Australia Vs England T20 series, 2nd Match
Played at Ageas Bowl, Southampton On September 6
England 158/4 In 18.5 Overs (JC Buttler 77*, DJ Mallan 42, AC Agar 2/32) beat Australia 157/7 In 20 Overs (A J Flinch 40, MP Stoinis 35, GJ Maxwell 26, AC Ager 23, CJ Jordan 2/40) By 6 Wickets.
England Lead the Series 2-0
Player of the Match: Jos Buttler
All round England playing brilliant all round cricket wrapped up the three matches T20 series 2-0 with a match at hand.
After a great escape in the first match England hopped across Australia set target of 158 with 7 balls to spare. Winning the toss and batting first Australia was shocked and awed by English pace attack. The 157/7 that Australia managed scoring looked a very ordinary for very strong English batting. With the help of flamboyant unbeaten 77 runs by brilliant Buttler and 87 runs 2nd wicket partnership between Buttler and Mallan English Lions bashed Australian Kangaroos by 6 wickets. Australia cannot win the T20 series. Their mission now would be trying all means to avoid series white wash and salvage some pride from the third match.
After the great escape of England in the first match winning the match from the jaw of death by merely 2 runs a seesaw battle was expected in the second match. For reasons unknown Australia opted to bat after winning the toss. Playing with unchanged team Australia ran into immediate crisis losing blaster Warner in the very first over for nothing to Archer. When Wood removed Carey promoted to number 3 in the very next Australia got shocked and awed. Their crisis was compounded when Morgan also brilliantly ran out Smith, before he could cause much damage. The only partnership of substance was 49 between Flinch (40) and Stoinis (35) for the 4th wicket. Strikes by Jordan and Adil Rashid reduced Australia to 5/89 by the 13th over. This Australian unit in two matches so far did not look like having capacity of tail wagging. Still through efforts of Maxwell (26) and Ager (23) they managed posting 157/7. It was well planned English bowling that rattled Australia. Wicket had no venom. Austrlians really batted very poorly. We are unsure that Australian think tank did it right not playing Labuchange and Marsh for the match.
It was not too difficult a chase. Australians could not create any challenge for the very strong English batting. Strac extended the run drought of Bairstow having him hit wicket for 9. Rollicking Buttler (77*) and Mallan (42) with second wicket partnership of 87 secured the match and the series for England (2-0). Ager taking 2/27 created a problem or two before England cruised home by 18.5 overs losing only 4 wickets. Possibly Australians could not get over the trauma losing the first match from a winning position. With the series already lost Australia must plan for the ODI series. One must give due credit to England for their brilliant all round performance. Australia was not given any chance at all at any stage of the game. They took initiative very early and kept it tight all the way. How brilliantly Buttler has batted and so did Malan. This team with addition of Ben Stokes and Root would look invincible when both returns in future.
BDST: 1144 HRS, SEP 07, 2020
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