T20 World Cup: Brilliant England thrash Australia by eight wickets

Dubai - Having restricted Australia to 125 all out on the back of an outstanding bowling performance, England reached home in just 11.4 overs

England humiliated old rivals Australia with the bat and ball to script an emphatic eight-wicket win in the Super 12 clash of the T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Having restricted Australia to 125 all out on the back of an outstanding bowling performance, England reached home in just 11.4 overs, thanks to a stupendous knock from opener Jos Buttler (71 not out off 32 balls, 5 fours and 5 sixes).

While England bowlers dominated the Australian batsmen right from the start, Buttler knocked the stuffing out of the Australian attack, putting on 66 runs in the powerplay with Jason Roy (22 off 20) to set the tone for the team’s third straight win in the tournament.

Earlier, fast bowlers Chris Woakes (4-0-23-2), Chris Jordan (4-0-17-3) and spinners Adil Rashid (4-0-19-1), who opened the bowling, and Liam Livingstone 4-0-15-1) led the stunning assault on the Australians after England captain Eoin Morgan had won the toss and elected to bowl on a pitch that had grass.

Runs were hard to come by and such was the dominance of the England bowlers that the Australians could hit only seven boundaries in their 20 overs.

Skipper Aaron Finch (44 off 49 balls, 4 fours) remained defiant amid the mayhem that started in the second over when Woakes had David Warner (1) caught behind.

Steve Smith (1), Glenn Maxwell (6) and Marcus Stoinis (0) fell in quick succession with the former playing a tame pull off Jordan.

But Maxwell and Stoinis fell to brilliant bowling from Woakes and Rashid, leaving Australia tottering at 21 for four after 6.1 overs.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade (18) tried to revive the innings with his skipper, but the left-hander was caught in the deep off Livingstone while trying to force the pace.

It was left to number eight Ashton Agar (20 off 20 balls, 2 sixes) and number nine Pat Cummins (12 off 3 balls, 2 sixes) to take chances as both the tailenders cleared the ropes at the fag end of the innings to give themselves something to bowl at.

But Buttler made a mockery of that target.

Brief scores:

Australia 125 all out in 20 overs (Aaron Finch 44, Ashton Agar 20, Matthew Wade 18, Pat Cummins 12; Chris Jordan 3/17, Chris Woakes 2/23, Liam Livingstone 1/15, Adil Rashid 1/19, Tymal Mills 2/45)

England 126/2 in 11.4 overs (Jos Buttler 71 not out, Jason Roy 22, Jonny Bairstow 16 not out; Ashton Agar 1/15).