ENG v AUS 2024, ENG vs AUS 2nd T20I Match Report, September 13, 2024

England 194 for 7 (Livingstone 87, Bethell 44, Salt 39, Brief 5-22) beat Australia 193 for six (Fraser-McGurk 50, Inglis 42, Head 31) by three wickets

Maybe being dropped from England’s ODI squad was the wake-up name that Liam Livingstone wanted. After flattering to deceive whereas battling a sequence of niggling accidents during the last three years, Livingstone marked his fiftieth T20I cap by clubbing 87 off 47 to sq. the sequence in Cardiff, having earlier helped to tug Australia again with 2 for 16 in his three overs.

Chasing 194 to arrange a decider in Manchester on Sunday, England slipped to 79 for 3 within the ninth over when Phil Salt miscued Matthew Brief to long-on. However Livingstone mixed with the precocious allrounder Jacob Bethell so as to add 90 in simply 47 balls, and regardless of a serious wobble in opposition to Brief’s offbreaks, England bought residence with an over to spare.

Bethell was handed his first England cap by Livingstone on Wednesday, having been mentored by him at Birmingham Phoenix within the Hundred. They fed off each other: as Livingstone laid into Australia’s under-strength seam assault, Bethell took down their spinners – together with 4 consecutive boundaries off Adam Zampa, which broke the again of the chase.

Bethell fell with 25 nonetheless wanted, dropping his off stump whereas reverse-sweeping, however Livingstone took England residence. Given the duty of batting at No. 4 in a younger facet, Livingstone was taking part in for his England future this week however has delivered, twice top-scoring and taking 5 wickets in six overs.

It meant Livingstone addressed a long-standing cost in opposition to him: that he has typically proven glimpses of his expertise in worldwide cricket, however has not often received England a recreation. Whereas he couldn’t fairly ship the decisive blow – he was bowled making an attempt to hit Brief for six with scores tied – this was nonetheless a match-winning innings, that includes 5 sixes.

He despatched a raucous, sold-out Cardiff crowd residence pleased. “I’ve struck the ball higher, however when it comes to conditions, situations, I do not actually care about scoring runs in loses,” Livingstone stated. “It is all about successful video games: I wish to win video games for England and at the moment I really feel like I’ve achieved that.”

Australia’s complete of 193 owed a lot to Jake Fraser-McGurk‘s maiden worldwide half-century, with Josh Inglis including 42. They have been pegged again after one other quick begin, however regarded brief on bowling high quality with Xavier Bartlett lacking on account of a facet pressure and Josh Hazlewood rested – and so it proved.

The Rooster crows

Fraser-McGurk missed out on choice on the Utilita Bowl after scoring 0, 16 and 0 in his first three T20I innings in Scotland final week, with Brief most well-liked on the prime of the order. However Mitchell Marsh’s sickness – which noticed Travis Head captain Australia for the primary time in any format – gave Fraser-McGurk a chance at No. 3.

He got here in after one other quick begin by Australia’s new opening pair: Brief crunched Reece Topley for a six and two fours within the first over earlier than Head raced to 31 off 13 balls, together with two towering straight sixes. Brydon Carse‘s further tempo made the distinction: Head slapped his second ball, clocked at 91.3mph, straight to brief cowl.

Fraser-McGurk made a flying begin of his personal, hitting three consecutive boundaries off Sam Curran as Australia reached 67 for 1 off the Powerplay. After initially struggling to select Adil Rashid, he then lofted a floaty legbreak again down the bottom for a straight six – although Rashid then cleaned Brief up for 28 with a trademark googly.

Livingstone saved issues tight by means of the center and had each Fraser-McGurk and Marcus Stoinis caught at huge long-on by Jamie Overton – although not earlier than Fraser-McGurk had audaciously launched the profligate Topley over deep level for six.

Carse was hit for consecutive fours by Inglis – who made 42 – however had Tim David caught behind along with his final ball. He completed with 2 for 26 in his first worldwide match since serving a ban for breaching anti-gambling laws, having changed the rested Jofra Archer. However Overton shelled Cameron Inexperienced at deep midwicket, and Aaron Hardie punished Curran within the remaining over to raise Australia to 193.

England’s late wobble

After Salt crunched Hardie for 3 consecutive sixes to get England shifting, Will Jacks fell cheaply within the chase, selecting out lengthy leg for the second recreation in a row to increase an underwhelming begin to his T20I profession. Sean Abbott was the bowler, and had two in his first three balls when Jordan Cox misplaced his leg stump to a nip-backer.

Salt and Livingstone ticked over however Zampa briefly put the brakes on, and Head was rewarded for a bowling change which defied conference: utilizing Brief’s offspin in opposition to two right-handers. However Livingstone and Bethell mixed to beautiful impact, beginning steadily earlier than shifting gears to take Stoinis and Zampa down respectively.

England did their greatest to mess issues up, with Brief taking his first five-for of a 233-match skilled profession: Bethell was bowled reversing, Curran picked out further cowl, Livingstone ran previous a straight one and Carse picked out mid-on. With Brief on a hat-trick, Rashid steered the successful single away by means of level.

Matt Curler is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98