Ben Duckett's 165 in Australia's historic run-chase

Champions Trophy: Josh Inglis' 77-ball hundred helped Australia chase down 352 and beat Jos Buttler's England by five wickets on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

In Short

• Australia beat England by 5 wickets in Lahore
• Australia chased down a target of 352
• Ben Duckett scored 165 runs off 143 balls

Ben Duckett set the records straight against Steve Smith’s Australia earlier in the day, but it wasn’t enough for England to taste victory in their first match of Champions Trophy 2025. Josh Inglis smashed his maiden ODI hundred off 77 balls as Australia raced to a five-wicket victory on Saturday, February 22, in front of a packed house at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Duckett scored 165 runs off 143 balls, the highest individual score in the history of the Champions Trophy, but Inglis helped Australia record the highest successful run-chase in the tournament. Tracking down a mammoth target of 352, the Aussies broke Sri Lanka’s record of 322 against India back in 2017 at the Kennington Oval in London.

It was also Australia’s first win in the Champions Trophy since they beat New Zealand by six wickets back in 2009 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. They also notched the highest run-chase in ICC tournament’s history, toppling Pakistan's 345 against Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup 2023. England, in the meantime, slumped to their fourth loss in ODIs after also losing the bilateral series against India 0-3.

Australia vs England, Champions Trophy Highlights

Ben Duckett steps up

After being asked to bat first, Duckett’s knock, laced with 17 fours and three sixes, powered England to a huge score of 351 for eight. Phil Salt (10) and Jamie Smith (15) departed cheaply, but Duckett and Joe Root put on a partnership of 158 runs to put the Three Lions in a commanding position. Root scored 68 off 78 before Adam Zampa accounted for his wicket.

Champions Trophy Full Coverage

But Duckett went on to play until the 48th over, taking England closer to the 350-run mark. Jofra Archer’s unbeaten 10-ball cameo of 21 took them past 350. Ben Dwarshuis finished with figures of 10-0-66-3 and was the standout Australian bowler, while Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne took two wickets apiece.

Australia, Inglis go berserk

The run-chase was expected to be tough, but Australia put their best foot forward to chase down the target with 15 balls to spare. Archer and Mark Wood dismissed Travis Head (6) and Steve Smith (5) early to push the Aussies right back on the backfoot. But Matthew Short and Marnus Labuschagne led the recovery with a handy partnership of 95 runs for the third wicket.

Adil Rashid separated the duo after getting rid of Labuschagne, who made 47 off 45. Three overs later, Liam Livingstone removed Short (63) as England seemed to have made a comeback. But Inglis and Alex Carey’s stupendous 146-run stand off 116 balls gave Australia the rhythm. Carey scored 69 off 63 with eight fours, making sure that Australia regained the momentum.

Inglis, at the other end, kept going for his shots and ensured that the required run-rate never went out of hand. He got an able partner in Glenn Maxwell, who threw his bat around in an unbeaten 15-ball 32, decorated with four fours and two sixes. Inglis and Maxwell didn’t give the English bowlers any breathing space with their unbeaten 74-run stand.