Not even an astonishing five-wicket haul for part-time spinner Matt Short could prevent an unexpected captaincy debut for Travis Head ending in a huge anti-climax as England levelled their T20 international series in dramatic fashion at Cardiff.
Head, handed the leader’s job after Mitch Marsh was ruled out with illness, hit a brisk 31 as he led from the front and also watched the exciting Jake Fraser-McGurk then crash his maiden international half-century on Friday evening.
But despite amassing a formidable total of 6-193 at Sophia Gardens, Head’s big evening was then wrecked by a dazzling performance from Liam Livingstone, who smashed 87 in his 50th T20 international to ensure England won by three wickets to level the series 1-1 with one over remaining.
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Opening batter Short took 5-22 off his three overs but it still couldn’t prevent the hosts from earning the win that takes the three-match series to a decider in Manchester on Sunday.
Invited to bat after England again won the toss, Head enjoyed a typical 14-ball blitz, featuring a couple of sixes, before Fraser-McGurk, who had been dropped for the first win in Southampton on Wednesday, entered the fray after the skipper’s dismissal.
He quickly demonstrated why he is considered such a dazzling talent, hammering Sam Curran for three straight boundaries and later depositing two sixes as he went to his 50 off just 29 balls, only to get caught in the deep a couple of balls later off player-of-the-match Livingstone’s (2-16) impressive spin.
Short, with another bright knock of 28 in a swift partnership of 52 alongside Head, and Josh Inglis, who made another valuable contribution of 42 off 26 balls, helped maintain some mid-innings momentum.
Then a late blast from allrounder Aaron Hardie, with an unbeaten 20 off nine balls including 17 off Curran’s final over of the innings, helped propel Australia to what looked as if it could be a winning total.
Head’s first bold captaincy move was to give Short an early outing with the ball and he was rewarded when the man who had only previously taken two international wickets tempted England’s stand-in captain Phil Salt to hole out to his first ball when he was on 39 off just 23 deliveries.
But a blistering stand of 90 off just 47 balls between Livingstone and England’s exciting Barbadian-born newcomer Jacob Bethell, who attacked the bowling of Australia’s key spinner Adam Zampa impressively, transformed the game.
Short was recalled, only to bring a touch of hope for Australia by bowling Bethell (44 off 24 balls) before dismissing Curran two balls later.
But monster-hitting Livingstone took a shine to Short’s spin in the decisive penultimate over, clouting him for a fifth six and a four to guide England to within one run of victory with his 87 off 47 deliveries.
But Short then bowled him and had Brydon Carse caught at mid-on next ball, before Adil Rashid was relieved to scamper the winning single off his hat-trick ball, the final delivery of the 19th over.
“Mitch is a bit sick at home,” Head had earlier reported at the toss, admitting the skipper’s illness and the absence of injured pacer Xavier Bartlett meant it was “all hands on deck” for the Australians.
Josh Hazlewood, impressive in Southampton, was missed as he had a rest, presumably to protect him after a recent calf niggle, with seam bowling allrounder Hardie (0-23 off two overs) and spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly (0-20 off two) both coming into the side.
Overnight scans revealed Bartlett had suffered a side strain in the first game, and he will not play in Sunday’s final T20 in Manchester either, with Ben Dwarshuis joining the squad for the Old Trafford game.
