Despite Australia losing 10 wickets for 93 runs following a rapid powerplay, Hazlewood and Zampa had enough in reserve to lead their team to victory over the home side.
**Australia 179 (Head 59, Short 41, Inglis 37; Livingstone 3-22) Defeats England 151 (Livingstone 37, Abbott 3-28) by 28 Runs**
England's new chapter began with a familiar outcome: a second significant defeat to Australia in just three months. Following a 36-run loss at Kensington Oval in Barbados during June’s T20 World Cup, England fell short again by eight runs at Hampshire's Utilita Bowl. Travis Head's explosive powerplay performance laid the groundwork for Australia’s victory.
Under interim captain Phil Salt and coach Marcus Trescothick, England appeared unsettled and quickly stumbled to 52 for 4 in their chase of 180. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran, both omitted from next week’s ODI squad, managed to add 54 for the fifth wicket, but the innings crumbled in the chilly conditions.
After a rain delay postponed the toss, Australia failed to maintain their early momentum, losing all 10 wickets for 93 runs after an impressive start of 86 for 0 at the end of the powerplay. Head and Matt Short dominated the early overs, with Head's innings almost matching his remarkable 80 off 25 against Scotland a week prior.
England's bowlers mounted a comeback once the field restrictions were lifted, with legspinners Livingstone and Adil Rashid combining for 4 for 45 from seven overs. Despite regular breakthroughs in the latter half of Australia’s innings, the Australians were bowled out with three balls to spare. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent victory, as Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa proved pivotal.
**Travis' Headstart**
The conditions were drastically different from the teams' previous encounter, with temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler on this chilly mid-September evening compared to the heat in Barbados. Yet, for England’s bowlers, the early onslaught felt eerily similar, recalling Will Jacks and Mark Wood’s 22-run overs from Bridgetown.
Short, who missed the Scotland series due to paternity leave, stepped in for Jake Fraser-McGurk and made a compelling case to be David Warner’s long-term replacement. Though different in stature from Warner, Short was equally impactful, hitting consecutive sixes off Reece Topley in the second over.
Head quickly seized control, showcasing the lightning-fast start that has become his trademark since his return to T20 cricket. After smashing Jofra Archer for three fours in four balls, Head overturned a caught-behind decision off Saqib Mahmood, a moment that seemed to signal his awareness of his fleeting opportunity, with Curran bearing the brunt.
Curran’s opening over was costly, as he allowed a boundary off each of his first six deliveries, with three of those clearing the rope. Head was always a step ahead, predicting the pitch of each ball—whether short or full, straight or wide—and dispatching them to the boundary. This was not the start Curran had hoped for, especially after being dropped from England's ODI squad.
Head reached his 50 off just 19 balls, marking the seventh time he has achieved this milestone within the powerplay this year. He fell on the final ball of the powerplay for 59, caught at deep backward square leg, but Australia’s six-over total of 86 for 1 was the third-highest in their T20I history.
**Legspin to the Rescue**
Salt relied on his spinners to slow down the scoring, and his trust was rewarded when Rashid’s legbreak knocked back Mitchell Marsh’s off stump. Josh Inglis added momentum with 37 from No. 4, punishing Jacob Bethell for dropping short deliveries. However, it was Livingstone, the seventh bowler used by Salt, who stood out as the most effective.
Curran made an impact by catching Short brilliantly at deep backward square leg and then struck twice in two balls. Marcus Stoinis smashed Livingstone for six over his head but was soon trapped lbw while attempting a reverse sweep, and Tim David was struck on the pad while sweeping his first ball, leaving Australia at 132 for 5 in the 13th over.
Despite an early rough patch, Curran managed to dismiss Inglis with a reverse scoop. Archer and Mahmood then dismantled the lower order with a series of yorkers and low full tosses in the death overs.
**Australia Catches England Cold**
As temperatures dropped to single figures during the chase, England's batters rarely ignited the crowd of 15,011, who were treated to occasional fireworks with each boundary. Hazlewood, returning from a calf injury, struck in his first over, dismissing Jacks at long leg, and England struggled to maintain the required run rate.
David made a spectacular outfield catch, running from mid-on to deep midwicket and diving full stretch to dismiss Jordan Cox on his international debut. With Salt's catch off Short at deep square leg marking the end of the powerplay, England faced mounting difficulties. It got worse when Bethell misjudged a Zampa legbreak and chopped onto his stumps.
Livingstone, moved up to No. 4 from his usual finishing role, hit Stoinis for 17 runs in an over, offering England a faint hope. However, when Livingstone and Curran fell within four balls of each other, the game slipped away. Australia's only setback was an apparent side strain to Xavier Bartlett, forcing Cameron Green to complete his fourth over and later make a remarkable diving catch running back from mid-off to dismiss Rashid.
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