Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting recently poked fun at England’s seamer Matthew Potts during the fifth and final ODI between England and Australia. Ponting, who was part of the Sky Sports commentary team, accused Potts of deliberately wasting time by requesting new boots during the 18th over, just as rain loomed over the match.
‘This is getting funnier by the minute’ – Ricky Ponting
The incident unfolded when there were only 14 deliveries left for the match to reach the 20-over mark, the minimum required to declare a result in case of rain interruption. Ponting humorously suggested that Potts was using the boot replacement as a tactic to delay play, stating, “We’ve seen this movie before. This is getting funnier by the minute. We can see that there’s nothing wrong with the boot.”
Earlier in the series, rain had already played a role when the third T20I was abandoned, leaving the series tied at 1-1. This time, the Australians were in a strong position, chasing a target of 309 set by England in 49.2 overs. Ben Duckett led the charge for England with a brilliant 107 off 91 balls, supported by captain Harry Brook’s explosive 72 off 52 balls.
However, the Australian batsmen responded fiercely, reaching 165/2 in 20.4 overs before the rain arrived. With Australia ahead on the DLS method, they secured a 49-run victory, sealing the ODI series 3-2.
In the post-match presentation, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh praised his bowlers for their adaptability. “They were on track for a big total, but our bowlers assessed the conditions well,” Marsh said. He also discussed the upcoming tour of Pakistan and the importance of grooming young players for the future.
Australia’s limited-overs tour of England ended on a high note, with the visitors claiming the ODI series victory over their archrivals.
