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One of my favourite nerdy things to do is to have a regular look at Jos Buttler’s numbers opening the batting for England in this format. Feast your eyes on this: 1,299 runs @ 48.11, striking at 153.36. 68 off just 32 balls for him today – the perfect return after a couple of months on the sidelines.
I imagine there’s going to be some chat about this moment over the next day or two:
England win by eight runs
A terrific final over from Sam Curran, who cleans up at the end by adding Nathan Ellis to his collection – the slower ball outfoxes and bowls the tailender. That’s ended up being a cracking game, with Warner, Stoinis and Wade giving England a real scare.
WICKET! Wade c Stokes b Curran 21 (Australia 197-8)
Wade pulls for four first ball! The perfect start for Australia. Curran goes full next delivery and it looks like it’s in the slot – but he can’t get it away. Dot. A pull shot follows from Wade, but he finds Stokes in the deep!
19th over: Australia 193-7 (Wade 17, Ellis 0) 16 needed from the final six then.
WICKET! Sams c Brook b Topley 6 (Australia 193-7)
After two singles form the first three balls, Australia get a prized boundary: Sams waits on a slower ball, shifting over to the off side to scoop the ball over fine leg for four. But Sams is gone next ball! He gets some serious meat on a straight hit but Harry Brook hold both his nerve and the ball to pouch it.
18th over: Australia 187-6 (Sams 1, Wade 16) Curran fires in a yorker that Wade can barely get away. Australia still go for the single as Curran races in to try and kick the ball onto the stumps… and he misses the target! He had time to pick it up and take the stumps down. The final ball of the over is a good one for Australia as Curran’s full toss is helped over the fine-leg rope by Wade. 22 needed from 12.
WICKET! Warner c Hales b Wood 73 (Australia 173-6)
Oh my. What’s happened there? Wood fires in an electric bouncer and the ball flies straight up in the air. Wood is running towards it, so is Buttler, and Wade decides against the run so he’s caught in-between Wood and the stumps as the ball drops down. Replays show the batter putting his arm out to block Wood… but the match continues.
England do have a wicket to celebrate, though! Warner cuts the final ball of the over into the hands of deep point. Another terrific set from Wood.
17th over: Australia 173-6 (Wade 3, Sams 0)
16th over: Australia (Warner 72, Wade 0) Moeen is thrown the ball to turn it away from the two lefties. But Warner turns himself into a right-hander, switch-hitting the second ball for four! Too short from Moeen with his fourth ball and Warner pulls through square leg for another boundary. Australia need 40 from 24 balls.
WICKET! David c Hales b Wood 0 (Australia 158-5)
The hulking frame of Tim David emerges. He can’t get a hold of Wood’s first couple of deliveries and then holes out to Alex Hales at deep backward square. What an over for England!
15th over: Australia 158-5 (Warner 61, Wade 0)
WICKET! Stoinis c Malan b Wood 35 (Australia 158-4)
Wood back in and Stoinis pulls his first ball for six! He’s seeing them so, so well. And just as I type… he’s out! Wood goes short, Stoinis tries to hit it through the off side, but the edge flies high and Dawid Malan does very well to hold on outside the ring in the cover region. Cracking knock, though.
14th over: Australia 152-3 (Stoinis 29, Warner 61) Top shot from Stoinis. He gives himself room to lift the ball over short third man off the bowling of Topley. A wide off the last ball gives Warner another chance and he steals four with a hit over extra cover. Australia need 57 from 36 balls.
13th over: Australia 138-3 (Warner 55, Stoinis 23) Stoinis is hobbling about after a throw at the non-striker’s end smashes his right foot. That gives everyone time for a little breather. Stoinis’ first ball after that blow goes for six; he rocks back to Rashid’s googly and smashes the ball over deep midwicket. Another six closes out the over as Stoinis gets down on one knee to nail the sweep.
12th over: Australia 122-3 (Stoinis 9, Warner 53) Stoinis grabs his first four of the innings: it’s a nice late cut that beats the dive of short third man. Stokes follows up with a bouncer, but it’s too high, forcing the umpire to signal a wide. Three singles follow to close out the over. Australia need 87 from 48.
11th over: Australia 111-3 (Warner 51, Stoinis 1) It’s up to Warner now to win this for Australia. He brings up his half-century – his second of the week – with a boundary off Rashid.
WICKET! Finch run out Curran 12 (Australia 105-3)
Rashid twirls once again, and Finch gets a good look at him from the second legitimate ball of the over: tossed up, full and the skipper goes straight for six. There’s a push for two next ball and it looks tight as Buttler takes down the stumps at the keeper’s end… and Finch is gone! The dive didn’t save him after Curran’s excellent throw from the deep out in the off side.
10th over: England 96-2 (Warner 45, Finch 5) Stokes is in for a bowl. He bounces back from a wide first ball to limit the Australians to an over of singles. Australia need 113 from 60 balls.
9th over: Australia 89-2 (Finch 2, Warner 42) So Warner and Finch, usually together up top, meet in the middle in the ninth over. There’s a big job ahead.
WICKET! Marsh b Rashid 36 (Australia 86-2)
Rashid is in and Warner effortlessly pumps a fuller ball down the ground for six. What a welcome. A single brings Marsh on strike… and he’s bowled! It’s a googly from the leg-spinner and Marsh doesn’t make any connection on the attempted cut.
8th over: Australia 79-1 (Warner 34, Marsh 36) Curran’s playing with his pace, changing up his lengths, and it’s doing a job. Mitch Marsh nearly has four through extra cover from the final ball of the over, but Harry Brook pulls off a strong diving stop. Just six runs off it.
7th over: Australia 73-1 (Warner 32, Marsh 33) Marsh nails the pull again! This time it’s off a 92mph Wood ball, with the ball spending an age in the air before crossing the rope. Australia are liking that bit of extra pace right now.
6th over: Australia 62-1 (Warner 30, Marsh 26) Slower ball into the surface from Sam Curran and Marsh pulls for four more. Warner and Marsh run hard to collect 10 from the over. A very decent Powerplay for Australia.
5th over: Australia 52-1 (Marsh 17, Warner 30) Big man v big man: Marsh gets on top of Topley’s threatening bounce, clubbing the second ball of the set over cover for four. From the penultimate ball of the over, Topley gets in the bouncer and this time Marsh pulls for four through square leg.
4th over: Australia 41-1 (Marsh 8, Warner 29) Mark Wood races in to bowl his rockets and lands his first one at 92mph. Marsh tries to pull him next ball but can’t get the desired connection, picking up just a single at fine leg. Warner uses the pace well, smashing the first ball he faces from Wood over point for four. And then another smash! Wood goes from around the wicket this time, and Warner cross-bats the ball through the covers. Make that three boundaries on the trot – Wood goes short and Warner upper-cuts for four more.
3rd over: Australia 28-1 (Marsh 7, Warner 17) Awesome from Marsh as he whips Woakes for six behind square on the leg side.
2nd over: Australia 20-1 (Warner 16, Marsh 1) Top start from Topley. It’s Mitch Marsh in at No.3 for Australia, by the way.
WICKET! Green c Buttler b Topley 1 (Australia 15-1)
Topley runs in and there’s definitely a sound as the ball passes Green’s inside edge on the way to Buttler. The finger doesn’t go up but Buttler reviews immediately, and Hot Spot shows a mark. The big man is on his way.
1st over: Australia 14-0 (Green 1, Warner 13) A top-edge for six! Warner shuffles across the crease and pulls off a crazy swat that flies high and away behind the keeper’s head. From the very next ball he goes big over mid-on for four. A good start for Australia.
Interesting from Australia. Cameron Green opens up with David Warner which means Aaron Finch drops down the order, just like he did against the West Indies earlier this week.
Australia need 209 to win off 20 overs
A monster total from England. They looked as if they were going to go even bigger at one stage, with Hales and Buttler smashing it everywhere. But Australia fought back with regular wickets at the backend, Nathan Ellis their star bowler with 3-20 off his four overs. Still, the hosts are going to have to give it a proper wallop from the get-go if they want to chase these down.
20th over: England 208-6 (Woakes 13, Malan 2) England get to 200 thanks to Chris Woakes, who pumps Richardson for four through the off side. And then a massive hit for six off the penultimate ball! It’s a swing across the line from Woakes and the sound off the bat is just unreal. England close with a single, taking them to 208-6.
WICKET! Moeen c Marsh b Ellis 10 (England 194-6)
Ellis wraps up a brilliant performance with another wicket. He digs his slower ball into the surface and Moeen’s upper cut can only fly to Marsh at short third man. 3-20 from four overs for the Australia quick.
19th over: England 194-6 (Malan 1, Woakes 0)
WICKET! Curran b Ellis 2 (England 193-5)
Ellis goes full and straight; Curran tries to go for a ramp but misses. Ellis hits.
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