Innings break Australia 304 for 7 (Carey 77*, Smith 60, Archer 2-67) vs England

Alex Carey top-scored for the second game in a row as Australia reached an imposing 304 for 7 after being inserted at Chester-le-Street. Steven Smith helped lay the foundations with his first fifty of the series in testing conditions, allowing Carey and the lower order to attack later in the innings and pose a hefty challenge for England's inexperienced batting line-up as they look to keep the series alive.

Following his Player-of-the-Match outing at Headingley, Carey was in fluent form once again. Without the rested Travis Head, Australia's innings could have gone off course with the departure of Smith at 172 for 5 but Carey added rapid fifty partnerships with Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie to help undo the good work of England's bowlers earlier in the day.

Hardie was run out in the final over, with a maiden ODI half-century in sight, but the damage had already been done. Despite a good start from the seamers, England's attack wilted during the back end. Jofra Archer, back in the side after being rotated for the second ODI, picked up two wickets - including Smith for the first time in international cricket - but leaked runs at the death, while 11 overs of spin from Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone cost 77 runs.

England only struck once during the first powerplay but there was something there for the seamers, as Harry Brook had hoped when winning the toss and inserting Australia. Matthew Short, partnered by Mitchell Marsh in the absence of Head, struck a couple of early boundaries, which included hooking Archer for six - only to fall playing the same shot two balls later, caught at deep backward square leg.

Matthew Potts thought he had removed Smith for the second match in a row when Alex Wharf raised his finger to an lbw appeal in the tenth over - but although middle and leg stumps were visible as Australia's No. 3 shuffled across, ball-tracking showed the delivery to be bouncing over the top.

The score was 41 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, Marsh having battled through while taking several blows to the body. But the Australia captain fell in the following over, having just muscled Carse for six over midwicket. The next ball was outside of the Marsh's comfort zone, right on a nibbly Riverside length, as Carse straightened one down the line to find the outside edge through to Jamie Smith.

From there Australia looked to rebuild, with the third-wicket pair of Smith and Cameron Green largely employing low-risk shots to tick along during a stand worth 84. They had to work hard to get through England's frontline seamers before looking to target spin, in particular England's fifth-bowler combination.

Green picked off Adil Rashid's first-ball loosener for a boundary, before he and Smith added a brace of fours in an exploratory three-over spell that cost 21. Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks were also dispatched as Brook went through his options but, with Australia beginning to look well placed, both struck in quick succession. First Green smacked Bethell to Jacks at straight mid-on, the fielder having just been moved back from a close-in position, then Marnus Labuschagne got in a tangle looking to scoop Jacks' offspin and popped a simple catch to the keeper.

From 131 for 2, Australia were suddenly 132 for 4 and requiring another period of retrenchment. Smith battled on to a 71-ball fifty, reaching the mark with his fifth boundary, as he and Carey added 40 in good time, the latter striking Bethell over cover and then down the ground for four and six in the same over. But Brook went back to Archer and he finally won a duel with Smith, Carse pulling off a brilliant running catch at deep square leg.

Carey survived a review in the following over, on 25, with ball-tracking returning umpire's call as Rashid turned one past the inside edge, with Australia pushing on to 200 for 5 after 40. Maxwell and Carey both dented Carse's figures and Liam Livingstone looked set to bear the brunt of their burgeoning partnership when introduced for the 42nd over. Maxwell smeared him twice through midwicket then reversed four more only to then slap another short delivery low to Carse in the covers and depart for 30 off 25.

There was no stopping Carey, though, as he went to a 48-ball fifty and Hardie showed his power through a punishing stand worth 68 off 43. Archer, notably, was pulled into the stands and slogged over long-on by Australia's No. 8 as 55 runs flowed from the last four overs to put England under pressure with the series on the line.