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Australia defeated England by seven wickets with 33 balls to spare in the final match of the summer on Australian soil, and in the process secured a spot in the tri-series final.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
England 7/137
Australia 3/138
The end of the summer of cricket is nigh, as Australia host England at the MCG in the last international match on the continent for eight months. Join The Roar for all the action from 7:20pm (AEDT).
Australia’s current ranking of seventh in the world in T20 – only above Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the top tier of Test-playing nations – is an embarrassing statistic for the proudest cricketing nation of all, but two comfortable victories over New Zealand and England have given hope that the side has turned a corner.
Minus captain Steve Smith (and some would argue because of his absence) the hosts have looked far more settled than in the ODIs, with Glenn Maxwell’s brilliant batting perfectly complementing a strong bowling line-up, spearheaded by pacy beanpole Billy Stanlake and the wily Andrew Tye.
Two unbeaten knocks, the latest a spectacular century, plus some excellent Big Bash results has Maxwell as the world’s most in-form T20 batsman, and he shapes as the key wicket.
With a T20 World Cup victory in 2010 and a runner-up gong in 2016, England have enjoyed plenty of success in the shortest format over the years, and while they were more than competitive in defeat to Australia earlier in the week, they’ll be ruing a lacklustre finish with the bat.
Minus important batsman Joe Root, who was a central figure in their ODI success, the line-up looked a touch light after an impressive start, with Dawid Malan’s the only innings of note.
But the English boast some serious firepower, with the likes of Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and David Willey all capable of a match-turning innings. If one or more of them fires, it might be enough to swing the balance of power the visitors’ way.
Prediction
Australia can secure a place in the tri-series final with a win, but the batting has been very Maxwell-centric this tournament. If he fails, and you’d have to say he can’t keep churning out big scores forever, then Australia are far less imposing.
England to win by four wickets or six runs.
Tune into The Roar’s live coverage from 7:20pm (AEDT), and don’t forget to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
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