Travis Head and Mitch Marsh have powered Australia to victory over Scotland in record-breaking T20 scenes, but it was an unhappy beginning to life as David Warner’s white-ball cricket successor for young gun opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk. The Aussies chased down Scotland’s total of 9-154 in just 9.4 overs, with Head and Marsh combining for a world record haul in the powerplay.
Head top-scored with 80 runs from 25 balls, while Marsh belted 39 off 12 as the duo combined for a whopping 113 runs in the six-over powerplay, breaking the previous record of 102 set by South Africa against the West Indies last year. The savage display of big-hitting from the Aussie pair lay the platform for the big victory after Fraser-McGurk was dismissed early for a third-ball duck.
Fraser-McGurk is widely regarded as Warner’s long-term successor at the top of the order for Australia and took last season’s Indian Premier League by storm after scoring a series of half centuries filling in for the veteran for the Delhi Capitals. But the 22-year-old’s long-awaited T20 debut for Australia ended in disappointment as he was caught off his third ball without scoring.
The wicket brought Marsh to the crease and he came close to giving Scotland a second scalp in quick succession after prodding Brandon McMullen’s next ball just past gully’s outstretched right hand. Any momentum the Scots may have thought they had was quickly extinguished though as Head went ballistic in the next few overs with a succession of fours and sixes.
Travis Head and Mitch Marsh in record-breaking scenes
Head smashed three boundaries in the second over, two fours and two sixes in the third and two more boundaries plus a maximum off the fourth to rocket onto 47 off just 16 balls. Marsh was only on eight runs from five at the time but soon joined in the run-scoring run in a devastating fifth over where he hit 6,6,4,6,4,4.
Head kept the onslaught going against the hapless Scots in the next over, belting 4,6,4,4,4,4 and in the process equalling Marcus Stoinis’ Australian record for fastest T20i half century – reaching it off just 17 balls. “Nice way to get underway,” said Head. “I was a little nervous coming in, we’ve had a bit of a break, so nice for me and the captain to get some runs. That’s my role, to maximise the powerplay and I think we did that.”
Travis Head and Mitch Marsh set up easy win for Aussies
Marsh was eventually sent packing after being bowled by Mark Watt but the damage had well and truly been done by that stage. Watt has a habit of bowling from well behind the crease and the tactic worked for him again after the Scottish quick sent one clattering into Josh Inglis’ stumps as the Aussie batter stepped away – only to hear boos ring out from the crowd as a deadball was called.
The decision was later clarified as correct by MCC, but Inglis had appeared to be ready and watching when Watt bowled. Head was caught in the same over but he’d put the Aussies on the cusp of victory with plenty of overs still to bowl by that stage. Inglis (27 off 13) and Marcus Stoinis (eight off five) closed out the run chase to seal a comfortable victory for the Aussies.
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That came after Australia’s relatively inexperienced pace attack adapted swiftly to conditions to put the brakes on the Scots, as the home side’s batters raced to 1-46 after five overs, having been sent in by the Aussies. Bowling into the pitch, taking pace off and using cutters they squeezed the run-rate.
Sean Abbott, called into the squad when Spencer Johnson was ruled out, took 3-39 but it was Xavier Bartlett who was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, taking 2-23 from his four overs. Spinner Adam Zampa (2-33) and Riley Meredith (2-34) also delivered their full complement while Cam Green (1-12) and Stoinis (0-10) shared a quota.
Bartlett made an early breakthrough when Oli Hairs miscued a pull and was caught by Marsh. But with George Munsey clearing the ropes three times Scotland were eyeing a challenging score when Inglis took a superb flying catch off Abbott to dismiss him for 28 off 25 and Bartlett picked up Brandon McMullen (19 off 22), caught by debutant Fraser Jake-McGurk.
Scottish wickets fell regularly from that point as the home side struggled to a total that never really looked to cause Australia too many problems. “In a three -match tournament it’s very important to win the first game,” said Marsh. “I thought all-round we had a great start to the series.” This is the first of 11 matches with Australia subsequently facing England in three T20s and five ODIs.
with AAP
