MELBOURNE, Feb 10 (AFP) Australia cruised to a seven- wicket victory over England with more than five overs to spare to remain unbeaten after three games in the triangular Twenty20 series, here today.
The Australians restricted England to 137 for seven off their 20 overs with paceman Kane Richardson taking three wickets and then the home team knocked up the runs off just 14.3 overs.
A match-winning partnership of 65 between Glenn Maxwell (39) and D�Arcy Short (36 not out), plus cameos from Chris Lynn (31) and Aaron Finch (20 not out from five balls), got Australia comfortably home.
The win ensured Australia will play in the tri-series final in Auckland on February 21 with preliminary matches now switching to New Zealand.
The game-defining sequence came when Maxwell and Short accelerated the score from 65 for two at the end of the ninth over to 104 for two after the 11th, 39 runs flowing over just two overs. � AFP
SCORECARD
England: JJ Roy c Carey b Richardson 8, AD Hales c Finch b Stanlake 3, DJ Malan run out (Warner) 10, JM Vince b Tye 21, JC Buttler c Agar b Richardson 46, SW Billings c Warner b Stanlake 29, DJ Willey c Warner b Richardson 10, CJ Jordan not out 1. Extras: (b 2, w 7) 9. Total: (20 Overs, RR: 6.85) 137/7. Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-16, 3-34, 4-70, 5-113, 6-133, 7-137. Bowling: KW Richardson 4-0-33-3, B Stanlake 4-0-28-2, MP Stoinis 4-0-18-0, AJ Tye 4-0-29-1, AC Agar 4-0-27-0.
Australia: DA Warner c Buttler b Willey 2, DJM Short not out 36, CA Lynn c Buttler b Jordan 31, GJ Maxwell c Buttler b Jordan 39, AJ Finch not out 20. Extras: (lb 2, w 8) 10. Total: (14.3 Overs, RR: 9.51) 138/3. Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-51, 3-116. Bowling: DJ Willey 3.3-0-30-1, TK Curran 2-0-23-0, CJ Jordan 3-0-26-2, AU Rashid 4-0-34-0, LA Dawson 2-0-23-0.