Mitchells shine as Oz notch up consolation win to regain T20I top ranking

Mitchell Marsh marked his return to the world stage by leading Australia to a five-wicket consolation win over England at Southampton on Tuesday as they regained top spot in the global Twenty20 rankings from their arch-rivals.

Earlier, Mitchell Starc with figures of 1-20 led a disciplined bowling display as Australia held a revamped England to 145-6. Australia were cruising to a modest target of 146 at 70-1 even though they had rested dynamic opener David Warner in one of three changes to their side. But they lost three wickets for 17 runs to be 87-4 before Marsh (39 not out) and Ashton Agar (16 not out) saw Australia to victory with three balls to spare.

“Six months is a long time without cricket so it’s great to get the opportunity today,” player-of-the-match Marsh told Sky Sports.

England, however, still won the three-match series 2-1.

Australia’s slump started when Marcus Stoinis holed out off Tom Curran before dangerman Glenn Maxwell fell for six when he reverse-swept leg-spinner Rashid to short third man. Rashid then bowled the Australia captain for 39 with a superb googly.

And with the last ball of his spell, Rashid caught and bowled star batsman Steve Smith to finish with excellent figures of 3-21 from his four overs.

Australia were now 100-5, needing 46 more to win off the last seven overs. But the recalled Marsh, in his first competitive match for Australia since a one-day international in March, settled their nerves with a six and a four in a 16th over from fast bowler Mark Wood that cost 14 runs. When Agar drove Curran down the ground for four, Australia needed just one off the last over, bowled by Chris Jordan. Marsh, however, could not score off the first two balls.

But the third saw him run the decisive single, although he would have been out if Joe Denly had hit the stumps with his throw from mid-off.

Earlier, supporting Starc’s economic bowling effort, leg-spinner Adam Zampa returned fine figures of 2-34. Jonny Bairstow, with 55, was the only England batsman to pass 30. Hazlewood, playing his first T20 international in more than four years, took 1-23 from his four overs. But England were without captain Eoin Morgan (dislocated finger) and fellow star batsman Jos Buttler, absent for personal reasons after making a match-winning 77 not out in a six-wicket victory on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood hopes his team can take their winning momentum into the one-day series against world champions England after victory in the final Twenty20 international against their arch-rivals.

England play Australia in the first of the three ODIs at Old Trafford on Friday, the first time the teams have met in the format since eventual champions England beat Australia in the World Cup semi-final last year.

Once Australia’s three-match one-day international series against England is completed, Hazlewood is set to play in the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings. The IPL could give Hazlewood an early glimpse of future opponents ahead of Australia’s home Test series with India.

Virus restrictions may mean Brisbane, the usual venue for the first Test of an Australian season, does not stage the opening match of the India series.

MALAN ON TOP: England’s Dawid Malan has replaced Pakistan’s Babar Azam as the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 batsman after a fine series against Australia, the International Cricket Council announced Wednesday.

The 33-year-old left-hander is not a high-profile figure in the world game but has burnished his record after scores of 66, 42 and 21 against Australia saw him jump four places in the ICC standings.

Malan now has eight scores of fifty or more in just 16 career T20 internationals, with an average of 48.71 and an equally impressive strike rate of 146.66.

Pakistan captain Babar dropped down to number two, while Australia captain Aaron Finch remained third in the batting standings. Despite reaching the top of the T20I rankings for batsmen, England coach Chris Silverwood has warned it will be tough for Malan to force his way into the one-day side.

Jason Roy has recovered from a side strain and white-ball captain Eoin Morgan has been passed fit after a dislocated finger ruled him out of a five-wicket defeat by Australia in the third T20.

“He (Malan) is in great form, but the 50-over format is a tough team to get into,” Silverwood said on Wednesday.

“If the opportunity comes around I’m sure he’ll grab it with both hands, but it may be a case of waiting for that opportunity because it is such a tough team to get into.”

Agence France-Presse