Four, four, six, six, six, four: Head carnage destroys England in T20 opener
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qpHZN.jpeg" width="454" />Four, four, six, six, six, four: Head carnage destroys England in T20 opener
September temperatures reached the high 80s in Southampton as Australia handed England a 28-run defeat in their first match under new all-format coach Brendon "Bazball" McCullum. This marked a continuation of Australia’s recent dominance over England, having also beaten them in their two most recent World Cup encounters – last year in India and in June in the Caribbean. Those losses contributed to the sacking of Matthew Mott, with McCullum stepping in as his replacement.A1
After a three-match warm-up series in Scotland, Australia seemed more prepared than an England side missing several key players due to the demanding international schedule. England’s Test squad had just finished a red-ball series against Sri Lanka days earlier, leaving their white-ball team slightly weakened.
Australia's strong start was led by Travis Head, who smashed 59 off 23 balls, and Matt Short, who contributed 41 from 26. Together, they propelled Australia to a target of 180, despite a late collapse that saw them lose all 10 wickets for just 93 runs. Adam Zampa (2-20) and Josh Hazlewood (2-32), making his return to the side, led the bowling attack to defend the total, dismissing England for 151 in the final over.
Head's explosive innings was the highlight of the day, with a remarkable over in which he took 30 runs off Sam Curran, including four boundaries and three sixes. This feat puts him alongside Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Glenn Maxwell, who are the only others to score as many runs in a single T20 international over.
Reflecting on his performance, Head credited his freedom to play aggressively, thanks to the backing of coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins. Australia’s fielding, which had been lackluster in the West Indies, was much sharper in this match, with Tim David and Cameron Green making crucial outfield catches.
Zampa’s leg spin was particularly effective, giving up only one boundary in his four overs while taking two important wickets, including debutant Jacob Bethell and England’s "finisher," Jamie Overton. England’s chase briefly came alive during a 56-run partnership between Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran, but Sean Abbott (3-28) and Hazlewood struck quickly to extinguish the revival.
Hazlewood’s class shone through as he outfoxed Livingstone with a deceptive delivery, drawing a false shot that led to him being bowled. Australia’s only concern from the match was a possible side strain for young pacer Xavier Bartlett, who left the field before completing his final over. Green filled in for him.
“It's disappointing anytime you see a young bowler go down,” Australian captain Mitchell Marsh said. “He’s hurt his side, but hopefully, it’s not too serious.”
With McCullum absent, Marcus Trescothick served as England’s interim coach, while Phil Salt captained in place of the rested Jos Buttler. Several Test players, including Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, were given time off due to the congested cricketing schedule.
The Rose Bowl was nearly full as Australia’s top order, led by Head and Short, racked up 86 runs inside the powerplay. Head’s powerful knock ended when he holed out to Saqib Mahmood in the final over of the powerplay, but his early fireworks gave Australia a strong foundation with four sixes to his name.
England managed to slow the scoring through a spin-heavy attack, with Adil Rashid and Livingstone combining for a tight spell, taking 4-45 across seven overs. Jofra Archer also chipped in by mopping up the Australian tail, as wickets fell rapidly around Josh Inglis, who top-scored for Australia with 37. Green's dismissal completed a team hat-trick, as Australia’s innings faltered.
Despite the bowlers’ efforts, England couldn’t chase down the target, with Salt reflecting on missed opportunities. “The bowlers pulled it back really well, and we should have chased that score,” he said. “At times, we needed to take our partnerships deeper.”
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