Buttler ensures Oz go home winless

Birmingham, June 28: Jos Buttler hit the fastest fifty by an England batsman in a Twenty20 international to lay the platform for a 28- run win over Australia at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Australia, set 222 for victory, lost half their wickets inside nine overs to be 72/ 5.

Aaron Finch, their captain, kept them in the match with a fine innings of 84 while sharing a sixth- wicket stand of 86 with Ashton Agar. But the run- rate required Finch to keep going for big hits and when he holed out off Adil Rashid, Australia were 158/ 6 in the 16th over.

Leg- spinner Rashid, the official man- of- the- match, led England’s attack with 3/ 27 in his maximum four overs before paceman Chris Jordan struck twice in two balls to leave Australia on the brink of defeat at 174/ 8.

Australia were bowled out 193 with two balls to spare.

This latest reverse meant they had still to win an international match since Justin Langer became their coach after his fellow former Test batsman Darren Lehmann resigned in the fall- out from March’s ball- tampering for

Leg- spinner Rashid, the official man- of- the- match, led England’s attack with 3/ 27 in his maximum four overs

● scandal in Cape Town.

Buttler, fresh from his man of the series heroics in a 5- 0 one- day international sweep of Australia, including a matchwinning 110 not out in a dramatic one- wicket victory in the series finale at Old Trafford on Sunday, was promoted to open in this one- off T20 clash.

He responded with a 22- ball fifty, including six fours and four sixes, on his way to 61.

Meanwhile, Finch said Australia’s top- order collapse left them in an awkward position.

“We thought if we could get the required rate down to about 13 or 14 an over, and with myself and Agar there at the end, we’d have half a chance, but then you’re only one mistake away from being down to the genuine bowlers.”