No stopping Glenn Maxwell as Australia top England

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It was a superb day out for Glenn Maxwell as he first picked up three wickets in two overs and then smashed a 58-ball 103 to guide Australia to a five-wicket win over England in the second fixture of the triangular Twenty20 International series.

After restricting England to 155/9 in their 20 overs, Maxwell, who came into bat in the first over itself after David Willey had sent back David Warner and Chris Lynn, led the chase with 10 fours and two sixes to take the total to 161/5 in 18.3 overs, Australia recording their second win on the trot after their seven-wicket win in the first game against New Zealand.

Willey provided the England defence with a perfect start as they attempted to defend a moderate total. While Warner cracked a pull straight to Alex Hales at deep square-leg, Lynn was castled by one that came in.

Maxwell and D’Arcy Short, however, launched a stunning counter-attack on the English bowlers. Short started the onslaught by carving Mark Wood for back-to-back boundaries in the second over and then thumping Willey for a massive six over square-leg in the next. Maxwell soon joined in the on the fun, hitting Chris Jordan for two fours and a six in the sixth over as Australia reached 59/2 by the end of the Powerplay.

Short and Maxwell forged a crucial 78-run stand for the third wicket before the former was sent back by the leg-spin of Adil Rashid for a 20-ball 30. Marcus Stoinis and Travis Head fell cheaply after that to Wood and Willey (3/28) respectively, but Maxwell held one end up and completed his second T20I century to help Australia home with nine balls in hand.

Earlier, Warner’s decision to field first was vindicated by Kane Richardson, who got rid of Jason Roy in just the second over of the day, the opener deceived by a perfectly disguised slower delivery for 9.

Dawid Malan then joined Hales in the middle and the duo launched a volley of boundaries on the Australian pace attack.

Malan was the aggressor, smacking Billy Stanlake for two fours and a six as England racked up 60 runs in the Powerplay for the loss of one wicket. Hales was not far behind, stroking a 15-ball 22 before spooning a simple a catch back to Ashton Agar, the bowler, off the first ball of the seventh over.

Despite the losses, England did not shelve their aggressive approach with Eoin Morgan hacking a four and a six off Head to motor his side along. But he soon holed out for 22, top-edging Maxwell with the scoreboard reading 94/3 in the tenth over.

Malan soon reached his half-century in 35 deliveries, his innings studded with five fours and two sixes, but fell on the same score to Maxwell as Australia roared back into the game with quick strikes in the middle phase that saw England lose four wickets in the space of 14 deliveries for the addition of just five runs.

That left England at 127/8 in 16.3 overs, but an 11-ball 16* from Jordan helped England get past the 150-run mark.

For Australia, Maxwell returned 3/10 in two overs, while Agar finished with 2/15 from three.

The same two teams will face off in the next game of the series on Saturday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.