Travis Head put on an impressive display of power-hitting, scoring the highest number of runs in a powerplay and achieving a record-equalling fifty off just 17 balls. This helped Australia secure a commanding seven-wicket victory with over 10 overs to spare in the first T20I in Edinburgh. The bowlers played a crucial role in pulling back Scotland’s bright start.
The home team started the game with a strong purpose, led by George Munsey, and had a promising position despite losing wickets early on while trying to maintain a high run rate. However, after reaching 101 for 3 in the 12th over, they lost 6 wickets for 44 runs. The changes of pace from Australia’s fast bowlers proved to be effective on a somewhat unpredictable pitch, combined with two wickets taken by Adam Zampa.
The idea that 154 could be a competitive score was quickly dismissed as Head and Mitchell Marsh put on an impressive powerplay performance. Even though Jake Fraser-McGurk fell for a duck on his T20I debut, Australia showcased their dominance by hitting boundaries on 14 consecutive deliveries. This remarkable display resulted in Australia finishing with the second-highest powerplay total in T20Is, scoring 113 for 1. During this phase, Head alone scored 73 runs, surpassing Paul Stirling’s 67 runs against West Indies in 2020.
Given how much he has been spoken about this year, it was easy to forget that Fraser-McGurk was making his T20I debut. But he couldn’t leave a mark on his first innings as he faced up to the somewhat unexpected sight of Brandon McMullen’s medium pace with the new ball. Looking to pull his third delivery, he miscued into midwicket where Charlie Cassell took a superbly judged catch.
But any thoughts of a wobble for Australia vanished in a cavalcade of boundaries. Head, who was player of the tournament in the MLC in July, took three fours of Brad Wheal’s first over and giving McMullen a second over didn’t pay off as it cost 20. But the real carnage was saved for Jack Jarvis in the fifth as he was taken for 30 with three sixes by Marsh. Scotland’s bowlers had no response with multiple deliveries going into the trees.
Off the first ball of the sixth over, Head went to a 17-ball fifty to equal Marcus Stoinis’ record as the fastest for Australia in T20Is during the run of 14 consecutive deliveries being either a four or six.
The early peppering of the boundary had come from Scotland opener George Munsey as he produced repeated whip-pulls over the leg side to ensure Australia were under some pressure with the ball in the powerplay as McMullen also played his part.
In the fifth over Munsey sent consecutive deliveries from Riley Meredith, playing his first T20I since 2021, for six and followed that with another boundary as 18 came off it. Munsey brought up Scotland’s fifty in the next over, but then fell to an excellent catch by Josh Inglis who dived to his left to collect a thick outside edge.
Scotland’s progress was further dented when McMullen was taken at deep cover shortly after the fielding restrictions ended. There were signs of captain Richie Berrington starting to get settled but his dismissal, caught at long-off against Zampa, proved a turning point in the innings. From there Scotland struggled to regain any momentum. Consecutive overs from Stoinis and Cameron Green went for just four apiece as the combined four overs from the two allrounders cost only 22 runs.
Meredith, Xavier and Abbott closed out the innings strongly with only a brace of handsome sixes by Jack Jarvis and Mark Watt offering much in response.
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