Australia have set England an imposing target of 202 for victory at the T20 World Cup on the back of a blistering opening partnership between David Warner and Travis Head.
After being made to bat at traditionally low-scoring Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Australia, on 7-201, became the first side to reach 200 this tournament, leaving the champions requiring the third-highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.
With a loss, England may be relying on net run-rate to progress to the Super 8 stage, while the winners of the clash on Saturday (Sunday morning AEST) are likely to top group B and head into the knockout stage on a high.
“I think it’s a very competitive total,” Warner said at the innings break after top-scoring with 39.
Star left-handers Warner (39 off 16 balls) and Head (34 off 18) combined for a 70-run first-wicket stand that had the Australians off to a dream start and set the tone for a big score.
Mitch Marsh’s side did not hit top gear again quite so emphatically, but felt in control for the remainder of the innings, though death specialist Chris Jordan (2-44) did manage to restrict the rampant Australians to 2-8 from the last over.
Jos Buttler’s call to open the bowling with two off-spinners backfired, with allrounder Will Jacks surprisingly deployed into the attack in the second over and slapped for three sixes.
After helping themselves to 22 from that pivotal over, Warner and Head continued to expose the short boundary down the legside.
Anything too quick was easily dispatched on the Barbadian wicket, with retiring Warner feasting on Mark Wood (0-32) in likely his last appearance against England.
Warner hit the veteran for four boundaries – including three sixes – in his first over with the ball.
Once England cottoned on that pace would not win the day, they had the openers within five balls of each other, Moeen Ali (1-18) first bowling Warner as he misplayed a cut shot.
When injury-plagued quick Jofra Archer (1-28) took pace off too and completely dislodged Head’s middle stump, England were back in the game at 2-74.
Out-of-sorts allrounder Glenn Maxwell (28) once again could not go on but at least made a start following his first-ball duck last time against Oman.
He and captain Mitch Marsh (35) stabilised the innings after the quick losses of Warner and Head.
A particular highlight of the 65-run partnership came as Marsh shattered one of the solar panels on the roof of the Kensington Oval grandstand when pulling Adil Rashid (1-41) for one of his two sixes.
Maxwell survived a chance, mistiming a slog to square leg that Jonny Bairstow missed, before the pair fell in quick succession, Marsh stumped in Liam Livingstone’s first over with the ball and Maxwell taken at deep midwicket.
A late cameo (30 off 17 balls) from Marcus Stoinis, Australia’s man of the match last start, helped beef up the total before Jordan had him caught at long on to stem the bleeding late.
