CANBERRA —
Dawid Malan’s 82 and disciplined bowling from England helped the visitors win
the second Twenty20 international against Australia by eight runs on Wednesday
to seal the series and give them a confidence boost heading into the World Cup.
اضافة اعلان
Malan shared a
crucial 92-run stand in Canberra with Moeen Ali (44) as England compiled 178–7
against a full-strength Australian attack.
Despite Mitchell
Marsh hitting 45 off 29 balls and Tim David 40 off 23, the hosts fell short.
Sam Curran took
3–25 to ensure England won the three-match series 2–0 with a game left on
Friday in a setback to the World Cup champions.
“Really
satisfying win after losing the toss as well and setting a target,” said
England skipper Jos Buttler. “I think we showed great character and Malan
played fantastically well to anchor the innings.”
Malan hit seven
fours and four sixes in his 49-ball knock to rescue the visitors after they
slumped to 54–4 in the ninth over.
Ali was also
impressive after Australian captain
Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to bowl,
making five changes to the side that also lost by eight runs in Perth.
Pace spearheads
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, along with spinner Adam Zampa
all returned for the hosts after being rested for the first T20.
Buttler fell to
Cummins on 17, with Zampa holding a difficult high catch.
Alex Hales, who
blasted 84 from 51 balls in Perth, lasted just seven balls for his four runs
before holing out to David Warner off Marcus Stoinis.
Star allrounder Ben Stokes’ ordinary recent form
continued, bowled by Zampa for seven, and when Harry Brook got an edge off
Stoinis they were on the back foot at 54–4.
But Malan was
rock-solid, expertly finding the gaps to reach his 14th half-century.
Zampa finally
broke the partnership, tempting Ali into another big hit and he was caught on
the ropes before a late flurry from Malan, who was out in the last over.
“We were really
poor in the field, sloppy, dropped a couple of chances, especially when we had
them four down in the first 10 overs,” said Finch.
England rested
pacemen Mark Wood and Chris Woakes but they still found a way to restrict
Australia.
Finch dropped
down the order in recent matches, but returned to partner Warner for the first
time since their Sri Lanka tour in the middle of the year.
But he never
settled and again fell cheaply, out for 13.
Warner, who has
been in form, followed three balls later for four to leave Australia struggling
at 22–2 in the fifth over.
Glenn Maxwell’s
recent poor form continued, out for eight, before Marsh and
Marcus Stoinis put
on a quick-fire 40-run partnership to keep them in contention.
Stoinis went for
22, followed by Marsh, with Australia’s fate resting with David and Matthew
Wade. They needed 59 of the last five overs but were unable to deliver the
fireworks required.
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