- Australia win by seven wickets
- England struggle to 137, Buttler top-scores with 46
- Australia cruise to 138 with 33 balls to spare
Here’s Vithushan Ehantharajah with his verdict from the MCG:
Related: Australia outgun England again to reach Twenty20 tri-series final
That was brutal from Australia. Too good with the ball, fearsome with the bat, T20 internationals don’t get much more one-sided than that.
After restricting England to 137 with an accomplished all-round fielding performance the power of Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch drove Australia over the line with 33 balls to spare. D’Arcy Short anchored the chase with maturity, receiving warm congratulations from specialist coach Ricky Ponting as he left the field. The only black spot was another failure for David Warner but he captained and fielded so well his lack of runs is unlikely to cause much of a concern during this series.
14.3 over: Australia 138-3 (Short 36, Finch 20) In a match that has featured cameos from Lynn and Maxwell, Aaron Finch has smashed the shot of the night. He waited deep in his crease for Willey’s second delivery and heaved it miles over the sight-screen. He backs them up with a cut for six over point, and the game’s over.
Official attendance tonight is 42,691. #AusvEng
14th over: Australia 125-3 (Short 35, Finch 8) This will be over soon enough. Finch picks up where Maxwell left off, pulling his second ball for four and then heaving his third with no timing but brute force to cow corner.
Jordan is thrown the ball and he jags a wicket first delivery. Short and straight, Maxwell backs away and tries to loft it through the off-side but all he can do is send an edge high into the air for Buttler to cup between his gloves. Another splendid dash from Glenn Maxwell.
Congratulations to @Gmaxi_32 on becoming the 4th Australian to pass 1,000 T20I runs! #AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/vDY9qdpdpC
13th over: Australia 116-2 (Short 34, Maxwell 39) Rashid continues and it’s a much less painful experience for England’s leggie. He even enjoys a REVIEW for a catch down the leg-side but the original not-out decision against Short stands with hotspot showing the ball clipped the pad on its way through to Buttler.
12th over: Australia 111-2 (Short 32, Maxwell 37) Tom Curran interrupts the punishment dished out to England’s spinners and the return of pace results in a rare boundaryless over for Australia.
Imagine thinking your life – let alone your cricket team – would be better off *without* Glenn Maxwell. #AusvEng
11th over: Australia 104-2 (Short 30, Maxwell 33) Maxwell’s using the MCG like a toddler at a playground. He reverse sweeps Rashid for four audacious runs, and follows that up with a four a six and another four all straight down the ground with varying degrees of brutality. When Lynn and Maxwell bat like they have tonight it looks unfair.
10th over: Australia 84-2 (Short 29, Maxwell 14) D’ArcyShort’s had enough. A straight drive for four is followed by a straight drive for six, Dawson no match for Short’s brute force. He’s powerless against Maxwell too who gets in on the attack with what looks like a three-wood hit with a touch of draw almost into the second tier.
Dawson has taken four wickets in the middle overs of T20Is. Since his debut in 2016, Plunkett (8) is the only England bowler to have taken more at this stage #AusvEng
9th over: Australia 65-2 (Short 16, Maxwell 8) Another over of Rashid spin without a great deal happening in terms of chances or boundaries. Maxwell senses this and after five deliveries reverse sweeps extravagantly in the air behind what was point. It only earns him a couple, but it was great to watch.
8th over: Australia 60-2 (Short 15, Maxwell 4) Liam Dawson’s left-arm orthodox means it’s spin from both ends. Tidy start from the Hampshire man but we’re in a holding phase of this contest for a few overs. Australia won’t mind the run-rate creeping up so long as they have wickets in hand.
7th over: Australia 56-2 (Short 13, Maxwell 2) Time for spin now, which has to be England’s only hope of salvaging something from this match. With Australia knowing they could win this in singles it’s going to take something special to force a collapse. Adil Rashid’s leggies and wrong’uns have been known to be special but there’s no immediate breakthrough, both batsmen content to work the ball around and accumulate slowly.
6th over: Australia 52-2 (Short 11, Maxwell 0) Lynn goes out, Maxwell comes in. England’s job doesn’t get any easier. Australia need 86 from 84.
Another four for Lynn who’s almost swinging his shoulders out of their sockets every delivery. He’s not connecting often but often enough to still be 31 off 18 deliveries. He goes again to his 19th delivery but can only squirt a top edge high into the Melbourne sky that Buttler snaffles comfortably. A tame end to a thrilling innings from one of the most watchable batsmen in the world.
5th over: Australia 47-1 (Short 10, Lynn 27) Willey gets a third over and he sends down a beauty, executing four perfect leg-stump yorkers and an unplayable slower-ball bouncer. Unfortunately his one errant delivery is dispatched over the fine-leg fence with ease by Lynn. Cricket can be cruel sometimes.
4th over: Australia 40-1 (Short 10, Lynn 21) It turned out to be only a minor delay with the camera now safely back up into the heavens before any technical intervention is required. The delay allows Chris Jordan time to gather his thoughts as he’s introduced into England’s attack. He has more time to think when Short carves him forcefully to the point boundary and then eases him through extra-cover for four more. Australia motoring in pursuit of England’s modest total.
Spider Cam stops play ♂️ #AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/dXcviVGAhO
Spidercam stops play! This will please the purists. The Spidercam used by Channel 9 to broadcast those obtrusive shots from the edge of huddles is not moving. It’s stuck hovering just above the square while the umpires confer to figure out what to do.
3rd over: Australia 28-1 (Short 1, Lynn 19) Willey acknowledges the danger of Lynn so comes around the wicket instead of over, but he miscalculates, slinging down five wides from his opening delivery. He manages to get Lynn off strike for the cost of a leg bye and enjoys five dot balls at Short, the Australian opener struggling to adapt to Willey’s bounce and away movement off a length.
2nd over: Australia 22-1 (Short 1, Lynn 19) TomCurran shares the new ball and after D’Arcy Short works a single he receives the full-service Lynnsanity experience. There’s a slap over the covers without much timing but plenty of muscle. There’s a crunch through the offside for four conventional runs. And finally there’s a clean six over the bowler’s head. Strap yourselves in, Lynn is here for a good time, not a long time.
1st over: Australia 6-1 (Short 0, Lynn 4) Lynn’s first ball is a beauty that just about stays out. His second is carted over cover with brute force. This could be fun. Good start for England though, Willey again striking early.
It’s time!
Willey strikes again in the first over, and Warner’s poor form continues. It was a line and length outswinger from lefty to lefty and Warner can only feather a simple nick to Buttler behind the stumps. Warner almost perished twice before that, missing an outside edge first ball and then mishitting that flick-pull he has just over the head of short midwicket.
Both sides are making their way back out on the MCG. Australia’s chase will be underway shortly.
93.9 - Jos Buttler has recorded 25+ runs in 20 T20I innings to date; this was the first time across those knocks that he's registered a strike rate below 100 (93.9). Tricky. pic.twitter.com/S87ms0Goof
That was a very unsatisfying 20 overs from England. 137 is a below-par total and the product of no batsman ever getting in and looking like hitting big runs. Buttler, Vince and Billings all occupied the crease for lengths of time but none of them ever found their timing.
Credit has to go to Australia who bowled and fielded beautifully under the leadership of David Warner who turned in an excellent display of captaincy. Stanlake’s pace, Tye’s slower balls, Richardson’s yorkers, Agar’s accuracy and Stoinis’ variety all proved too good for England on a surface that Chriss Lynn described as “two-paced”.
That was an old-style English white-ball innings, before they learned how to put their foot down. Well bowled the Aussies.
20th over: England 137-7 (Jordan 1)
Excellent final over from Richardson, dominated by well-executed yorkers with the occasional slower ball thrown in for good measure. From the final delivery Buttler does his best to lever under a full delivery but he can’t get enough purchase on it, enabling Agar to sweep around the long-on boundary and pouch a very tidy catch on the run. A cherry on top of the cake for Australia. Superb bowling and fielding performance.
I'd love to know how much it costs every time they set off the flamethrowers at T20 games #AUSvENG
Willey gets the final over off to a flying start with a swoosh that skips off the outside edge. He goes again next ball but it’s a slower one that catches a leading edge and floats away to Warner in the covers.
19th over: England 129-5 (Buttler 43, Willey 6) Tye sends down the penultimate over the innings and it goes for just nine. The solitary boundary arrives from Willey’s willow, extended in periscopic fashion and angled to deflect a slower ball bouncer down to fine leg.
18th over: England 120-5 (Buttler 40, Willey 0) Entertaining over with that Billings wicket surrounded by three boundaries, two to the dismissed batsman, and one to Buttler who slashes an edge that for the second time in the match Carey can only parry leaping high one-handed to his right.
All action at the MCG as Stanlake’s pace is recalled to the attack. Billings slaps the first over mid-off and the second over mid-on for consecutive fours. He goes for the hat-trick but can only find Warner’s safe hands at long off. Billings did a decent job for England, 29 off 23 and enough to keep the scoreboard moving.
17th over: England 105-4 (Buttler 34, Billings 21) Copy and paste for England. Lots of effort, lots of improvisation, but only one boundary to show for it. It was a corker though, Billings switch-hitting Tye through what began as third-man. England need something miraculous to reach a decent score in the final three overs.
16th over: England 95-4 (Buttler 31, Billings 16) Again England are doing their best to force runs but there’s little timing on display. Billings does sweep enthusiastically for four but it’s an otherwise tight Agar over as he finishes with 0/27 from his four overs.
15th over: England 88-4 (Buttler 29, Billings 11) England are now trying their best to improvise and manufacture runs but they can only advance the score by four. Buttler missed a scoop and a ramp, Billings stepped too far to leg to connect with a length ball outside off. Billings is given out caught behind from the final delivery of Stoinis’ over but it’s successfully REVIEWED. The attempted lap sweep missed willow and clipped thigh pad on it’s way behind the stumps.
14th over: England 84-4 (Buttler 28, Billings 10) Finally! Finally! England open the shoulders and reach the boundary for only the second time since the powerplay. After Agar is allowed to rush through three dabbed singles Billings skips down the track and launches a clean high straight hit into the sight-screen. At last, something for England to cheer (and Australia to Bronx cheer).
Australia's T20 quicks (Tye, Stanlake and Richardson) are all genuinely exciting to watch. Tye's knuckleball is a thing of beauty. These guys might not be second-stringers for long #AUSvENG
13th over: England 74-4 (Buttler 26, Billings 2) Stoinis has another go and his over of cross-seam yorkers are near-impossible to get away. Just two singles from another over of Australian dominance. This is awful so far from England.
12th over: England 72-4 (Buttler 25, Billings 1) Stanlake recalled by Warner, seemingly just to show that England’s perilous position could be even worse. The big lad is too quick for both batsmen, sending down four dot balls in an over of real pace. He’s unlike not to find Billing’s outside edge too.
11th over: England 70-4 (Buttler 24, Billings 0) That slower ball of Tye is a thing of beauty. It comes out of the hand so slow and floaty. It’s like one of those free-kicks perfected by Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard where they strike the bladder and it wobblers laterally without any spin. Way too good for Vince.
More woe for England. Despite playing himself in over 21 deliveries James Vince can’t make it count, playing all around a perfect Andrey Tye slower ball yorker.
10th over: England 67-3 (Vince 20, Buttler 23) Another quick parsimonious Agar over. Nothing fancy, just accurate stump-to-stump left-arm over the wicket bowling with subtle variations of pace and length.
@JPHowcroft Is it that easy to spook England? Simply put them in to bat and they flap around like a chicken with a burlap sack on its head. They are unable to assess what is a good score first up.
9th over: England 61-3 (Vince 16, Buttler 21) This partnership has been all about consolidation, Buttler and Vince looking to rebuild with as minimal risk as possible. After a few overs of ones and twos a four pokes its head out of the light courtesy of a Stoinis yorker that Buttler times superbly through extra-cover.
8th over: England 53-3 (Vince 15, Buttler 14) First look at spin for the evening with Agar invited on for a twirl. Not much to report. Couple of singles, a few dots, and a two.
“Hi Jonathan.” Hi, Phil Withall. “England seem to have approached this match in a similar manner to that of an ageing lothario entering a nightclub. They know what they are capable of but the other players have already worked them out and have moved on. It’s all a little disappointing.” Thanks Phil, all I can picture now is Swiss Tony in England’s dugout shaking his head, staring into his silver loafers.
7th over: England 49-3 (Vince 13, Buttler 12) Andrew Tye into the attack and he’s on the money from the off, beating Vince’s outside edge with a lovely outswinger, finding the edge next ball but the drive is through the vacant cordon. Tye also butchers a run-out opportunity, unable to safely gather a Finch throw with Buttler scrambling to make his ground after yet another calling shambles. This is far from England’s finest effort.
6th over: England 42-3 (Vince 12, Buttler 6) Marcus Stoinis is the first bowling change of the night and like Stanlake and Richardson before him he looks like making things happen. His first ball to Buttler is pulled off the toe of the bat but short of mid-on, his third is pulled off the top edge in the direction of the sweeper at deep square leg but just wide enough to earn a much-needed four.
2 - Jason Roy has reached 50 in 2 of his 25 T20I knocks for England; he's now gone 4 innings without reaching double figures. Dismissed. pic.twitter.com/Dza0M7E8og
5th over: England 36-3 (Vince 11, Buttler 1) Warner keeps Richardson on for his third over in a row and he rewards him with four dot balls in a row. From the fourth Maxwell has an age to run out Vince at the non-striker’s end but he can’t replicate his skipper’s brilliance of the previous over. There’s a half chance for a run out next ball too with Vince and Buttler looking nervously at each other when a simple single was on offer. Ghastly stuff from England, Australia dominating.
England’s wagon wheel right now would have a thick line to third-man and a few well-spaced dashes elsewhere. Malan the latest to feed that part of the MCG with a subtle ramp off Stanlake. Gah! And he follows that up by chancing Warner’s arm with a risky single to mid-off. The Aussie skipper hits with a very sharp piece of fielding and Malan continues his stride through the crease and towards the outer, not waiting to see the TV umpire confirm his dismissal. Awful start by England.
3rd over: England 26-2 (Malan 3, Vince 9) A lot of pressure now on James Vince who’s in much earlier than he would have anticipated. He’s a lucky boy too, snagging consecutive fours that both could have seem him caught behind the wicket. The first was a genuine late cut but close enough to the fly slip to cause palpitations. The second was a genuine edge that was just too hot for Carey to handle diving high to his right. England struggling to assert themselves on this quicker track.
Eurgh, ugly from Roy. Length ball from Richardson, the batsman sways to leg and tries to guide a dab to third-man but it turns into lazy-looking catching practice for the wicket-keeper. Poor start for England.
2nd over: England 15-1 (Roy 8, Malan 1) Big Billy Stanlake’s first over is a beauty. The wicket of Hales was backed up by a searing shorter ball to Malan that was lucky to be fended out of reach of any fielders, before a rapid length ball flew past the outside edge. To a bowler of Stanlake’s pace this pitch has much more life in it than we saw in Hobart.
Finchy!https://t.co/0nnBVVx7da#AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/nJSLGYgE70
Stupendous catch by Aaron Finch does for Alex Hales. Stanlake’s second delivery was in the slot but Hales didn’t get enough on it, sending it high into the air. Finch was forced to turn from mid-on and run with the flight towards the boundary, and he managed to keep hold of a juggling catch with the ball dropping impossibly over his shoulder. Terrific grab.
1st over: England 12-0 (Roy 7, Hales 3) Kane Richardson opens up for Australia and he nearly jags Roy first nut with the Englishman prodding an inside-edge almost onto his stumps. Neither bowler not batsman enjoy much timing for the remainder of the spell, the highlight of which being Roy crunching a pull out of reach of the midwicket sweeper from the eighth ball of an over containing two wides.
Tickets tonight are:
$139
$109
$79
$55
$44
I think Cricket Australia generally do a good job managing the game.
But these prices are ridiculously high for a meaningless game with half the Aussie side missing. #AUSvENG
The players are making their way out to the middle, we’ll be underway in no time at all.
Tonight is England’s final match in Australia on this marathon three-format Ashes tour. It has been commemorated with a team photo that will not take pride of place in Lord’s.
Here’s tonight’s track. Expect it to respond to spin and slower ball variations.
Welcome to the MCG for tonight’s T20I between Australia and England! Here’s the pitch, play to begin at 7.20 AEDT #AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/0nwsCoRnro
50 - @AlexHales1 is making his 50th T20I appearance for @englandcricket; only four men (Dilshan, Guptill, Gayle & Warner) have ever registered more runs as an opening T20I batsman than Hales (1,405). Milestone. pic.twitter.com/jQnexv4hKB
Mark Nicholas and Michael Clarke just had a long chat about Glenn Maxwell’s place in the Australian team and his strained relationship with Steve Smith...
Michael Clarke says a personal relationship should “never get in the way of selection”.
Simon Katich says hi.#AUSvENG
England already boast a formidable T20 line-up, but thanks to Chris Jordan it could be in for an explosive boost in 2022.
Related: Chris Jordan eyes the future and backs Jofra Archer for England
Two changes for England. The big one sees James Vince replace Eoin Morgan in the middle order. The English skipper has been ruled out with a groin injury and passes captaincy duties to Jos Buttler. Elsewhere Liam Dawson will offer a second spin option. He replaces Mark Wood.
.@josbuttler captains as @Eoin16 sits out today's match with a groin strain.
Thoughts on this team? pic.twitter.com/kRUaoJMnPf
One change for the home side with Aaron Finch fit to retake his place at the top of the order. Travis Head makes way.
Australia XI: David Warner (c), Aaron Finch, D'Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake #AUSvENG
It’s a repeat of Wednesday night with David Warner winning the toss and electing to chase. It worked in Hobart, will history repeat in Melbourne?
Australia captain David Warner has won the toss and opted to BOWL first #AUSvENGpic.twitter.com/dWOwi60okb
It seems like no time at all since we were watching Australia chase down England in a T20I, and yet here we are, back to do it all again, this time from Melbourne.
Australia took the honours in Hobart - in not uncontroversial fashion - but once the hubbub of Jason Roy’s ‘catch’ and arguments over foreshortening had died down, Glenn Maxwell deserved all the praise that came his way for an all-round masterclass. The Victorian is one of the great sporting entertainers, playing each moment with abandon. While the rest of us watch on with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Maxwell just swings his arms without a care. When he prospers, we all benefit. Long may his ascension continue.
Jonathan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s the latest on Glenn Maxwell’s position in the Australian set-up.
Related: Australian selectors only concerned with Glenn Maxwell's form
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