That’s it from me. Ta-ra!
The state of this
5️⃣0️⃣ FOR BUTTLER
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 30, 2021
💥 25 balls
💥 Four sixes
💥 Four fours
💥 Utter brilliance#T20WorldCup | #AUSvENG 🇦🇺🏴
📺 Watch 👉 https://t.co/SM59AECw7x
📱 Live blog 👉 https://t.co/C1vxTwkNYn pic.twitter.com/a2qtPeMYdJ
The thoughts of Liam Livingstone
“It was pretty much a perfect performance. I think our bowlers have been phenomenal throughout the tournament - Mo’s been one of our best bowlers so far and he didn’t even bowl today. It shows that we’ve got great depth and options. And yeah, that innings from Jos was phenomenal. It was a pleasure to sit and watch a genius at work.”
There are unconfirmed reports that England really did just beat Australia with eight wickets and 50 balls to spare.
And here’s Eoin Morgan
“It feels pretty good. Today was a big test against a really strong Australian side and we held up pretty well. We held our nerve with the ball, created opportunities and were relentless with the lengths we bowled. I thought the bowlers came up trumps again; they were really good today.
“The openers look in really good form. They’re two really imposing players who set up the chase and made it quite comfortable in the end. They’re all hard games - we treat everybody with the same amount of respect. It’s a really tough competition. We play two games in Sharjah in five days, so that’s another challenge, and one we’re looking forward to.”
The thoughts of Aaron Finch
“When we lost wickets in the Powerplay we had to try to hang in there for a bit and get to a total that would be defendable if a few things went our way. Chris Woakes is a brilliant exponent when it seams around a bit, but they all bowled well. That’s why they’ve been the best in the world for a while.
“We had to bowl them out, we knew that, so I’ve no problem with us searching for wickets. Jos Buttler played a helluvan innings. It’s just one of those nights when we got off to a poor start and it kept compounding unfortunately. We’ll dust ourselves off and take on Bangladesh next.”
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) October 30, 2021
The only worry for England is peaking too early. They’ve won their three games with 70, 35 and 50 balls to spare, which is entirely preposterous. This is an England cricket team FGS.
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The player of the match is... Chris Jordan, who took three for 17 and now I feel guilty about not mentioning him while I was prattling on about Woakes and Buttler.
“It wa a great bowling effort from the boys. The way Woakesy and Rash set the tone allowed us to come in and just try to continue the momentum. Today we tried to hold our length as much as possible, and be nice and straight. Then the way the boys batted was unbelievable.”
The margin of victory is significant - not so much for England as Australia, who drop below South Africa on net run rate.
England, bloody hell. That was barely legal. The tone was set by Chris Woakes, who took two early wickets as well as a blinding catch to dismiss Steve Smith. Australia fought tooth and nail to recover from 21 for four to 125... and then Jos Buttler went into genius mode. He mullered allcomers in an awesome innings of 71 not out from 32 balls. It’s worth repeating: in a T20 game, England won with 50 balls to spare.
ENGLAND WIN BY EIGHT WICKETS WITH 50 BALLS TO SPARE!
11.4 overs: England 125-2 (Buttler 71, Bairstow 14) Bairstow drives Agar for a single to complete a devastating victory. It was brutal, brilliant and seriously ominous for the rest of the teams in this tournament.
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11th over: England 119-2 (target 126; Buttler 70, Bairstow 14) Make that 60 runs off his last 20 balls: Buttler charges Zampa and swipes him for another straight six. Bairstow joins in by pinging his second ball over long-on for six more - and he slog-sweeps the next into the crowd as well! That’s the eighth six of the innings, and England need seven runs to win from nine overs.
Eoin Morgan smiles on the balcony, Mike Atherton bursts out laughing in the commentary box. This is one of the most savage displays I have ever seen from an England cricket team. An England team in any sport, in fact.
10th over: England 99-2 (target 126; Buttler 63, Bairstow 1) As if one butcher with the initials JB wasn’t enough, here comes Jonny Bairstow. Buttler, incidentally, has hit 54 off his last 19 deliveries.
It’s Jos Buttler’s world and we’re just living in it! 👀 #ENGvAUS
— Tammy Beaumont (@Tammy_Beaumont) October 30, 2021
WICKET! England 97-2 (Malan c Wade b Agar 9)
Dawid Malan falls cheaply, edging Ashton Agar to the keeper. That was a smart catch from Wade.
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9th over: England 97-1 (target 126; Buttler 62, Malan 8) Buttler reaches his fifty in the grand manner, mauling Zampa back over his head for another massive six. He was nowhere near the pitch of the ball but it didn’t matter - he extended his arms and launched it precisely 102 metres.
Buttler comes down the track again later in the over. Zampa sees him coming and hurls it well wide of off stump, yet Buttler is still good enough to crack it through wide mid-off and force Warner to make a brilliant stop on the boundary. Buttler gets two runs for that, and then reverse sweeps the next ball for four. This is astonishing batting from Buttler: 62 from 28 balls. When he plays like this, even the word ‘genius’ feels inadequate.
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8th over: England 82-1 (target 126; Buttler 49, Malan 6) Australia have no option but to start brawling for wickets, and Starc almost gets one with a blistering inswinging yorker to Malan. I’m not sure whether it hit the toe of Malan or the toe of the bat, though it doesn’t matter as it was swinging past leg stump.
Starc’s next ball is poor: short, wide and slapped for four by Malan. And Buttler makes it yet another double-figure over by cuffing a low full toss to the long-off boundary. Even by Buttler’s stratospheric standards, this has been an awesome innings, and he ends the over with a savage pull to the midwicket boundary. He has 49 from 24 balls.
7th over: England 68-1 (target 126; Buttler 40, Malan 1) Dawid Malan is the new batter.
“There’s nothing like a tense run chase, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “And this is nothing like a tense run chase. This England team will take some stopping.”
They’ve been brilliant, but we shouldn’t forget that they’ve won some important tosses. And, assuming they get there, they are likely to face either India or Pakistan in the semi-finals.
WICKET! England 66-1 (Roy LBW b Zampa 22)
Adam Zampa strikes with this second ball. Roy missed a reverse sweep and was hit on the knee roll. It looked a great shout, and it was a surprise when the on-field umpire said not out. Australia reviewed immediately, with confidence rather than desperation, and replays confirmed it was plumb.
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6th over: England 66-0 (target 126; Roy 22, Buttler 39) This is a proper Australian attack - Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Agar, Zampa - and England are taking them to the cleaners. A full ball from Starc is pinged into the top tier by Buttler, a shot of outrageous brilliance. The next ball is dumped into the top tier again, Buttler’s 300th six in T20s. He has 39 from just 19 balls. For decades, England were a laughing stock in white-ball cricket; now they’re laughably good.
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5th over: England 48-0 (target 126; Roy 20, Buttler 24) Hazlewood comes on for Cummins. An excellent yorker is scrunched through the covers for three by Buttler, a fresh demonstration of his extraordinary talent. “I’m sorry - you can’t do that,” says Simon Doull on commentary.
After some effective scampering, Buttler completes another excellent over - 11 from it - by dumping Hazlewood over mid-on for a one-bounce four. This is brutal.
4th over: England 37-0 (target 126; Roy 17, Buttler 15) Four overs, four different bowlers: the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar is on for Josh Hazlewood. After a couple of sighters, Buttler dances down the track and swipes a huge six over long-off. Winning the toss certainly helped, but so far this has been a frightening performance from England.
3rd over: England 27-0 (target 126; Roy 16, Buttler 8) Cummins replaces Starc. He starts with a wide and then bowls a no-ball, which means a free hit. He avoids punishment for that with a slower bouncer that hoodwinks Jason Roy - but the next delivery is launched miles over midwicket for six. That made the sweetest sound off the bat. England, Roy in particular, made a very confident start.
2nd over: England 13-0 (target 126; Roy 7, Buttler 5) Josh Hazlewood shares the new ball. Roy walks down the track to his first ball and larrups it through midwicket for four, a shot of delicious arrogance. Later in the over Buttler misses a premediated lap, with the ball just missing leg stump.
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) October 30, 2021
1st over: England 5-0 (target 126; Roy 1, Buttler 4) Mitchell Starc opens the bowling for Australia. He starts well but then drops short to Buttler, who cuffs it disdainfully between midwicket and mid-on for four. Starc’s follow-up is a dangerous, full-length inswinger that Buttler drags onto his pads. That swing will encourage Australia.
The players are back out on the field. If Australia take early wickets, this could become very interesting; if not, it could be a procession.
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WICKET! Australia 125 all out (Starc c Buttler b Mills 13)
Starc whirls Mills round the corner for six, and then edges the last ball of the innings through to Buttler. It’s been a tough day for Mills, who finished with two for 45. More importantly, England need 126 to win. They are strong favourites, though Australia have given themselves a chance by scoring 68 from the last six overs. See you in a few minutes for the runchase.
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WICKET! Australia 119-9 (Zampa run out 1)
Zampa tries to steal a bye to the keeper - and get Starc on strike - and is run out. Two balls of the innings remaining.
19th over: Australia 112-8 (Starc 1, Zampa 1) The hat-trick ball is a wide yorker that Zampa pushes for a single. No matter, that was a great final over from Jordan - just two from it, and he finishes with admirable figures of 4-0-17-3.
WICKET! Australia 110-8 (Cummins b Jordan 12)
Two in two for Chris Jordan! Cummins is cleaned up by a perfect yorker, which ends a short but eventful innings: 12 from three balls.
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WICKET! Australia 110-7 (Finch c Bairstow b Jordan 44)
What a beautiful catch from Jonny Bairstow! Finch carted Jordan towards long off, where Bairstow ran in and swooped to take a masterful two-handed catch.
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18th over: Australia 110-6 (Finch 44, Cummins 12) Hello! Pat Cummins has hit his first two balls for six! The first was pinged sweetly down the ground, the second launched spectacularly over midwicket. Australia aren’t out of this.
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WICKET! Australia 98-6 (Agar c Livingstone b Mills 20)
A beautiful slower ball from Mills almost does for Finch, who has an almighty mow across the line and toe-ends the ball into his pad. He gets a wicket next ball, though, when Agar slugs a pull to deep midwicket. Livingstone runs round the boundary to take a confident catch. That was a useful innings from Agar, a run-a-ball 20 that included those two sixes off Woakes.
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17th over: Australia 95-5 (Finch 42, Agar 19) Ashton Agar has dragged Chris Woakes’ pristine bowling figures through the dirt. He lifted him for successive sixes over backward square and midwicket, and an inside-edge for four made it 20 from the over. England reviewed that last boundary, thinking/hoping the ball hit the pad rather than the inside edge. They were right - but it pitched outside leg so Agar survived anyway. They’re leg-byes rather than runs, though, and Woakes finishes with 4-0-23-2.
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16th over: Australia 75-5 (Finch 40, Agar 6) Australia probably need 10 an over from here to have any chance of victory. Agar smashes Jordan towards extra cover, where Morgan plunges to his right to save three runs. That was brilliant fielding.
Finch gets a boundary off the next ball, though, cutting Jordan through backward point. Eight from the over. England are still miles ahead, but Australia have recovered pretty well from 21 for four.
“Re: Big New Prinz earlier, there’s a Fall song for every occasion,” says Ian Forth. “British People in Hot Weather for the crowd tonight; Athlete Cured and Fit and Working Again for Ben Stokes; Blindness for Joel Wilson (Headingley 2019 version); Breaking the Rules for David Warner; I’m Not Satisfied for Justin Langer; Inevitable for the result of The Ashes this winter; Nine Out of Ten for Jim Laker at Old Trafford in 1956; The Man Whose Head Expanded for KP.”
15th over: Australia 67-5 (Finch 34, Agar 4) It looks like Finch is going to target Tymal Mills. He dumps a slower ball back over Mills’ head for four and drives the next ball sweetly to the extra-cover boundary.
Mills switches round the wicket and beats Finch, who then mistimes a pull not far short of mid-on. Ten from the over, a good one for Australia.
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14th over: Australia 57-5 (Finch 25, Agar 3) Australia continue to deal almost exclusively in singles, which isn’t much use to anyone. Four from Livingstone’s final over; he finishes with terrific figures of 4-0-15-1.
During Livingstone’s final over there wass some good analysis of the Wade wicket on Sky Sports. Livingstone saw him coming and bowled the ball much slower, which led to Wade toe-ending it to long-off. Livingstone also gave him a vivacious send-off.
#ENGvAUS Anyone else willing Australia to get a few boundaries and make a game of it?
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) October 30, 2021
I think the Australian coach John Buchanan said something similar during the CB Series in 2006-07, and then came Paul Nixon.
13th over: Australia 53-5 (Finch 23, Agar 1) Rashid returns for his final over. He almost skids a quicker one through Agar, who looks uncomfortable with Rashid’s variations. His last ball is a beautiful googly that would have trapped Finch plumb in front but for a late inside edge. Rashid ends a mischievous spell with figures of 4-0-19-1.
12th over: Australia 51-5 (Finch 22, Agar 0) Another left-hander, Ashton Agar, is the new batter. Livingstone is having another good day with the ball: 3-0-11-1.
WICKET! Australia 51-5 (Wade c Roy b Livingstone 18)
Livingstone continues, and why not. He’s so handy when there’s a right- and left-hander at the crease, although the left-hander is now walking off the field. Wade, on the charge, tried to tag Livingstone down the ground, but he didn’t get enough on it and Roy took a comfortable catch at long-on.
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11th over: Australia 49-4 (Finch 21, Wade 17) Tymal Mills comes on for Adil Rashid (3-0-17-1). The omission of Marsh means that England are one wicket away from the lower order, though Australia have some decent hitters down there. His fourth ball is wide and very short and wide, which allows Wade to slash it up and over for a one-bounce four. The next delivery is a sharper bumper that Wade, slightly startled, fences to third man for a single.
Eight from the over in total, which is the best of the innings so far. Although they’ve had a torrid time, Australia aren’t out of this game yet.
Another largely accurate Powerplay for #England’s pace bowlers, generally bowling straighter but picking up 2 of their 3 wickets(Smith & Warner) with wider deliveries. #T20WorldCup #AUSvENG @IGcom pic.twitter.com/qKZfiuHivw
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 30, 2021
I wish we had CricViz when Australia were 301 for none at Trent Bridge in 1989.
Here’s a report on that thrilling victory for South Africa earlier in the day
10th over: Australia 41-4 (Finch 20, Wade 11) Finch is annoyed that he can only pull a long hop from Livingstone for a single. We’ve had only two boundaries in the innings, and that’s still the case after another quiet Livingstone over. It’s time for drinks; this Australian innings needs a barrel of Red Bull.
“With Wade in, it might be an idea to bring Moeen Ali on for an over,” says Colum Fordham. “Re John Starbuck, never premature to think about the Ashes. Indeed, some of the bowling (Jordan and Woakes) has been worthy of Test cricket and Australia are fielding their best Test quicks (Stark, Hazlewood et al).”
9th over: Australia 37-4 (Finch 18, Wade 9) Wade has started busily, and Finch looks atop the burning deck. Rashid’s third over brings five more runs, all low-risk ones and twos.
“I don’t think that England’s bowlers are vastly better than everyone else’s,” says Andy B, “but I do think they are taking wickets because the other team’s batters are looking to take them on and set a big total to challenge the England batsmen. And it’s fun watching the Aussie top order caught in the headlights.”
That’s an excellent point. England’s batting can be so devastating that some teams must – consciously or unconsciously – chase a total that is above par.
8th over: Australia 32-4 (Finch 16, Wade 6) Liam Livingstone replaces Chris Woakes. He’ll bowl legspinners to Finch and offspinners to the left-handed Wade. It’s a typical middle over, with a handful of low-risk ones and twos.
7th over: Australia 27-4 (Finch 11, Wade 5) The new batter is Matthew Wade, who is so competitive that he’ll relish even this situation. He slashes a cut past slip for four, the first boundary since the first over of the innings.
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WICKET! Australia 21-4 (Stoinis LBW b Rashid 0)
With the Powerplay finished, Rashid returns in place of Jordan - and he strikes first ball! It’s a carbon copy of Stoinis’s dismissal in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, LBW to the googly. Then, as now, he didn’t pick it and he was plumb. That was just too easy for Rashid.
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6th over: Australia 21-3 (Finch 11, Stoinis 0) Australia have no choice but to regroup, even though we’re still in a Powerplay. Woakes concedes only two runs from his third over, a wide and a leg-bye. He has outrageous figures of 3-0-7-2.
“Lovely hearing Shane Watson’s opinions on LBW dismissals,” says Adam Levine. “It’s a bit like hearing Zeus give a TED Talk on lightning bolts.”
5th over: Australia 19-3 (Finch 11, Stoinis 0) Jordan has another LBW appeal against Finch turned down. That wasn’t as close - he was outside the line and it might have been bat first as well. It’s another good over for England though, with just a pair of twos for Finch.
Disappointing selection from Australia leaving Marsh out & Maxwell batting in the power play (he should always come in after power play). Stoinis should have gone in. Poor strategy & tactics from the Aussies. I love Smith but he shouldn’t be in the T/20 team. Marsh has to be !!
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) October 30, 2021
4.1 overs: ENGLAND REVIEW! Jordan has a huge LBW appeal against Finch turned down. This is really close, and Morgan reviews. It might be angling past leg stump, but Finch fell across his stumps so it’ll be very close. It’s umpire’s call and Finch survives.
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4th over: Australia 15-3 (Finch 7, Stoinis 0) Chris Woakes has figures of, and you’ll like this, 2-0-6-2. And he’s taken a spectacular catch to get rid of Steve Smith.
WICKET! Australia 15-3 (Maxwell LBW b Woakes 6)
Maxwell has reviewed it but this looks plumb. He whipped around a straight delivery that thudded into the pad in front of leg and middle. It hit both pads in fact. Here comes ball-tracking: he’s out! Three reds too, which means Australia lose a review.
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3rd over: Australia 11-2 (Finch 7, Maxwell 2) That was Chris Jordan’s first ball of the match. His second almost takes a wicket too, with Glenn Maxwell playing and missing outside off stump. As in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, England have had an unimaginably good start. That was mostly thanks to Chris Woakes as well.
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A song for Chris Woakes
Truly, he is not appreciated.
WICKET! Australia 8-2 (Smith c Woakes b Jordan 1)
Chris Woakes has taken a blinder! Chris Jordan started his spell with a wide short ball to Smith, who clunked a pull towards mid-on. Woakes scampered backwards, leapt and stuck out a telescopic arm to take a stunning catch!
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2nd over: Australia 8-1 (Finch 6, Smith 1) With Mitchell Marsh omitted, Steve Smith moves up to No3. He’s beaten first ball, skidding across his stumps towards a fine delivery from Woakes. This is a fresh pitch, with a bit of grass on it, and Woakes is getting some movement off the seam.
Smith then survives a big LBW appeal after walking across his stumps. It was pretty close, but Morgan decided not to review. I suspect it would have been umpire’s call at best and therefore not out. Edit: replays confirm it was umpire’s call.
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WICKET! Australia 7-1 (Warner c Buttler b Woakes 1)
Chris Woakes strikes with his second ball! Warner fiddled outside off stump at a good delivery, just back of a length, and thin-edged it through to Buttler.
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1st over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 1, Finch 5) Aaron Finch has a terrific record against offspin and a modest one against legspin, which is why England are opening with Rashid rather than the in-form Moeen Ali. After three dot balls, Finch drives Rashid sweetly down the ground for four.
“‘Afternoon, Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Nice to have you back and no doubt limbering up for our overseas winter programme. I’m already starting to adjust 2022 appointments to align with very late nights/early mornings. Yes, I know this is being premature, cricket isn’t only about the Ashes and the present competition is important and entertaining in its own right, but there’s nowt wrong in planning ahead. Like, what supplies will be most in demand, assuming delivery difficulties continue?”
If the series goes as expected, you might want to stock up on Buckfast.
England are opening the bowling with... Adil Rashid. Hello!
“Great to have you on board for this,” deadpans Ian Copestake. “ Am following so much sport this afternoon I can almost imagine what you guys have to contend with doing a clockwatch, etc. I will need to generate my own spitefulness however.”
There’s an app for that.
S2 Ep 2 also out on Monday.
— The 80's and 90's Cricket Show (@CricShow80s90s) October 14, 2021
Gus Fraser is our player of the week and we take a look at arguably one of the greatest series, England v West Indies in 91.
With @selvecricket, @derekpringle, @garynaylor999 and Rob Smyth
Sponsored by @LawEmployee
England have won the toss and will bowl first
They’re unchanged, while Australia have brought in Ashton Agar for Mitchell Marsh. That’s an interesting move - a spinner for a No3 batter, which is a fairly big change of emphasis. Cricinfo’s Matt Roller has a theory as to why they’ve made that decision.
England Roy, Buttler (wk), Malan, Bairstow, Morgan (c), Livingstone, Ali, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid, Mills.
Australia Warner, Finch (c), Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Wade (wk), Cummins, Agar, Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood.
After two games with the extra batter, Aus make this change. Wonder if Agar will bowl in the Powerplay given the popularity of starting with SLA to Roy and Buttler? https://t.co/Ion0Pw9p70
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) October 30, 2021
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South Africa have beaten Sri Lanka by four wickets in a thriller at Sharjah! They needed 15 off the final over, bowled by Lahiru Kumara, and David Miller hit two huge sixes to take them to the brink of victory. Kagiso Rabada edged the winning runs with a ball to spare, and South Africa join England and Australia on four points. That was tremendous entertainment.
The third ever #T20WorldCup hat-trick comes from #SL spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, all three deliveries were googlies to right-handed batters.#T20WorldCup #SAvSL
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 30, 2021
The marvellous Hasaranga de Silva has taken a hat-trick in the early game between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Sharjah. It looks like Sri Lanka are going to join England and Australia on four points in Group 1: South Africa are 112 for six, needing 31 from 16 balls.
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The Australian team will wear black armbands in tribute to two brilliant cricketers who died in the last 48 hours. Alan Davidson sits at the top table of bowling allrounders, and is second only to Wasim Akram among left-arm quicks. He was a modest superhero who starred in legendary games like the tied Test of 1960 and the Ashes-winning heist of 1961.
Ashley Mallett was a high-class offspinner, a brilliant gully fielder and a bloody good writer. I’ve linked to our news story below, but it’s also worth reading Gideon Haigh on Davidson and Ian Chappell on Mallett. RIP, fellas.
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Preamble
Tense, nervous stomach? Me neither. It’s strange for an England supporter to go into a World Cup match against Australia without agita, but that’s the case ahead of today’s game in Dubai. Two reasons, I guess. Both teams have won their first two games, which means there’s less jeopardy than usual; whoever loses today will get a second chance and maybe a third. And, after six years of excellence, even the most pessimistic England fan concedes they are quite good at white-ball cricket. Some they win, some they lose, but there’s no need for Clockwise clips any more. We can take the hope, and we’re even learning to live with expectation.
Australia approach today’s game in an unusual position, too: under the radar. Few people were tipping them before the tournament - they’ve lost their last five T20 series - and a couple of decent victories over South Africa and Sri Lanka haven’t really changed that. But if they win today, England won’t be the only ones suffering a bit of agita.
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