Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature 46th over: England 261-8 (Willey 18, Wood 1) Four overs to go. Luke Wood in the middle, on his ODI debut. Responsible David Willey.
WIRELESS! Malan c Agar b Zampa 134, Engand 259-8
At least this nice show is ending. And Hagar is there. At the change of overs, he gets a huge cheer from the crowd as he walks down the field in front of them at long on. Two balls later, Malan hits a lofted shot his way. Sincere. But this innings was special under the circumstances. He took his team from nothing to something meaningful. 45th over: England 257-7 (Malan 132, Willey 17) Smash! Willey’s turn this time, sizing up the length ball from Cummins and driving it through cover. Airborne for a while, but safe in the end. After the last ball of the over, it’s Agar again! Five rows were saved. Malan launches into a pull shot, flat over deep mid off. It looks for a minute like Agar is in the frame for a catch, then like he’s chasing him for a six. At the end he climbs the mime ladder, gets one hand on the ball and returns it to a teammate to keep the score at one. 44th over: England 247-7 (Malan 130, Willey 11) Zamba came into the ninth over, continuing to spin them down, giving some flight. It goes well for four balls. Then it falls sharply, is cut by Malan for four. And he overcorrects the next ball, which is launched for a six! Deep into the Donald Bradman stand, over midwicket, Malan’s biggest hit of the day. 43rd over: England 235-7 (Malan 119, Willey 10) Starc to Malan, and he fell! Chance to come back, fought back at him but didn’t crash. Starc holds the over tight, leaves little away, and then pulls the diagonal strike off the sixth ball. In his basket and out again. 42nd over: England 232-7 (Malan 117, Willey 9) Lays into Agar! Malan turns back and pulls him by the leg side into the crowd. Good progress down there. This after he swept the first ball of the over for four. “The underdogs hardly respond to the build-up in this game, and perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by the turnout on the field. All we’re missing is a few flowers drifting abroad,” writes Brian Withington. The world is actually not too bad, looking down the grandstand. There is not much in the sun on the east side of the ground, but the west side in the shade is pretty well filled at ground level. I won’t set any records, but that’s okay. 41st over: England 221-7 (Malan 106, Willey 9) Starc returns, slips down the leg side for a side. Malan can’t score off a few balls, then goes up and down for two runs. He draws a single. Willey blocks a good yorker, maybe a little on the inside before it hits his boot, so they don’t criticize when the umpire says no. It didn’t actually hit the boot at all, Willey just got his leg out before the ball hit the bat. Well played. The next one breaks at his ankles as well, but this time it comes down the leg side. “No wonder cricket’s popularity is declining, not having free to air is a huge mistake by CA. Thank goodness we at least have you covered,” writes John Stadtmiller. Thanks John, we are doing our best. 40th over: England 215-7 (Malan 103, Willey 8) Century from Malan, who adds three runs from an inside edge to end the over. In between, Willey drives Agar through cover for four. It’s not gone yet, England. Ten overs to go.
Century! Dawid Malan 100 off 107 balls
She was good enough, withstood the Australian attack early on, while all of his top colleagues fell. He missed the T20 World Cup final but is showing what he can do here. A simple run past the bowler to pick him up. He had an England century in all three formats before that, but finally doubles in one of them. Updated at 06:28 GMT 39th over: England 206-7 (Malan 99, Willey 3) Then three more runs from Zampa’s over and Malan on 99… 38th over: England 202-7 (Malan 97, Willey 2) Malan strolls the single towards his century now. I’m not sure I like the approach, although it has probably earned the right. Giving your partner time to play himself, you may argue. If you don’t take control of the innings, you can also fight back. Willey gets two runs off an outside edge facing Agar, one ball after a strike and almost neglects to overbalance. Three from above. 37th over: England 199-7 (Malan 96, Willey 0) David Whaley can bowl, another left-hander. He defends his first ball and Zampa’s last one is over. England have put Australia at least 200, which was not a sure thing before 20 overs.
WIRELESS! Jordan lbw Zampa 14, England 199-7
We haven’t had many reviews today, but suddenly it’s the center of criticism. The Aussies are shocked: Jordan has dropped it on his backboard at a right angle and the third umpire literally sees a replay and overturns the appeal. Then Jordan tries to pull a ball that stays low, is hit in front and given out, and reviews it himself. Technology maintains the decision, reaching the top of the waist. A good partnership of 41 comes to an end. 36th over: England 197-6 (Malan 95, Jordan 13) Plenty of overs left. Malan takes a run, Jordan slices two at deep point, lands just short of the nearest fielder. Malan dabs two more. Within the stroke of a century. 35th over: England 193-6 (Malan 92, Jordan 12) Zamba replaces Green, double spin. Crosses to the Cathedral End from the River End. Jordan sweeps a couple and pushes one, doing his duty. Malan swings one down the leg side towards deep backward for four, then goes in front of square for another! He goes for 91, gets a single to keep the strike going. 34th over: England 181-6 (Malan 83, Jordan 9) Three more for Jordan. That is quite the feat in short form cricket. Another direction this time, from fine to deep third. Agar goes over the wicket to left-handed Malan, who doesn’t take it. 33rd over: England 176-6 (Malan 82, Jordan 5) Green continues, trying a slower ball on the on side that dips to Malan and takes a fake shot, slanting through covers for two. The tables turn on the last ball, a closer and Malan smashes the clipped shot for four, so clean. Jordan started the over with three down the ground. Another good dozen for England. 32nd over: England 164-6 (Malan 75, Jordan 1) Agar in his third over, repairing his economy, getting past it for just two runs. 31st over: England 162-6 (Malan 74, Jordan 0) Malan manages to take two wickets from Green’s over to follow the run out, but England were far from the score today except for Malan. Chris Jordan has the most T20 innings.
WIRELESS! Dawson run out (Agar) 11, England 158-6
Excellent fielding! Direct hit. Terrible run though. Dawson punches the ball to point and is just getting started. Malan, to his credit, responds immediately and thus gets safely to the striker’s end. But that ball was never likely to get past Agar, who stops it cleanly while on the move. Once the ball is in his hand, Dawson lets go, slowing down to see if the throw will hit or not. It does. No one on the stumps, Green followed too far. But agar is good enough. 30th over: England 157-5 (Malan 70, Dawson 11) Agar returns. He bowled one earlier, chipped once and was gone. Malan tries to play the first ball of the round but gets the toe of the bat and kills the ball. So he backs up and cuts the next one… and hits the sweeper! He was so close to Stoinis, but hit too hard just behind his place in the square. Malan plans a reverse sweep, but it’s the wrong ball: on the leg stump line, so he ends up cutting it off the bottom edge, past his off stump, for one. 29th over: England 151-5 (Malan 65, Dawson 10) Cameron Green bowled four overs earlier and is now back. He uses the short ball a lot, using his height on the theory that it will make him difficult to hit. Mostly it works. However, Malan, who usually plays small things well. Four from above. 28th over: England 147-5 (Malan 63, Dawson 8) Back to watch for the Zampa over, three singles from it as the afternoon sun thickens its colour. 27th over: England 144-5 (Malan 62, Dawson 6) Follow-up from Malan, who has decided he can field the Australian captain. He drives it through cover for four and then plays the pick-up over deep square leg for another six. Excellent shot. He backs it up with a swing of strikes this time, and a dozen from the over to become England’s best in the innings.
Half a century! Malan 50 off 64 balls
26th over: England 132-5 (Malan 51, Dawson 5) Underway for Dawson, sweeping Zampa very well for three slightly lucky runs. He could let it run over pads or logs. We have to hang on here for Malan – who takes a single and brings up his fifty. 25th over: England 126-5 (Malan 49, Dawson 1) Pongo! A ball after beating the outside edge, Cummins picks up a kid and Malan hits it over long on for a six. Hello. In typical Malan fashion though, it’s the only shot to score from the over. 24th over: England 120-5 (Malan 43, Dawson 1) It’s all about Malan now. Not even halfway, and he’ll have to do his job with Liam Dawson, whose batting at this level you’d call useful. And a chance for another wicket as Malan pokes the ball and into Carey’s body. Too fast for the goalkeeper to have reaction time.
WIRELESS! Buttler c Agar b Zampa 29, England 118-5
This is! If Agar were to take a catch today, he would want it to be from Buttler. A bit of a fly and loop from Zampa, but still at a decent pace. Buttler stays on the leg of the ball, opens the face of his bat and tries to cover deep. He takes it too straight though, and the long-swinger is able to reach deep extra and make the catch. England in real contention now. 23rd over: England 118-4 (Malan 42, Buttler 29) Cummins returns and takes an economical set. I still haven’t seen a proper long over. The biggest so far went for 11…
