Australia end ’19 unbeaten in T20s
Ruthless opening pair Aaron Finch and David Warner ran riot as Australia routed Pakistan by 10 wickets in Perth to wrap up their Twenty20 series 2-0 Friday in emphatic fashion.
After restricting the visitors to 106 for eight, Finch (52) and Warner (48) whacked five sixes and eight fours between them as they raced to the finish line without loss. The home team won in Canberra by seven wickets, thanks to a brilliant 80 not out by Steve Smith, and were on track to also triumph in Sydney only for rain to save the visitors. Their victory in Perth has them on an impressive eight-game winning streak in the short format as they build towards the T20 World Cup on home soil next year.
“Really proud of the boys with the way we applied ourselves in the last couple of weeks. Each time we turn up at training, we are improving ourselves and that is very important,” said Finch.
In contrast, Pakistan are struggling and have now lost five of their last six. Despite the poor run, which included an embarrassing 3-0 home series defeat to an under-strength Sri Lanka that cost Sarfaraz Ahmed the captaincy, they remain number one in the rankings.
But their cricket chiefs will be worried about the two Tests against Australia to come, starting this month in Brisbane. Brief scores: Pakistan 106/8 in 20 overs; Australia 109 for no loss in 11.5 ovs
ENGLAND WIN BIG
A whirlwind century by Dawid Malan in a record-breaking stand with Eoin Morgan saw England crush New Zealand in the fourth Twenty20 by 76 runs in Napier on Friday to level the series with one game remaining.
Malan was unbeaten on 103 at the close of the England innings with Morgan out in the final over for 91 as England posted an imposing 241 for three and then rolled New Zealand for 165.
Malan’s 48-ball century was the fastest T20 hundred by an Englishman, his 182-run stand with Morgan is the highest by an England pair and the 241 total is an England record.
Morgan’s 21-ball 50 is also an England record. Between them, the two left-handers hit 13 sixes and 16 fours.
Brief scores: England 241/3 in 20 overs (D Malan 103*, Morgan 91; New Zealand 165 all out in 16.5 overs (Parkinson 4/47)