Australia win by 36 runs
Australia 201 for 7 (Warner 39, Marsh 35, Head 34, Stoinis 30) beat England 165 for 6 (Buttler 42, Salt 37) by 36 runs
Australia outplayed England in Barbados to leave the defending champions sweating on their qualification for the Super 8s. They posted the highest score of the T20 World Cup to date after David Warner and Travis Head blitzed 70 runs in the first five overs, before Adam Zampa made the difference in England’s lacklustre run chase.
The result is not terminal for England’s title defence, but they have one point from their first two matches and face an anxious week ahead in Antigua. They will almost certainly need to beat both Oman (on Thursday) and Namibia (on Saturday), but even then would likely have to rely on Net Run-Rate to qualify for the second round ahead of Scotland.
The dimensions played a major role at Kensington Oval: one square boundary was nine metres shorter than the other, measured at just 58m. Australia targeted it, almost immediately: Will Jacks, surprisingly given the second over, conceded three sixes in his first four balls, all flying over the shorter leg-side boundary; Mark Wood’s first over from the same end also cost 22.
Australia’s total relied on cameos throughout their batting line-up rather than one substantial innings. Warner, likely facing England for the final time in international cricket, top-scored with 39 but everyone in their top five reached at least 28; Matthew Wade’s 10-ball 17 not out was another useful cameo from No. 7, taking Australia past 200.
England, by contrast, fell away badly after Zampa accounted for both of their openers – Jos Buttler and Phil Salt – inside his first 11 balls. They were 73 for 0 after seven overs but only managed 92 for 6 in the following 13, their middle order failing to adjust to a dry pitch quickly enough against a clinical Australian attack.
5
4
1
Australia close in
Cummins, returning for the 16th over, hides the ball outside off stump and tells Moeen Ali to hit him over the longer off-side boundary; Moeen tries, but can only pick out David Warner at deep cover. The required rate is 17 an over now, and England look down and out.
2
4
3
Hazlewood responds!
A tortured innings from Jonny Bairstow comes to an end: Hazlewood hammers one in on a good length and his cross-batted swipe finds Glenn Maxwell on the deep midwicket boundary. Bairstow's innings of 7 off 13 balls has left England in the mire as Harry Brook strides out at No. 6.
2
4
1
Moeen hammers Maxwell!
6
6
•
1
1
6
20 runs off the 14th over as Moeen Ali swings Maxwell for three sixes in five balls. Maxwell is bowling to a short leg-side boundary when Moeen, the left-hander, is on strike and his around-the-wicket angle means he keeps on angling the ball in towards his pads. England land a counter-punch.
1
1
Maxwell squeezes hard
•
1
•
1
•
•
England are going nowhere here. Glenn Maxwell is into the attack and concedes only two runs from his first over, the 12th of the run chase. The required rate is suddenly 12.6 runs per over, and Australia only have one more over to find from their allrounders.
1
Starc takes a blinder
3 wickets lost in 23 balls by England
Superb catch from Mitchell Starc, diving forwards at long-off after running in off the boundary! Jacks looked to launch Stoinis' cutter down the ground but didn't get much of it, and Starc pulls off a stunner. In walks Moeen Ali at No. 5.
3
Marsh's challenge
England need 109 off the final 60 balls, of which at least 18 will come from Australia's allrounders: Stoinis, who has bowled one over, and Glenn Maxwell. How will Mitch Marsh - who is not yet fit to bowl himself - juggle his resources? Does he go for the kill after Zampa's double-strike or try to get through the occasional bowlers now? Stoinis will resume after drinks, which gives an early clue.
Zampa gets Buttler!
6
W
Another huge intervention from Adam Zampa, who has accounted for both England openers in his first 11 balls! Buttler has already got the reverse-sweep out twice in the over - once hitting the ring, once skewing it over Wade for a couple - but his third attempt flies off the top edge to Cummins at point. Massive moment in the game.
3
1
Zampa strikes!
BOWLED! Zampa gets the breakthrough with his first ball!
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 8, 2024
Salt goes for 37 - England 73/1https://t.co/4fhqTTWK3W | #AUSvENG | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/s0pv8ff7eu
2
Starc punished
6
1
6
4
1
1
Salt slashes Starc down to deep third where Travis Head takes a catch, but while stepping on the rope, and Starc ends up conceding 19 from the seventh over, his third of the innings. Buttler hammers his slower ball over midwicket for a towering six, and his full toss is thumped down the ground for four more.
Adam Zampa is into the attack for the 8th over, and he could be the man who decides the outcome of this game. He was superb against England in the 50-over World Cup in Ahmedabad in November.
England 54 for 0 (6 overs)
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler get through the Powerplay without losing a wicket - although Marcus Stoinis will be pleased to have conceded only six runs from his first over, the sixth of the innings.
Salt spoke at the start of the week about their opening partnership, and how his days as a young player at Sussex - batting with Luke Wright, now an England selector - have prepared him for batting alongside Buttler.
"[Luke] liked to take a few balls. So, my role at the time was just to get us off to a flyer. That probably stood me in good stead for batting with someone like Jos. We do have different styles.
"In my career I've always been the aggressor and I suppose I am the aggressor early on in this partnership. I feel like we both showcased it pretty well at The Oval the other night. I didn't get a flyer, but we sort of hung in and then Jos went and then we dovetailed nicely.
"It's good because we both communicate a lot out there and we realise that when one goes, we feed the strike to the other person, so there's no ego about it. It's whoever goes first. We just communicate and it sounds really simple, but I've batted with a lot of people and it's not always the case. So, it's nice when you have that connection with your partner."
1
Cummins on the money
2
2
•
•
4
•
Pat Cummins concedes one boundary in his first over - a low full toss steered away behind square - but his first over of the T20 World Cup costs only eight runs. With a short leg-side boundary to defend, that is a good result for Australia - and he has shown the template for success on this pitch, combining fast yorkers and offcutters into the pitch.
1
Salt takes on Starc
106 metres: Phil Salt's towering six off his KKR team-mate Mitchell Starc
2
1
2
Buttler gets moving
1
•
4
2
4
1
Buttler realises the importance of maximising the first six overs here, and gives Hazlewood the charge: he flays him through cover-point for four after shimmies down and forces a change in plan. Two balls later, an offcutter disappears through the leg side for four more.
2
1
Can England chase 202?
The highest successful T20I chase at Bridgetown is 172/6 by West Indies against England last year - England's target today is 202 https://t.co/4fhqTTWK3W | #AUSvENG | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/qSygEuyq7i
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 8, 2024
Australia 201 for 7
England miss the cut-off time so have to bring an additional fielder into the circle for the final over, but it doesn't cost them much. Stoinis mis-times Jordan to long-on for 30 - Jordan's 100th T20I wicket - and Cummins is run out after a miscommunication with Wade.
They've set the highest team total of this T20 World Cup so far, becoming the first team to pass 200 in the process... can England get off to a flying start in response and exploit the Powerplay?
David Warner: "It's a very competitive total. We know over here in these conditions, you've got to take on the first six. [Jacks?] We knew there was going to be spin up front. For us, it was about trying to take the first six on and getting as many as we could. We've got a good total. Towards the back end, it was keeping a little bit lower."
1
3
England's sloppy fielding
England have not been at their best in the field, and things come to a head off the final ball of the 18th over: Stoinis toe-ends a reverse-sweep away towards the short boundary, which somehow finds its way into the gap between Archer and backward point and Bairstow at cover point. Both fielders leave it to each other and Bairstow shoots Archer a glare; Rashid is exasperated and throws his hands up in frustration.
1
1
1
What just happened?!
A bizarre moment: Matthew Wade and Nitin Menon are both ticking! Wade is convinced that by backing away to the leg side as Rashid delivered, he made clear that he wasn't ready and expected a dead ball, but Menon seems to decide that by patting the ball back, he doesn't deserve one.
Music starts up loudly, Wade pulls away and taps back to Rashid. He wanted dead ball. Umpire said dot ball.
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) June 8, 2024
1
Jordan's relief
The first ball of the 17th over disappears over extra cover for a monster six from Tim David, and Jordan puts down a difficult caught-and-bowled chance in his follow-through off the second: that's a collector's item. But Jordan's wide plan finally pays off, with David slashing him out to Livingstone at deep cover. Can Australia get up to 200?
1
1
1
Maxwell falls
28 Maxwell's joint-highest T20 score since February
Rashid strikes for the first time in the World Cup, with Maxwell toe-ending a dragged pull shot straight to Salt at deep midwicket. Maxwell - who has been in a horror run of form - showed glimpses of his ability today but trudges off with a strike rate of 112 after taking 25 balls over his 28.
RASHERR!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 8, 2024
Maxwell picks out Phil Salt in the deep and Australia are four down.
-#EnglandCricket | #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/GSdUv5Xvcw
Livingstone strikes!
•
1
1
1
W
1
Marsh steps out, looking to hammer Livingstone over long-on, but his loopy legbreak turns sharply to beat him on the outside edge and Buttler - after a first failed attempt - whips the bails off to complete the stumping. In walks Marcus Stoinis at No. 5, who starred in Australia's win over Oman.
2
1
Width punished
1
•
6
1w
4
1
1w
4
Jordan is hiding the ball wide outside off stump to Glenn Maxwell, looking to protect the short leg-side boundary... but Maxwell carves him over the long side, slashing him over deep third for six and cracking him through point for four. Marsh slaps a wide slower ball through point too, and the overs cost 18! The wide-line plan makes sense in theory, but a wide half-volley is still a wide half-volley!
1
Buttler on the clock
England have been warned by the umpires for failing to be in position for the start of the 13th over inside 60 seconds. They have one more strike before being hit by a five-run penalty. Buttler has played down the significance of his role as keeper-captain in slowing down England's over-rate, but there was a long delay while he ran over to chat to Jordan then.
1
1
1
Drinks: Australia 102 for 2
Australia are 102 for 2 at the 10-over drinks, having been 70 for 0 off 4.5. England have dragged it back a touch, but that powerplay may still cost them.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 8, 2024
1
2
1
Solar panel smashed!
2 Kensington Oval solar panels smashed so far in this T20 World Cup
England have dragged this back since the field spread, but Mitchell Marsh is ensuring that their innings retains some impetus. He hammers Adil Rashid over midwicket for six, into one of the solar panels on the roof! They're taking a pounding in this World Cup, with Scotland's Michael Jones also cracking one of them during Tuesday's washout.
2
1
Australia's record-breaking start
74 This is Australia's highest Powerplay total at a men's T20 World Cup, beating their 67 for 2 against Bangladesh in 2021
... but England have removed both openers: Moeen Ali strikes with the final ball of the fifth over, which sticks in the pitch and keeps low to bowl David Warner, and Jofra Archer turns to his cutters to sneak one past Travis Head's attempted slap through the off side. Big celebration from Archer for his first wicket at his home ground.
AND ANOTHER!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 8, 2024
Jofra Archer strikes with the slower ball
-#EnglandCricket | #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/9qq6iaNAVO
1
2
Warner on the rampage
6
6
•
6
4
•
Watch out in the pool! Wood is next in the queue to bowl towards the short leg-side boundary and, just like Jacks before him, concedes 22 from the over. These are some strange bowling plans, trying to cramp Warner for room but only managing to feed him some freebies to crunch into the stands for three sixes. England in serious trouble early on.
1
1
Australia target Jacks
6
6
3
6
1
•
For the first time in their men's T20I history, England open the bowling with spin from both ends... and are punished!
Will Jacks, who didn't bowl a ball against Ireland, is smoked for three sixes in his first four balls and concedes 22 from his first over at a T20 World Cup, with Head and Warner targeting the short leg-side boundary. Buttler's first big gamble backfires!
1
Moeen to start
Two left-handers to open the batting for Australia, so Jos Buttler has thrown the ball to his main offspinner: Moeen Ali. Warner has a poor record against England in T20Is - and this is likely to be his last chance to change that.
1
Live - Watch T20 TimeOut with Jaffer and Knight
1
England will bowl first
1 Change on either side: Pat Cummins replaces Nathan Ellis for Australia, with England unchanged.
Jos Buttler says he isn't sure how the pitch will play. There's a shortish boundary on one side and the wind is likely to be a factor.
Mitchell Marsh says he would have chosen to bowl as well, but doesn't seem overly fussed about the prospect of setting a total.
Nasser Hussain says the wind is as strong as it has been all week. There's one extremely short boundary, around 53 metres in one pocket, and the wind has been blowing in that direction - so could be a huge factor.
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
1
Wood or Topley?
We're hearing that Mark Wood will retain his place in the England XI today, ahead of Reece Topley. Topley has an excellent record against left-handers and Australia's openers are David Warner and Travis Head... but Wood looked sharp against Scotland, touching 95mph.
Who would you pick?
1
1
2010 and all that
Do you remember the last time that England and Australia played against each other at a men's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean?
1
Ashes to Ashes
1
Welcome to Bridgetown
Hello and welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of Australia vs England in Bridgetown, Barbados. For Australia, this game looks like a bit of a free hit after a routine win over Oman in their opening match - but England could use a result after being washed out against Scotland on Tuesday.
Melinda Farrell is at the venue for us and has good news: "Good morning from the Kensington Oval, which is far livelier than it’s been all week. Let’s hope it’s a bumper crowd and a cracking game. It’s very hot and humid and some clouds about but, so far, they’re white and fluffy."
The toss is half an hour away but in the meantime, we've got a smorgasboard of preview material for you, which you can read here.
2
1