Australia smash 201 against England at T20 World Cup / Photo: Randy Brooks - AFP
Australia smash 201 against England at T20 World Cup
Australia's batters put defending champions England to the sword in their heavyweight clash at the T20 World Cup in Barbados on Saturday, hammering 201-7 off their 20 overs.
England captain Jos Buttler put fierce rivals Australia in to bat at the Kensington Oval but quickly lost control as openers Travis Head and David Warner went on the rampage.
Moeen Ali bowled a tight first over but fellow spinner Will Jacks went for 22 runs, conceding three sixes as Australia's openers savaged the bowling.
Paceman Mark Wood also conceded 22 runs in his opening over as Australia raced to 55-0 in four overs, relishing a short boundary on one side of the ground.
Moeen made the breakthrough England desperately needed in the fifth over, bowling Warner for 39 and in the following over paceman Jofra Archer flattened the stumps of Head for 34, leaving Australia 74-2.
The run rate dipped slightly as Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh settled but Australia brought up their hundred in the 10th over, giving themselves a perfect platform for an all-out assault.
Boundaries continued to flow until Liam Livingstone had skipper Marsh stumped by Buttler for 35 with a looping leg-break to leave Australia 139-3 and Maxwell was caught in the deep off Adil Rashid in the following over.
Australia lost Tim David but Marcus Stoinis (30) and Matthew Wade kept up the momentum to take their side to the 200 mark, leaving England with a mountain to climb.
Archer was the pick of the bowlers, taking 1-28 off his four overs.
Australia beat Oman in their tournament opener while England's game against Scotland was abandoned because of rain after just 10 overs of Scotland's innings.
D.Johannsen--MP
