Leeds-born Coventry fan Inglis gives England blues with riotous knock

Josh Inglis has his priorities in order.

Having played the innings of his life in Lahore - 120 not out to power Australia to victory over England in the Champions Trophy - he immediately checked his phone.

Coventry City had beaten Preston North End 2-1. It made a good night for the Australian great.

For Inglis, Australia's match-winner who was born and raised in Yorkshire, supports the Sky Blues.

The 29-year-old lived on the outskirts of Leeds until he was 14, played for Yorkshire's youth teams and when named Sportsman of the Year at St Mary's Comprehensive in Menston, was presented with an award by the Kaiser Chiefs - the famous musical sons of the West Yorkshire city.

Inglis even admitted to still supporting England as recently as 2017 while trying to win a place in Australia's XI.

"Those days are long gone, I think," said the right-hander, shortly after his innings propelled Australia to the highest run-chase in the 50-year history of cricket's global white-ball events.

A 13-year-old Josh Inglis received an award for outstanding sporting achievement from the Kaiser Chiefs in his school days on the outskirts of Bradford

Inglis moved to Western Australia as a 15-year-old when his England-born mum, Sarah, and father, Martin, who was born in Coventry hence the football allegiance, moved the family down under. Any hint of a Yorkshire twang was left on t' plane.

He now speaks with a broad Australian accent, has a thick moustache and addressed the media with his cap backwards and sliders on his feet.

There were no split loyalties during his stunning assault.

Australia were 136-4 when Inglis began - England overwhelming favourites with Adil Rashid, Inglis' former Yorkshire second XI team-mate, spinning a web.

He began by timing the ball to all corners of Lahore before flogging England's bowlers whenever they dropped too short. By the end, he was playing the trademark shot of another Yorkshireman - Joe Root - with a reverse scoop over the third man rope.

It meant a chase of 352, the ninth-highest in one-day international history, was completed with 15 balls to spare.

Inglis has flickered in international cricket but the past month has been his breakout moment. He scored a Test century on debut last month but ranks this as his greatest day.

"It was really special," Inglis said. "Under the circumstances, in an ICC [International Cricket Council] event, you want to have an impact and win a game."

For much of Saturday it looked like Ben Duckett who had landed the warning shots before this winter's Ashes, followed by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with their dismissals of Travis Head and Steve Smith.

It may in fact be Inglis who has done the most to aid his cause of striding out at Perth on 21 November.

For the side Inglis used to support, talk of the Ashes must wait. There were no clouds in Lahore, but for England - beaten in 11 of their past 15 matches - it still poured.

This was the day their batting finally clicked – the highest score in Champions Trophy reached, only for a player born in their heartlands to better it. Sometimes you can only smile.

"I just think, you've got to sometimes credit the opposition," said a phlegmatic captain Jos Buttler. "I thought Josh Inglis played a fantastic innings."

This time, it is hard to argue.

England left feeling blue

In making a superb 165, Duckett played how most have requested. The attacking intent was reined in, gaps worked and a score steadily built rather than thrown up in a hurry.

England's top order has been asked to score hundreds – to overcome their tendency to start well and depart - and Duckett produced England's highest score in a Champions Trophy or World Cup.

Their score of 351-8 was the highest at a Champions Trophy. Another 30 may not have mattered the way Inglis was going.

In truth, England's biggest failure on this occasion was not made in Lahore on Saturday but before Christmas in London – or at least after Jacob Bethell pulled a hamstring in Nagpur.

Their squad has four wicketkeepers, one specialist spinner and one batting all-rounder, meaning England will always lose their fight in search of the perfect balance.

With four frontline bowlers against Australia, Buttler had nowhere to turn when Brydon Carse had his most difficult day to date in an England shirt – even if Liam Livingstone and Joe Root performed admirably as the fifth bowler.

It leaves a feeling that Bethell's injury was more damaging to England than it first appeared, given his left-arm spin would have provided another option.

Without him Buttler now faces a defining week in his reign as England's white-ball captain.

After a dismal defence of their 50-over world title in 2023 and an uninspired attempt at retaining their T20 crown last year, he cannot afford a group-stage exit here.

Matthew Mott was dispensable enough to take the fall for the previous failures but Brendon McCullum, given the keys to all England sides to mould as he pleases until 2027, is not. Instead, it will be Buttler in the firing line if this group stage is not turned around.

Next is Afghanistan in four days' time – a side who beat England during the World Cup 16 months ago – and then South Africa, some people's favourite for the title, with wins likely to be needed in both.

England have questions again and some do not have an easy answer. Inglis has given England the (sky) blues.