ENG VS AUS 1ST T20I

Right then, that wraps up the series opener where momentum swung back and forth, but in the end, Australia emerged victorious. It was a tough day for England across the board in international cricket, as the men lost in Southampton and the women suffered a defeat in the final ODI against Ireland in Belfast. Phil Salt and his men will now aim to level the T20I series and force a decider. The second T20I is scheduled for Friday, September 13, at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with the first ball set to be bowled at 5.30 pm GMT. As always, you can join us early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The skipper of Australia, Mitchell Marsh says both Head and Short started exceptionally and they were aiming to get past 200 but they lost wickets which wasn't great but he is happy with the win. Appreciates Josh Hazlewood and says young guys learn a lot from him. Adds that it was a good wicket and they made good use of the conditions in the Powerplay.

The captain of England, Phil Salt says that Australia got a good start but his bowlers dragged it back towards the end. Adds that they could have done better and will look to bowl with better clarity in the next game. Feels that they had a realistic chance of chasing it down. Further says that they needed to take partnerships deeper and not doing that has resulted in them ending up on the losing side.

Travis Head is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his outstanding knock of 59 off 23 balls. He says it was a nice outing, especially after a tight couple of overs. Adds that he looked to hit good shots and make use of the pace in the second half of his innings. Appreciates the way Matthew Short played at the top of the order and says how tricky it gets with so many opening batters available and how one needs to step in when given a chance. Concludes that he is in good form and gets backed well by the captain and coach.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, after being asked to bat first, Australia made a dynamic start thanks to Matthew Short and Travis Head. Head, in particular, launched a fierce assault on the English bowlers, who were often wayward, and made the most of the Powerplay with a dazzling fifty. However, the introduction of the spinners in the middle phase allowed England to claw their way back into the game. From a position where they could have posted a total well beyond 200, Australia lost their last 7 wickets for just 47 runs and were eventually bowled out for 179. Liam Livingstone began the turnaround for England and finished with 3 wickets to his name. Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood cleaned up the tail quickly, finishing with two wickets each.

For England, momentum was on their side following a spirited fightback with the ball. Despite losing Will Jacks early, the hosts enjoyed a steady start. However, unlike Australia’s brisk Powerplay, England’s was more measured. This early stability soon crumbled as their top order was dismantled during the Powerplay. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran reignited their hopes, but with one batter short due to the team composition, a lot rested on their shoulders. The loss of both set batters in the space of a few balls put England in a precarious position. These twin blows left Jamie Overton with a monumental task, and his dismissal was the final nail in the coffin.

A topsy-turvy game, but Australia ultimately secured a convincing victory to go 1-0 up in the series! With an excellent bowling performance backed by brilliant fielding, the visitors have taken the lead in this three-match series. Much like their approach in Scotland, they leveraged their height and bowled straight to keep the batters in check. Although they lost Xavier Bartlett midway through his final over due to what appeared to be a side issue, the rest of the Aussie attack provided no respite. As Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran started to build a flourishing stand, Josh Hazlewood answered his skipper's call by dismissing Livingstone and dashing England's hopes.

OUT! CLEANED'EM UP! Sean Abbott completes the cleanup job and seals the match for Australia by 28 runs. Sees the batter shuffle across and follows him with a fuller-length delivery just outside off, Saqib Mahmood moves way across the stumps but still goes through his shot and tries to scoop it fine. Ends up deflecting it back onto the stumps. England are bundled out for 151 runs and Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series.

OUT! CLEANED'EM UP! Sean Abbott completes the cleanup job and seals the match for Australia by 28 runs. Sees the batter shuffle across and follows him with a fuller-length delivery just outside off, Saqib Mahmood moves way across the stumps but still goes through his shot and tries to scoop it fine. Ends up deflecting it back onto the stumps. England are bundled out for 151 runs and Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series.

SIX! Saqib Mahmood finally manages to get one right! Sean Abbott keeps it short and over off, Saqib Mahmood stands tall in the crease and pulls it over long on for a biggie.

Back of a length, over middle, Saqib Mahmood pulls it late and skies this one in the vacant mid on region for a single.

WIDE! Digs it in short does Stoinis, over off, Saqib Mahmood yet again fails to make any contact but the umpire calls it a wide for height.

A slower bouncer, on the stumps, Saqib Mahmood looks to ramp but misses.

Good length and on off, Reece Topley cuts it past point for a single.

Reece Topley is the last man in.

OUT! CAUGHT! Wow, that's an outstanding catch from Cameron Green! Marcus Stoinis digs it into the deck on a back of a length and over middle and off, Adil Rashid looks to loft it over the infield on off but gets too early on the shot. Skew it high and well over mid off. Cameron Green backtracks with his eyes on the ball and times his jump back to absolute perfection to grab the ball with both his hands above his head as he tumbles back.