England powered their way to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Australia in the second T20I, squaring the series at 1-1. A stellar all-round performance from Liam Livingstone, in his 50th T20I appearance, guided the hosts to a memorable win in Cardiff on Friday. Chasing a daunting 194, England overcame a middle-order wobble to seal the win with an over to spare, setting up a series decider in Manchester on Sunday.
Livingstone’s masterclass, highlighted by his 87 off 47 balls, was the cornerstone of England’s successful chase. His pivotal 90-run standoff 47 deliveries with Jacob Bethell (44 off 24) turned the match after the hosts had slipped to 79 for 3 in the ninth over. Despite a late surge by Australia’s Matthew Short, who bagged a remarkable 5-wicket haul, England got over the line in 19 overs, finishing on 194/7.
Australia posted 193/6 after being put into bat, led by Jake Fraser-McGurk’s maiden international fifty (50 off 29) and a breezy 42 from Josh Inglis. Travis Head, captaining Australia in the absence of Mitchell Marsh, started brightly with 31 off 14, but England’s spinners, particularly Livingstone (2-16), slowed the Aussies down during the middle overs.
Australia’s Innings: Fast Start, Controlled Middle Overs
Australia began explosively, reaching 67/1 in the powerplay with Head and Matthew Short taking on England’s seamers. Fraser-McGurk, batting at No. 3, capitalized on the early momentum, hammering three consecutive boundaries off Sam Curran and racing to his half-century. However, Livingstone and Adil Rashid (1-35) restricted the run flow during the middle overs, with Livingstone dismissing both Fraser-McGurk and Marcus Stoinis (11) as Australia managed only 66 runs between overs 7-15.
England’s bowlers regained control, but some late hitting from Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie pushed Australia past 190. Josh Inglis chipped in with a crucial 42 before being dismissed by Curran, as Australia added 31 in the last two overs.
England’s Chase: Livingstone and Bethell Take Control
In response, England started positively despite early blows from Sean Abbott, who removed both Will Jacks (8) and Jordan Cox (1) in quick succession. Phil Salt (39 off 23) played his part, striking three consecutive sixes off Cameron Green, but it was the Livingstone-Bethell partnership that took the game away from Australia.
Livingstone brought up his half-century off just 27 balls, punishing Australia’s bowlers with five sixes and a flurry of boundaries. Bethell, playing in only his second match, complemented Livingstone by taking on the spinners, including a brutal assault on Adam Zampa, from whom he hit 20 runs in one over.
Despite a late fightback from Short, who claimed the wickets of Bethell, Curran, Livingstone, and Carse in quick succession, England remained composed. Livingstone’s powerful hitting brought the equation down to 10 runs from 18 balls before his dismissal, but Brydon Carse and Adil Rashid held their nerve to secure the win with an over to spare.
Livingstone’s Redemption
Livingstone’s performance marked a significant turnaround for the all-rounder, who had been dropped from England’s ODI squad earlier. His all-round contributions, both with bat and ball, were instrumental in the win. Reflecting on the victory, Livingstone said, “It’s all about winning games. I want to win games for England, and today I feel like I’ve done that.”
Looking Ahead
With the series level at 1-1, the teams head to Manchester for the deciding T20I on Sunday, where both sides will be looking to claim bragging rights ahead of the World Cup later this year.
Match Scorecard
Australia 193/6 in 20 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 50, Josh Inglis 42; Liam Livingstone 2-16, Brydon Carse 2-26)
England 194/7 in 19 overs (Liam Livingstone 87, Jacob Bethell 44, Phil Salt 39; Matthew Short 5-22, Sean Abbott 2-37)
England won by 3 wickets, series tied 1-1
