England slipped 2-0 behind in the one-day international series  yesterday as Australia won at Lord’s in a game overshadowed by an obstructing the field dismissal.Midway into England’s reply, Ben Stokes was given out for 10 after the ball hit his hand as he took evasive action.

Steve Smith struck 70 and Mitchell Marsh 64 from 31 balls as Australia made 309-7 from their 49 overs.

Skipper Eoin Morgan fired four sixes in a defiant 85 but England were all out for 245 to lose by 64 runs.

It was only the sixth dismissal for obstructing the field in the 3,861-match history of one-day internationals and the first for an England player.

The third of the five matches takes place at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The controversy
In the 26th over, with England on 141-3, Stokes pushed a defensive shot back at bowler Mitchell Starc, who hurled the ball back as he saw the batsman leave his crease and sensed the chance of a run-out.

Stokes turned away as the throw arrowed towards both him and the stumps and dived back in an attempt to regain his ground, but the ball hit his outstretched hand.

On-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Tim Robinson consulted third umpire Joel Wilson who applied Law 37,  deeming that Stokes had “wilfully” obstructed the field.

Reaction
Australia captain Steven Smith: “It was blatantly out. The ball wasn’t going to hit him, Stokes was out of his crease, he put his arm out and got in the way of the ball.

“I thought it was the right decision at the time and I still think it’s the right decision.”

England skipper Eoin Morgan: “I think it would have been very different if we were fielding.”

Asked if that meant he would have withdrawn the appeal, Morgan replied: “Yep.”

In addition to the assured Smith, who finished with 486 international runs in four innings in London this summer, there was a 16th ODI fifty from former skipper George Bailey (54), while Glenn Maxwell (49) and Shane Watson (39) scored at well above a run-a-ball.

The much-maligned Watson struck successive mighty sixes into the top tier of the Lord’s pavilion and 115 were added from the final 11 overs.

In the England innings the crowd, incensed by the Stokes decision, cheered a thrilling late rearguard as Morgan and Liam Plunkett hit nine fours between them and recorded a fifty partnership in just 19 balls.

They shared a ninth-wicket stand of 65 – a record for England against Australia – but Plunkett had his stumps shattered by pantomime villain Starc, before Morgan was last out, caught in the deep to give paceman Pat Cummins a fourth wicket. (BBC Sport0

Australia Innings

J. Burns                  b Finn                    22

D. Warner                 retired hurt              1

S. Smith                  c Taylor b Rashid         70

G. Bailey                 b Ali                     54

G. Maxwell                lbw b Finn                49

S. Watson                 c Plunkett b Stokes       39

M. Marsh                  c Buttler b Stokes        64

M. Wade                   c&b Stokes            1

N. Coulter-Nile           not out                   0

Extras                    (lb-3 nb-1 w-5)           9

Total                     (for 7 wickets, 49 overs) 309

Fall of wickets: 1-42 J. Burns,2-141 G. Bailey,3-171 S. Smith,4-218 G. Maxwell,5-281 S. Watson,6-295 M. Wade,7-309 M. Marsh

Did not bat: M. Starc, P. Cummins

Bowling:- S. Finn 9 – 0 – 55 – 2(w-2), C. Woakes  8 – 1 – 37 – 0(w-1),

L. Plunkett 8 – 0 – 42 – 0, B. Stokes  9 – 0 – 60 – 3(nb-1 w-2),

A. Rashid 7 – 0 – 44 – 1, M. Ali 8 – 1 – 68 – 1.

ENGLAND Innings

J. Roy                    c Wade b Cummins          31

A. Hales                  c Smith b Coulter-Nile    18

J. Taylor                 c Wade b M. Marsh         43

E. Morgan                 c Maxwell b Cummins       85

B. Stokes                 out obstructing field     10

J. Buttler                lbw b Maxwell             0

M. Ali                    c M. Marsh b Maxwell      8

C. Woakes                 c Wade b Cummins          6

A. Rashid                 c Coulter-Nile b Cummins  2

L. Plunkett               b Starc                   24

S. Finn                   not out                   1

Extras                    (lb-9 nb-2 w-6)           17

Total                     (all out, 42.3 overs)     245

Fall of wickets: 1-37 A. Hales,2-68 J. Roy,3-119 J. Taylor,4-141 B. Stokes,5-142 J. Buttler,6-171 M. Ali,7-183 C. Woakes,8-187 A. Rashid,9-242 L. Plunkett,10-245 E. Morgan

Bowling:- M. Starc 7 – 0 – 35 – 1(nb-2 w-3),N. Coulter-Nile 8 – 1 – 50 – 1,

M. Marsh  9 – 0 – 51 – 1, P. Cummins 8.3 – 0 – 56 – 4(w-3),

G. Maxwel 10 – 0 – 44 – 2