A Cautious Start by England
England didn’t start well as Hales departed for a two-ball duck on the seventh ball of the innings. Malan joined Butler in the middle and continued from where he left in the previous game. The left-hander creamed a couple of delightful boundaries in the third over of the game. From there, he and Butler found the ropes at regular intervals and dragged England to 47 for 1 in 6 overs.
Just when these two were gaining some momentum, the rain came in to interrupt the game in the seventh over. After a long wait of about 45 minutes, players were back on the field and the match was reduced to a 17-overs per-side affair.
A Strong 1st Innings Finish followed the Second Rain Break
Malan and Butler decided to put their foot down after the resumption but the latter fell in the eighth over as England lost their second. They were two down for 73 as the game was interrupted yet again by another rain spell.
The second break resulted in the loss of five more overs for each side as the T20 converted into a 12-over contest. Stokes thumped Maxwell for a maximum on the first ball after the resumption. England were 81 for 2 after ten overs. Hazelwood was plundered for 22 runs in the next over by Butler. The over started with three consecutive boundaries and ended with a six-over mid-wicket.
England ended their innings with a score of 112 for 2 in 12 overs. The target was revised and the Aussies were asked to chase down 130 in a bid to avoid the whitewash.
Woakes Rocked the Aussies but Rain Doesn’t Allow A Result
Woakes started England’s bowling innings with a bang. After Finch holed out to extra cover on the first ball of the chase, Marsh was sent packing too on the next delivery. The trouble didn’t end for the hosts as Maxwell also fell to Woakes in the third over. The English seamer had grabbed 3 wickets in his first 2 overs while giving away just 2 runs.
Willey came in to bowl his first and innings’ third over. He was hit for a four by Smith and a six by Stoinis before the rain came in again to tear down the hopes of getting a result. The game was called off as England took the series 2–0.
What’s Coming Up Next?
Both teams will play a couple of warm-up games before going into the T20 World Cup 2022.
