England is chasing a 194-run target for victory in the second T20I against Australia at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.
Australian young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk, batting at first drop for the first time in his international career, top-scored with 50 as the tourists posted 6-193 in the Welsh capital.
The Victorian missed selection for the series opener in Southampton after a form slump in the game’s shortest format, but an illness setback for captain Mitchell Marsh opened the door for his return to the starting XI.
MATCH CENTRE: England vs Australia, second T20 scorecard
“I’ve done some No. 3 work in the Big Bash and the last IPL, so it wasn’t anything foreign,” Fraser-McGurk said during the innings break.
“I’m just pretty happy to get above 20 for the first time in a while.
“Going to Scotland, it was quite tough. I’ve never played in such cold conditions. It felt quite foreign, I’ve never really experienced that before. I was just not really confident in my own game.
“Got my opportunity (today) and I’m glad I took it.”
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Travis Head led the side in Marsh’s absence, becoming the 13th cricketer to captain Australia in men’s T20Is.
Head and opening partner Matt Short got Australia off to another blistering start after England skipper Phil Salt won the toss and chose to bowl first in Cardiff, bringing up a fifty-run partnership in the fourth over.
Playing his first T20I in over 12 months, English quick Brydon Carse broke the stand in the fifth over when Head carved a full delivery directly towards Adil Rashid at point for 31.
The tempo steadied following Head’s departure, with Short failing to find the boundary rope for 14 consecutive deliveries before leg-spinner Rashid deceived the Victorian in the ninth over with a wrong-un, bowled for 28.
Fraser-McGurk brought up his maiden T20I fifty in 29 deliveries, becoming the youngest Australian to reach the minor milestone since David Warner in 2009. However, the 22-year-old departed in the same over after miscuing a slog against tweaker Liam Livingstone towards long-on, with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis falling in almost identical fashion a few minutes later.
Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis picked up the tempo following Stoinis’ departure, producing an assortment of elegant sweeps and lap shots before chipping a slower ball from left-armed seamer Sam Curran towards deep square leg for 42.
In the penultimate over, Jamie Overton dropped a regulation outfield catch at deep mid-wicket, gifting West Australian all-rounder Cameron Green an extra life on 2. To rub salt into the wounds, Green slapped the following delivery into the stands for six, with a patron in the front row showing Overton how it’s done.
Aaron Hardie ended the innings with a flourish, cracking 20 runs from the final over delivered by Curran as Australia posted the second-highest team total in T20Is at Sophia Gardens. Carse was the pick of England’s bowlers with 2-26 from four overs, including the crucial dismissal of pinch-hitter Tim David.
England XI
Phil Salt (c) (wk), Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley
Australia XI
Matt Short, Travis Head (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa
Source Agencies
