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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft

Australia v England: Twenty20 tri-series game two – as it happened

Glenn Maxwell celebrates his century after hitting a six from the final ball.
Glenn Maxwell celebrates his century after hitting a six from the final ball. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Summary

Glenn Maxwell was bestowed the nickname the Big Show, but he never courted it. Tonight he put on a big show to almost single-handedly drive Australia to victory over England.

England’s 155 always felt a few runs under par but it took Maxwell’s unbeaten century to confirm it. Around him there were contributors but none were telling leaving the maligned Victorian to accept responsibility after earlier snaring three wickets with his part-time offies.

Despite Maxwell’s impudent brilliance the major talking point will inevitably be when he was given not out by the third umpire when on 60. Let the foreshortening debate rage below the line.

Back-to-back wins for Australia sets them up nicely for this tri-series. England shouldn’t be too disheartened by defeat. With the bat they attack at full throttle and it so often pays dividends.

These two teams will be back to do it all again on Saturday at the MCG. I’ll be back too to steer you through it all.

Updated

Australia win by five wickets

Glenn Maxwell of Australia bats during the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena .
Glenn Maxwell of Australia bats during the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena . Photograph: Matt King - CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

18.3 over: Australia 161-5 (Maxwell 103, Carey 5) SIX! Maxwell brings up his matchwinning century with a lofted flick that just evades the square-leg boundary rider. What a way to finish.

Maxwell celebrates his century after hitting a six from the last ball.
Maxwell celebrates his century after hitting a six from the last ball. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

18.2 over: Australia 155-5 (Maxwell 97, Carey 5) Maxwell finds cover with a forehand smash. No run.

18.1 over: Australia 155-5 (Maxwell 97, Carey 5) Carey dabs a single. Scores tied, can Maxwell find the boundary for his century?

18th over: Australia 154-5 (Maxwell 97, Carey 4) Carey is quietly going about his business efficiently, finding a run from every ball he’s faced, running hard and keeping Maxwell on strike as often as possible. On strike, Maxwell again somehow sends the ball where it shouldn’t go, and always just out of reach of fielders. Fours arrive wide of third man, wide of long-on, wide of long-off, all unconventional, all effective and all in their own way brilliant. Bravo Glenn Maxwell, now, can he manufacture a century?

17th over: Australia 139-5 (Maxwell 83, Carey 3) This is Maxwell’s match, make no mistake. Three wickets with the ball and now steering his side home in the run-chase (just don’t mention the Roy almost-catch). Jordan has sent down a perfectly serviceable over but Maxwell’s ingenuity manages to send the ball in unexpected places. The chase now 17 from 18.

16th over: Australia 128-5 (Maxwell 75, Carey 1) Australia need 28 more runs from 24 deliveries.

WICKET! Head b Willey 6 (Australia 127-5)

After a few becalmed overs Maxwell is back in the groove. Willey’s recall is the trigger, prompting Maxwell to go downtown and then drag an almighty heave wide of long-on. A leg-bye brings Head on strike and Willey cleans him up with one that’s too fast and too straight. Not an innings Head will recall with much fondness. England still have a pulse. It’s faint, but it’s there.

Head, bowled by Willey for six.
Head, bowled by Willey for six. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

15th over: Australia 117-4 (Maxwell 67, Head 5) Australia doing it in singles, six in a row from a tidy Curran over.

14th over: Australia 111-4 (Maxwell 64, Head 2) Jordan is back into England’s attack as the contest struggles for momentum following the not-out call of the previous over. A few mistimed drives and nurdled singles keep Australia on track for victory.

13th over: Australia 104-4 (Maxwell 60, Head 1) Rashid’s final over, can England make it count? Yes they can! Maxwell has cruised through this innings so far but went for one shot too many, lofting a half-hearted drive to mid-off. Jason Roy makes heavy weather of the catch, jamming his fingers under the ball just as it hits the turf. Hang on, Maxwell stands his ground, waiting for the third umpire to force him to leave. Oh dear. As soon as this goes to the TV umpire the foreshortening effect kicks in and it looks like it’s hit the ground. That was out every day of the week but Maxwell is eventually reprieved. Cricket is rubbish sometimes. That is a match defining moment and it’s a stinker.

Roy dives for the catch.
Roy dives for the catch. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

12th over: Australia 98-4 (Maxwell 55, Head 0) Morgan again goes for the early wicket, bringing in a slip for Head but the South Australian defends Wood’s final two deliveries of an excellent over.

WICKET! Stoinis c Billings b Wood 6 (Australia 98-4)

Morgan persists with Wood and his strikeman forces another breakthrough! Stoinis only looked in for one delivery, and it was the one before he got out when he crunched a drive to the cover boundary. Immediately afterwards he skied a mow into the safe hands of Billings at mid-on. England are still in this.

Wood celebrates bowling Stoinis for six.
Wood celebrates bowling Stoinis for six. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

11th over: Australia 93-3 (Maxwell 55, Stoinis 2) Can Australia break Rashid’s shackles? Yes, Maxwell can anyway, stepping to leg, opening his body and carving a faded drive through the covers for a pressure-relieving four. Eight in total come Australia’s way as England’s chances of forcing an upset slip further from their grasp.

10th over: Australia 85-3 (Maxwell 48, Stoinis 1) Morgan senses the moment, recalling Wood and furnishing him with a slip. Wood keeps the pressure on with a tight over, conceding an early single to Maxwell and then pinning down the skittish Stoinis who eventually opens his account off his seventh delivery. Australia still very much on top but England creeping back into this.

9th over: Australia 82-3 (Maxwell 47, Stoinis 0) Rashid denied a wicket-maiden by a massive wrong’un that pitched outside off but turned beyond Stoinis’ pads for a harsh wide. The seventh delivery almost brought about a wicket though with the TV umpire required to confirm a stumping appeal as not out. Rashid was always going to be key and he has sparked some life back into this contest.

WICKET! Short c&b Rashid 30 (Australia 82-3)

Rashid take two, can he spark an Englandish collapse? Maybe! D’arcy Short can’t pick England’s wrist spinner and after three dots an uppish drive fizzes straight into the safe hands of the bowler. Can England turn this breakthrough into something substantial?

Short walks for 30.
Short walks for 30. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

8th over: Australia 82-2 (Short 30, Maxwell 47) It’s going from bad to worse for England with Alex Hales turning into Roberto Duran on the square leg boundary, his hands of stone sending a straightforward opportunity from Maxwell bouncing off his palms into the turf. Tom Curran deserved better but his excellent over still went for eight runs.

7th over: Australia 74-2 (Short 29, Maxwell 40) Powerplay over, which heralds the introduction of Adil Rashid, probably the pivotal moment in the match. If England are going to win Rashid will have to spin them to victory. He can’t find the breakthrough in his first over though, he beats Maxwell’s outside edge with a ripping leggie but it’s followed up by consecutive sixes. The first is hoicked to the on-side, the second over the off as the mercurial Victorian showcases his individual brilliance. With Maxwell and Short in this form England will be out of their misery in no time.

6th over: Australia 59-2 (Short 28, Maxwell 26) The fine margins of T20 on display in Hobart. Curran was one ball from completing an excellent over but his final delivery was smacked for six, only to see the first ball of Jordan’s over go for four when it was inches from being caught by a leaping short fine-leg. Maxwell escaped and rubbed salt into Jordan’s wound by carting a conventional six into the crowd beyond midwicket and then stepping to leg and chopping an inside-out bunt over cover for four. After leaking 15 runs Jordan lands a perfect yorker on Short’s back foot. The LBW appeal is declined onfield but it’s sent upstairs. The REVIEW is turned down for pitching outside leg.

5th over: Australia 44-2 (Short 28, Maxwell 11) Tom Curran the latest Englishman to be handed the ball and he backs up Jordan’s good work... for five deliveries. The sixth is insouciantly deposited over his head for six of the most effortless runs you are ever likely to see. That was nary a gesture from Short and it thumbed into the advertising boards on the full.

4th over: Australia 34-2 (Short 20, Maxwell 9) Chris Jordan with an early dart, can he find the variations of pace that so benefited Andrew Tye earlier? Yes, he can. A mixture of off-paced length deliveries and fast yorkers keep Australia boundaryless.

3rd over: Australia 30-2 (Short 18, Maxwell 7) Short, the superstar of the BBL, is hitting his straps at international level. After taking a fancy to Wood in the last over he licks his lips as Willey comes in, carting him way over square leg with a free swing of the bat. At the other end Maxwell does not look as fluent but after a series of inside-edges and plays and misses he finally frees his hands and whips a four through midwicket. Plenty happening out there in Hobart.

2nd over: Australia 18-2 (Short 11, Maxwell 2) Wood shares the new ball and after a couple of decent deliveries he feeds Short runs. First he’s loose and pulled, then he’s too full and driven, back-to-back fours are the result, and it’s almost three in a row but a fierce mow is parried enough in the outfield to restrict the damage.

1st over: Australia 6-2 (Short 0, Maxwell 0) Wowee! So, to recap, Warner smacked WIlley over his head for four. The follow up was short and hoicked straight to the man at deep square leg. With his tail up Willey straightened Lynn up first ball then ripped through him second. Maxwell almost feathers his first ball behind but he survives and then milks a single following a wide. It’s all happening!

WICKET! Lynn b Willey 0 (Australia 4-2)

Phew, glad I got that clip in quicksmart. Lynn, castled unceremoniously by Willey, ripping one through the gate and sending the zing bails flying. What a start for England!

Lynn, bowled by Willey for a duck.
Lynn, bowled by Willey for a duck. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

Here we go, it’s time to take me to Lynnsanity!

Take me into Lynnsanity, yeahhhhh!

WICKET! Warner c Hales b Willey 4 (Australia 4-1)

What a start! First ball smacked over the bowler’s head for four, second ball slapped to deep square leg, out. Quick game’s a good game.

Warner walks for four, second ball.
Warner walks for four, second ball. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

Ok, Warner and Short are out in the middle, it’s time for Australia to chase England’s 155.

I mentioned MONA earlier. If you’re unaware of it, check it out, it’s amazing. If you’re aware of it but never visited, do so, it’s amazing.

MONA, it’s amazing.

“Morning Jonathan,” begins Lee Smith in a email. “In response to Vish (over 19) stating 33/6 is a bit shit. This is T20 where 33/6 off 7 overs is just as likely as 70/1. In fact the way England bat in the white ball game they could easily do that in the 50 over biffery.” Indeed, there is very much a ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’ element to England in white ball cricket under Trevor Bayliss. I guess those collapses just have to be taken on the chin. The curve is an upward one for England, and the entertainment is superb whichever outcome happens to materialise.

England 155-9

England looked on course for 200, then threatened to expire before 130. In the end 155 feels a few under par but a competitive enough total if Morgan’s attack can find the slower balls that worked so effectively for Australia.

Agar’s 2/15 from three overs changed the momentum of the innings. England were flying at 94-2 but Agar’s intervention, backed up by Tye and Stoinis swung things Australia’s way. Maxwell’s three-for is the most attractive of the figures but he was the man to profit most from England’s headless collapse.

Glenn Maxwell of Australia celebrates after dismissing David Willey of England during the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena.
Glenn Maxwell of Australia celebrates after dismissing David Willey of England during the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

20 over: England 155-9 (Jordan 16, Wood 5) Tye administers the last rites to England’s innings and he deserves wickets with each of his opening three deliveries. Jordan gets leading edges into gaps from the first two before Wood misses a straight one that bounces over the stumps. Some agricultural swipes and hard running add to the scoreboard inching England towards par - but hang on - out of nowhere Jordan picks the final delivery of the innings off his toes and drops it into the bleachers. That was an unexpectedly mighty blow, and it could well be the shot that makes this game interesting.

19th over: England 143-9 (Jordan 7, Wood 2) Wood is swinging like a drunk at a driving range but he can only connect with one of the four deliveries he faces, and that only goes for a single. Jordan is more efficient but he can’t find the boundary either.

18th over: England 140-9 (Jordan 5, Wood 1) Two overs remaining, England probably 20 runs short of something competitive. Can they burgle a few more?

WICKET! Curran c Warner b Tye 6 (England 137-9)

What was I saying? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Curran’s first ball goes for six, his second is caught at cover. Simples. Credit to Tye’s knuckle ball though, it slips through the air like it’s wearing a disguise, lovely delivery.

Warner catches Curran for six.
Warner catches Curran for six. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

17th over: England 136-8 (Jordan 2, Curran 6) There’s something admirable about England going down swinging. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It works for Curran, first ball, who steps to leg and slaps a fearsome pull off Stanlake for a mighty maximum.

WICKET! Rashid c Stoinis b Stanlake 1 (England 128-8)

Big Billy Stanlake TM is given an opportunity to improve his figures of 0/35, and he does, Rashid pulling a sharp short ball into the hands of Stoinis at midwicket. This innings is descending into some kind of hellish Hobartian exhibition normally reserved for MONA.

Stanlake celebrates after bowling Rashid for one.
Stanlake celebrates after bowling Rashid for one. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

16th over: England 127-7 (Jordan 0, Rashid 1) Very very ugly indeed for England.

WICKET! Willey st Carey b Maxwell (England 126-7)

Maxwellball Part III! Hmmm, what was that about disarray? Willey tries to launch Maxwell into the orbiting Tesla, misses everything, and Carey mops up with a smart stumping. Headless chicken stuff from England who were 94-2 not long ago.

Maxwell celebrates after taking Willey.
Maxwell celebrates after taking Willey. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

WICKET! Malan c Tye b Maxwell 50 (England 126-6)

Maxwellball Part II! Warner sensing England are on the ropes hands the ball to Maxwell and he induces a top-edge from a Malan sweep that soars unerringly into the mitts of Tye on the square-leg boundary. England are in disarray.

Carey stumps Malan for 50.
Carey stumps Malan for 50. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

15th over: England 125-5 (Malan 50, Willey 2) England are continuing to struggle to get Malan on strike and wickets are tumbling around their form batsman. Just three from another excellent Agar over. He has 2-15 from his three overs so far. It’s been a game-changing hand from the allrounder.

Updated

WICKET! Billings c&b Agar 10 (England 122-5)

Golden arm Agar strikes again! As per the Hales dismissal it’s a standard left-arm around the wicket delivery to a right-handed batsman who chips a leading edge back to the bowler. This was a more straightforward catch. Australia fighting back admirably after England’s fast start.

Agar celebrates with Warner after taking Billings for 10.
Agar celebrates with Warner after taking Billings for 10. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

14th over: England 122-4 (Malan 49, Billings 10) Richardson’s turn for a bowl and it immediately heralds a much needed boundary for England. It was an edge straight to first slip - but of course there was no slip in place - and Billings happily accepts the four. A couple of slogs fail to hit the middle of either Englishman’s bat before Billings finds fresh air with an attempted scoop. Nine from the over, but the bowler deserved better.

13th over: England 113-4 (Malan 48, Billings 2) Fourth good over in a row for Australia as Stoinis mixes up his pace and length to keep England boundaryless. Malan has been somewhat starved of the strike recently and his ability to find the rope has been missed.

Updated

WICKET! Buttler c Maxwell b Stoinis 5 (England 109-4)

Australia starting to wrest the initiative now with the soft wicket of Buttler. Stoinis is recalled to the attack and his second legal delivery is chipped by England’s number five straight to mid-off and Maxwell doesn’t shell his second opportunity of the night.

Maxwell celebrates after catching Buttler for five.
Maxwell celebrates after catching Buttler for five. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

12th over: England 107-3 (Malan 46, Buttler 5) Back to Tye’s variations and they’re a tasty bag of liquorice allsorts. Just four singles from the over, including a slower-ball bouncer that clips Malan’s grille. England’s momentum just weakening a touch.

11th over: England 103-3 (Malan 44, Buttler 3) Agar returns for his second over and again he causes England problems. A single and a dot are followed by a massive appeal for a catch at the wicket that’s declined on-field, sent up to DRS by Warner with the review confirming Malan did not feather a nick. Two more singles shape for Australia’s best over of the innings, until Malan saunters down the track and punishes Agar through wide midwicket. England’s number three is in ripping form.

10th over: England 96-3 (Malan 39, Buttler 1) The story of the opening half of England’s innings (to the tune of Motley Crue’s Girls, Girls, Girls): runs, runs, runs.

Eoin Morgan’s motley crew are doing well in Australia’s Apple Isle.

WICKET! Morgan c Warner b Maxwell 22 (England 94-3)

Maxwellball! Running out of options to stem the flow of runs Warner hands Glenn Maxwell the ball and after England plunder six more runs Morgan skies one off the toe of the bat and Australia’s skipper takes a safe catch at mid-off. Australia needed that.

Warner takes the catch, Morgan walks for 22.
Warner takes the catch, Morgan walks for 22. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

9th over: England 88-2 (Malan 38, Morgan 16) Warner reaches into his holster and pulls out his big gun Stanlake for a second sortie. Despite an early wide it’s a decent return from the paceman who concedes just... scrap that sentence, Malan larrups a massive six through midwicket from the final delivery. It was otherwise a tight over for Australia but Malan is bloody ace.

8th over: England 79-2 (Malan 32, Morgan 15) That previous comment about Zampa is reinforced when Travis Head’s right-arm nudies are called into the attack. Morgan greets the introduction by belting Head through the covers first ball and then over the cover fence third ball in a mighty swipe. England back in motion.

Yes, yes, yes!

7th over: England 65-2 (Malan 31, Morgan 2) After Agar’s immediate impact England are respectful, working ones and twos. Australia’s best over of the innings so far and perhaps an indication they may regret dropping Zampa.

WICKET! Hales c&b Agar 22 (England 60-2)

Ashton Agar with the golden arm, snaffling a wicket with his first delivery. It’s your stock standard left-arm around the wicket delivery to a right-hander and Hales chips a leading edge back down the pitch that the bowler did well to take despite the placement of the non-striker. Bonus for Australia.

Agar celebrates taking Hales for 22.
Agar celebrates taking Hales for 22. Photograph: Matt King/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Updated

6th over: England 60-1 (Hales 22, Malan 28) Marcus Stoinis bowls the final over of the powerplay and it’s another good one for England - but it probably didn’t serve to be. A dot and a single precede a run-out opportunity that Maxwell can’t take advantage of and a shocking mishit pull from Malan that fails to carry to Agar at mid-on. England’s number three rubs salt into the wounds by landing a couple of blows late in the over, first driving over cover and then pulling behind square for consecutive fours.

5th over: England 50-1 (Hales 21, Malan 19) Poor start for Andrew Tye who drops his first ball short enough for Hales to flip him over short fine leg for yet another boundary. Tye quickly realises this is a pitch for slower ball variations rather than out and out pace and he’s a bowler with plenty of those tricks up his sleeve. After that dodgy start he keeps England honest and sets the template for the next 35 overs you’d expect.

4th over: England 42-1 (Hales 15, Malan 17) Hales continues the assault, slapping Richardson to the midwicket fence but the bowler fights back superbly, bamboozling England’s opener with a slower ball bouncer and then ripping a pearler of an outswinger past the outside edge. Richardson looks to have troubled Hales again for a third ball in a row but somehow a yorker is dug out that squirts past point for another boundary. England enjoying the better of these opening exchanges.

3rd over: England 33-1 (Hales 6, Malan 17) Malan fancies it tonight like Swiss Tony with a freshly buffed pair of slip-ons. His first look at Stanlake goes for four through midwicket, his third zips all along the carpet through the covers. That drive was accompanied by a chorus of cherubs as it hummed its way to the boundary, glorious cricket shot. Ball four is picked off his ankles with a shovel-like technique, depositing the hapless quick into the cheap seats behind square leg. England motoring, regardless of that early wicket.

2nd over: England 17-1 (Hales 6, Malan 1) Malan’s off the mark with a single but that over belonged to Richardson. His swing and subtle changes of pace unsettled England’s batsmen, creating two good chances of which one was taken.

WICKET! Roy c Tye b Richardson 9 (England 16-1)

Kane Richardson shares the new ball and he’s into the action immediately. His first ball has plenty of outswing but Hales piles it through the covers for a majestic boundary. He tries a cut next ball but smashes it straight to Maxwell at point who shells a catch he’d expect to take every day of the week. It matters little though as Roy lobs a dolly to cover, misreading a slower ball, that Tye takes care of comfortably.

Tye takes the catch to dismiss Roy for nine.
Tye takes the catch to dismiss Roy for nine. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Updated

1st over: England 11-0 (Roy 9, Hales 1) Plenty of chat on the telly about Big Billy Stanlake TM as the paceman lumbers in for the opening over of the match, but it’s an over that doesn’t deserve the hype. First Jason Roy slaps him over cover for a couple before a wide outside off is followed up by a gimme four on Roy’s pads. Near enough every delivery featured a change to the field too. Good start for England.

The players are making their way out to the middle, Australia in a majority black number with a green and yellow fade, England in blue strides and red tops with a sky blue hoop. All set...

There’s no consensus from the TV experts about the surface, which is apparently why David Warner elected to bat second, giving his side a chance to evaluate the surface ahead of a run-chase.

I should probably point out that conditions in Tasmania are ideal. It’s dry, still, and the temperature is in the low 20s as the floodlights at Blundstone Arena begin to take hold.

Ashton Agar of Australia takes a catch in the outfield during during the warm-up before the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena.
Ashton Agar of Australia takes a catch in the outfield during during the warm-up before the Twenty20 International match between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Tonight’s match features the two sides in the top ten of the ICC’s rankings to have played the fewest T20 internationals during the current cycle. Australia have appeared in just 15, England 17. By contrast, tallies for Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India stand between 26 and 28.

I feel like I should have written this in the style of a tweet from Opta, ending with a statement word, like infrequent.

Glenn Maxwell’s innovative mindset knows no bounds. Proficient in switch hitting and dilscooping, he’s turned his hand warping the space-time continuum.
Glenn Maxwell’s innovative mindset knows no bounds. Proficient in switch hitting and dilscooping, he’s turned his hand warping the space-time continuum. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Updated

Play is scheduled to get underway in about ten minutes.

Before we rush headlong into tonight’s coverage, a chance to pay tribute to Doug Bollinger who retired from cricket this week. The left-arm paceman will be remembered as much for his status as a larrikin throwback as for his undoubted skill. A bowler of his menace would surely have earned more than 12 Test caps had he been born in any other Test-playing nation.

Australia XI

Australia make one change to the XI that dispensed of New Zealand on the weekend with Travis Head replacing Adam Zampa. That means we’ll get an early look at the tearaway Billy Stanlake and have another chance to see what BBL star D’Arcy Short can produce on the big stage.

Updated

England XI

England go in as expected which means plenty of bish from the off, no shortage of bash in the middle and a surfeit of bosh towards the end.

Updated

In case you missed David Willey getting his eye in earlier this week, it is a sight to behold.

David Willey made Nathan Lyon regret captaining a Prime Minister’s XI.

England will bat first

David Warner won the toss and he’s stuck England in.

Australian captain David Warner won the toss ahead of the second tri-series T20.
Australian captain David Warner won the toss ahead of the second tri-series T20. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Preamble

Good evening everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of the second T20i of this triangular series.

Tonight’s affair pits Australia against England in the third and final leg of this marathon Ashes tour. The hosts took the honours in the Test series, the visitors dominated the ODIs, now it’s time for the short-format specialists to light fireworks under old enmities.

Australia arrive in Tasmania buoyed by a thumping of New Zealand in the opening contest of this series, a match that confirmed the Big Bash League as a fine nursery for T20 talent. Billy Stanlake and Andrew Tye are unlikely to be household names to English supporters but the former’s pace and the latter’s guile make for compelling cricket. Glenn Maxwell and Chris Lynn offer terrifying familiarity with bat in hand and both looked in ominous form bludgeoning the Kiwis around Sydney last Saturday.

T20 remains a format in which Australia have historically struggled, a truism reflected in their ICC ranking of seven. This has often been attributed to the selection of established longer-form internationals in opposition to the global trend of backing specialists. Of Australia’s squad tonight only skipper David Warner appeared in the recent Test series against England, allowing the stars of the BBL their opportunities to stake regular claims.

For England there is plenty of overlap with the ODI squad, which is no surprise considering how aggressively Eoin Morgan’s unit have attacked the 50-over game in recent months. There will be plenty of attention paid to David Willey, England’s Perth Scorcher who dispatched Nathan Lyon for 34 in one ballistic over during his side’s solitary warm-up match.

As always, feel free to join in. Twitter is the best option on frenetic nights such as this, but the email remains an option.

Tonight’s encounter comes to you from beautiful Bellerive Oval. Bellerive translates as beautiful shore, where Johnny Cash hopes to meet you, in the sweet by and by.

Jonathan will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a read of this, about Tymal Mills who suffered a difficult second Big Bash League season.

Updated

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