Maxwell mows down England single-handedly

Monitoring Desk

SYDNEY: Australia beat England by five wickets in the second tri-series Twenty20 match in Hobart on Wednesday, thanks to the heroics of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Sent in to bat at a time when the home side had lost two wickets for just four runs in their run chase, Maxwell took over the game and smashed an unbeaten 58-ball 103 to make sure his team got the win.

Earlier, England lost six wickets for 33 as they registered a below-par total of 155 for nine.

Dawid Malan cracked 50 off 36 balls with five fours and two sixes but England fell away after reaching 94 for two in the 10th over.

Maxwell captured three for 10 and Agar took two for 15 as Australia sent England’s middle order tumbling. Kane Richardson (1-27) removed dangerous opener Jason Roy for nine, before Malan hit a lively half-century. Malan was supported by Alex Hales with 22 from 15, and captain Eoin Morgan, also 22 from 14 balls.

Hales was the first of two caught-and-bowled wickets for Agar, and when Morgan went, caught by Warner off Maxwell, it sparked a middle-order collapse.

Jos Buttler (5) fell cheaply to be caught by Maxwell off Marcus Stoinis (1-16), while Billings (10) popped a return catch to Agar.

Malan was caught in the deep by Andrew Tye for Maxwell’s second wicket and David Willey (3) was recklessly stumped next ball to give Alex Carey his first international stumping.

Maxwell’s hat-trick ball was wide of the leg-stump line.

Adil Rashid (1) got the toe end of the bat on a shot off paceman Billy Stanlake and was well caught by Stoinis, while Tom Curran (6) was well held by a back-pedalling Warner after failing to pick Tye’s knuckle ball.

Chris Jordan hit the final ball for six to finish with 16 from 11 balls, with Mark Wood on five, with Tye finishing with 1-28.