Australia has secured a 28-run victory in its first T20I against England in Southampton after a trademark blitz from opener Travis Head and another bowling masterclass from leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
The tourists were bowled out for 179 in 19.3 overs on Thursday morning AEST after failing to capitalise on a rapid start from Head (59 from 23 balls) and opening partner Matt Short (41 from 26 balls), who combined for an 86-run opening partnership at the Rose Bowl.
Leg-spinners Adil Rashid (1-23) and Liam Livingstone (3-22) stemmed the flow of runs in the middle overs, with some questionable shot selection aiding England’s cause, before quicks Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood wrapped up the tail in scintillating fashion. After racing towards 2-118 in ten overs, the wasteful Australians lost 8-61 following the drinks break.
MATCH CENTRE: England vs Australia T20I scorecard, stats
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England v Australia 1st T20 Highlights | 09:48
England could only manage 151 from 19.2 overs in response after Zampa, who finished with 2-20 from four economical overs, and Australia’s seamers wreaked havoc during the run chase.
Hazlewood and Abbott each snared multiple wickets, while Australia is sweating on the fitness of Xavier Bartlett after the Queensland seamer limped off the field with a suspected side strain, failing to complete his fourth over.
It was Australia’s fourth consecutive T20 victory after whitewashing Scotland 3-0 in Edinburgh last week.
“We were certainly on par for above 200, and we tried our best to stuff it up,” Australian captain Mitchell Marsh laughed during the post-match presentation.
“But it was very nice to start the series with a win.”
Head hits 30 off Curran over! | 01:50
England captain Phil Salt, leading his country for the first time in the absence of the injured Jos Buttler, chose to bowl first after winning the toss, which was delayed due to rain.
Short, having replaced young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the order, smoked consecutive sixes off Reece Topley in the second over, thumping the left-armed quick over square leg on both occasions.
After overturning an incorrect caught-behind decision in the fourth over, Head launched into a brutal assault when Sam Curran was introduced to attack, clobbering 30 runs in a single over to equal the Australian record.
“I love to go out and whack it,” Head said during the post-match presentation.
“I know that’s not going to be the case every time, I’m in a nice bit of form at the moment, and I want to continue that.”
Most runs in an over by an Australian in men’s T20Is
30 – Ricky Ponting vs NZ, 2005 (626646)
30 – Aaron Finch/Glenn Maxwell vs PAK, 2014 (41466nb54)
30 – Dan Christian vs BAN, 2021 (666.66)
30 – Mitchell Marsh vs SCO, 2024 (664644)
30 – Travis Head vs ENG, 2024 (446664)
Head, later named player of the match, brought up his fifth T20I fifty in just 19 deliveries but departed on the final delivery of the Powerplay, top-edging a pull shot against Mahmood towards debutant Jordan Cox at deep square leg. The following over, leg-spinner Adil Rashid deceived rival captain Marsh through the air, bowling the West Australian for 2.
England wrestled back control when Livingstone ripped through Australia’s middle order after the drinks break, taking three wickets in quick succession. Short picked out deep square leg before Marcus Stoinis and Tim David were trapped on the pads recklessly sweeping in almost identical fashion, with England successfully reviewing LBW calls on consecutive deliveries.
Curran returned to the attack in the 17th over and knocked over wicketkeeper Josh Inglis for 37, bowled by a slower ball after miscuing an attempted reverse lap over third man.
Inglis’ dismissal sparked a frantic collapse of 4-7 from ten deliveries, with Archer and Mahmood producing yorker after yorker at the death. Archer, who finished with 2-31, removed Sean Abbott and Bartlett in consecutive deliveries before Mahmood (2-21) knocked over all-rounder Cameron Green for 13.
After tailender Josh Hazlewood survived two hat-trick deliveries, Australia’s topsy-turvy innings ended with a tame run-out in the final over.
‘No Mitch’ – No-ball erases golden duck! | 01:14
Salt was fortunate to survive the first ball of the run chase after chipping a regulation catch towards Marsh at mid-off, only for Bartlett to have marginally overstepped. The following over, fellow opener Will Jacks whipped a short delivery from Hazlewood towards deep fine leg, caught by Short for 6.
Bartlett put down a tough return chance in the third over to hand Cox an extra life on 1, but the Englishman failed to make the most of the reprieve, with David holding onto a superb lunging catch over his shoulder a few minutes later.
England was suddenly in a spot of bother at 4-52 in the eighth over when Salt and debutant Jacob Bethell fell victim to Abbott (3-28) and Zampa respectively. However, all-rounders Livingstone and Curran launched into a counterattack after the drinks break, combining for a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
A well-directed bumper from Abbott accounted for Curran in the 13th over, caught at short fine leg for 18, before Livingstone chopped back onto his stumps for 37 to expose England’s long tail.
The result was put beyond doubt when Zampa dismissed Jamie Overton, England’s last recognised batter, for 15 with a flatter delivery that ricocheted off his pads into the pegs.
“They played well, fair play,” Salt said after the match.
“We should have chased it realistically, but we live to fight another day.”
The second T20 between England and Australia gets underway at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Saturday morning at 3.30am AEST.
