Greenway secures 2-0 series lead

England 5 for 100 (Greenway 30, Sthalekar 3-15) beat Australia 3 for 99 (Nitschke 27*) by five wickets
Scorecard

Lydia Greenway played her third match-winning innings in a row as England took a 2-0 lead in the Twenty20 series with a five-wicket success at the MCG. Following her crucial efforts in the final ODI and opening T20, Greenway hit an unbeaten 30 to guide the chase of 100 in a match reduced to 16 overs per side.

Given the torrential rain that lashed Melbourne for the previous 36 hours it was remarkable that any length of match was possible but the sun broke through in early afternoon and the ground dried swiftly. The fielding of both teams was poor and Australia's last chance went in the 15th over when Rene Farrell dropped a return catch off Greenway with six needed from eight balls.

England had made a swift start to their chase but from 39 for 1 in the sixth over lost 3 for 17 in the next four as Lisa Sthalekar bowled a fine spell. Danielle Wyatt (18) heaved across the line, Charlotte Edwards (16) got a leading edge that was superbly caught and Suzie Rowe found deep midwicket.

Greenway, though, is rapidly becoming the women's version of Eoin Morgan in the manner she can finish an innings. There was solid support from Jenny Gunn as the pair added 43 for the fifth wicket. The boundary count was low on a large outfield, even though the square ropes had been brought in, but the pair ran well.

The final momentum shift came in the 14th over from Rachael Haynes as Greenway and Gunn collected 11 although Gunn sliced to point with the scores level.

It meant a shoddy England fielding display didn't prove costly. At one point they spilled a hat-trick of chances all offered by Leah Poulton, firstly off Gunn who then became the bowler to suffer. However, Australia struggled to find large-scoring overs regularly with England's spinners again doing a good job.

Poulton was eventually caught by a superb reflex return effort by Gunn leaving Sthalekar and Alex Blackwell to scamper 24 off the last three overs. But again Australia weren't good enough to defend a total leaving them needing to win all three matches in Canberra to take the series.