Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh hails Travis Head, team after Southampton victory

Southampton [UK], September 12 (ANI): Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh praised his team’s effort and individual performances following their 28-run victory over England in the first T20I in Southampton on Wednesday.

Marsh highlighted the standout contributions from opener Travis Head and the overall team strategy that led to their success.

“Pretty exciting,” Marsh said after the match.

“Head is a special talent. The par score was about 200. Very lucky to have some of the guys. We applied pressure. Was a great wicket. I thought we made good use of the powerplay,” he added.

Marsh expressed his excitement over the victory and specifically praised Travis Head, who scored an explosive 59 runs off 23 balls.

Head’s performance set the tone for Australia’s innings, establishing a strong opening partnership with Matthew Short.

The captain emphasized the collective effort of the team, mentioning that they were fortunate to have key players who contributed significantly.

He credited the team’s strategy of applying pressure on England, particularly through the effective use of the powerplay, which allowed them to capitalize early in the innings.

Marsh also noted the excellent condition of the wicket.

His remarks highlighted how the team adapted to the conditions and executed their game plan effectively.

Batting first, Australia was all out for 179 in 19.3 overs. Head combined with Matthew Short’s 41 from 26, gave Australia a flying start with an 86-run opening partnership.

Short, returning to the team after missing the Scotland series for paternity leave, replaced Jake Fraser-McGurk and made a strong case to be David Warner’s long-term replacement.

England’s leg-spinners Adil Rashid (1-23) and Liam Livingstone (3-22) managed to slow down Australia’s run rate in the middle overs.

Poor shot selection from the Australians helped England’s cause, and fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood cleaned up the tail.

Despite being 2-118 at the halfway mark, Australian batting underwent a collapse, losing eight wickets for 61 runs after the drinks break.

Captain Phil Salt’s decision to rely on his spinners paid off immediately when Rashid bowled Mitchell Marsh.

Josh Inglis kept Australia’s score ticking with a quick 37, but Livingstone’s bowling proved crucial.

Livingstone dismissed Short, followed by grabbing two wickets in two balls, trapping Marcus Stoinis lbw, and smashing Tim David’s front pad to leave Australia at 132 for 5 in the 13th over.

Despite, the comeback in bowling, English failed to capitalise and were able to manage only 151 in 19.2 overs. Zampa, who took 2-20 from his four overs, along with Australia’s seamers, dominated the run chase.

Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott took two and three wickets respectively, while the team faced a potential setback with Xavier Bartlett leaving the field due to a suspected side strain.

England, led by interim captain Phil Salt and coach Marcus Trescothick, quickly found themselves struggling at 52 for 4 while chasing 180.

Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran added a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but England’s innings lost momentum in the cold conditions.

Hazlewood, returning from a calf injury, struck early by claiming Will Jacks’ wicket, making it difficult for England to keep up with the required run rate.

Australia’s combination of aggressive batting and disciplined bowling proved too much for England, securing a convincing win in the series opener.