Player of the Match
Player of the Match

6pm: So, England take the series, 2-0 up with one to play - but they'll need to win that if they want to seal the No. 1 ranking. Matt's report is in and we'll be back for some more tonktastic action on Tuesday. Thanks for the comments, see you all again then. Bye!

5.46pm: Presentations time, starting with Australia's Aaron Finch: "When you fail to get one of the openers out, who's a great player, you miss out. Thought if we matched their Powerplay, we could come out on top, we didn't pick up enough wickets. [Pitch?] Did a bit more than we expected, it seamed a bit. We thought it would start slow and get slower. We wanted wickets and to get into their middle order, need early wickets in this game. If he's hitting balls over fielders heads, you can wear it. [Spin right tactic at death?] Thought it was, maybe quicks in last couple, but thought spin was hardest to hit. Needed wickets to win the game. [Change selection for final game?] Not that far out from World Cup, important to drill our basics and get game time as a group."

England captain Eoin Morgan: "Pretty comprehensive, can't fault any facets. Put in a better bowling performance, to make inroads on a wicket like that was fantastic. Made life a bit easier throughout the middle. We were happy chasing down that total. Wicket was a bit soft on top, wanted to bowl first. We wanted to be aggressive, Jofra set the tone in the first over. Thought if we played smartly we would chase it down, with a world-class player like Jos at the top. [Buttler locked in at opener?] We'll look at options, want to get the best out of Jos whether it's at the top or middle order. [Finger?] Just sore at the moment, we'll see over next couple of days. Looking to play out best XI throughout."

Jos Buttler is Man of the Match for his unbeaten 77 off 54: [Opening?] "Best place to bat in T20s, wicket got a bit better and that was a manageable target. The guys bowled well up top and pegged them back. If we got through 2-3 opening overs and settled down, we got a partnership going with Dawid and that set us up. Every time Dawid's got a chance he does brilliantly, and at the end Moeen said he was happy to take on the legspinner turning it into him. When someone hits those two boundaries it takes the pressure off. [Finish it yourself?] The game can change quickly, bit of a tricky surface so you want to take ownership and see your team over the line."

5.38pm: Tension, what tension? If you do it that way, Jos Buttler can be both opener and finisher... A couple of minor wobbles but England saw things through pretty calmly in the end. Buttler and Dawid Malan set the platform, after Jonny Bairstow struck his own stumps, and then Moeen Ali struck two pressure-easing boundaries just when the game was getting tight

Here's Mayank: "What sort of captaincy this is? Zampa bowling 19th over when you have Kane's 2 overs left, Cummins left with 1 too. Zampa had given 47 in last game also on same pitch against same team. If I can remember this, why can't Finch?"

Adnan's thinking the same: "Poor captaincy.. should have been Cummins n Richardson for final 2 overs."

"Brilliant stuff from Ali," gasps Finn. "Just brilliant!!!"

And amit has been keeping score in the Moeen Ali Game (copyright Philip M McCart): "Moeen bowled one over, conceded 8 runs, and played 6 balls, scored 13 runs."

18.5
6
Zampa to Buttler, SIX, wins it with a straight six! Buttler waltzes out and mows Zampa over the sight screen, a monster hit to finish - England win by six wickets with seven balls to spare!
18.4
1
Zampa to Ali, 1 run, lobbed up and he comes across to stab through point

Seven off nine needed now

18.3
4
Zampa to Ali, FOUR, rifled over cover, Moeen has stepped up to the plate here! Stays still, opens the body up and drills this wide of long-off
18.2
6
Zampa to Ali, SIX, pongo from Mo! Always a risk bowling spin this late into the game... Moeen dances out and smashes it over long-off for six!
18.1
1
Zampa to Buttler, 1 run, pushes through the legbreak outside off, Buttler goes back and steers a drive square

Now, the other night, Chris Jordan conceded just four off the 19th... Zampa to bowl on this occasion

END OF OVER:
18 | 5 Runs | ENG: 140/4 (18 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.77, RRR: 9.00)

  • Jos Buttler70 (52b)
  • Moeen Ali2 (3b)
  • Ashton Agar4-0-27-2
  • Adam Zampa3-0-24-1

CraigE: "Is that last awful over from Archer going to cost England?" Would certainly be a lot less tense at this point if it had cost, say, 8 rather than 18

17.6
1
Agar to Buttler, 1 run, tossed up and Buttler takes the safety first approach with a bunt down to long-off

Good over for Australia so far, can he close it out...

17.5
1
Agar to Ali, 1 run, full outside off, plays a late dab towards short third man and sets off
17.4
0
Agar to Ali, no run, lobbed up wide of off, Moeen dances down but can only jam the ball to short midwicket
17.3
1
Agar to Buttler, 1 run, tucked into a gap leg side, just the single

"Omg, is it the collapse??" wonders Monish Pokhrel

17.2
1
Agar to Ali, 1 run, slung down wide of the stumps from round the wicket, Moeen rocks back and cuts through point
17.1
1
Agar to Buttler, 1 run, flattish delivery outside off and Buttler prods it for one

Moeen Ali walks out, still not in great form despite his 60-odd against Pakistan the other day... Agar to bowl out, England needing 23 from the last three

END OF OVER:
17 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | ENG: 135/4 (23 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.94, RRR: 7.66)

  • Jos Buttler67 (49b)
  • Adam Zampa3-0-24-1
  • Ashton Agar3-0-22-2
16.6
W
Zampa to Morgan, OUT, slapped on the up, straight to cover, Maxwell grabs a head-height chance! No doubt about this, Morgan shakes his head and trudges off, looking to go hard right to the end and it's given Australia another window of opportunity

EJG Morgan c Maxwell b Zampa 7 (6b 1x4 0x6) SR: 116.66

16.5
0
Zampa to Morgan, no run, attempts to sweep this time, hit on the front pad and Australia go up... in fact, Finch has reviewed Michael Burns' not-out decision. Looked like he was outside the line of off, to me, maybe not spinning enough either. Yep, umpire's call on impact, missing off stump
16.4
4
Zampa to Morgan, FOUR, smoked down the ground! Fullish in the slot and Morgan just plants the front foot and belts through the line
16.3
1
Zampa to Buttler, 1 run, lobbed up on the stumps and worked behind square
16.2
4
Zampa to Buttler, FOUR, drilled through the covers! Buttler stands tall and threads the needle between short extra and the man on the edge of the ring!

Andrew Proctor: "Banton is good as an opener but he isn't right to bat at 4." Seems about right on the limited evidence we've seen in ODIs/T20Is

England v Australia 2020 News

England 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st19JM BairstowJC Buttler
2nd87DJ MalanJC Buttler
3rd16JC ButtlerT Banton
4th13EJG MorganJC Buttler
5th23MM AliJC Buttler