England in Australia: Third Twenty20 curtailed by rain in Canberra
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There were three stoppages before rain had the final say at Manuka Oval
Third T20 international, Canberra |
|---|
England 112-2 (12 overs): Buttler 65*, Malan 23 |
Australia 30-3 (3.5 overs): Woakes 3-4 |
No result (rain) - England win three-match series 2-0 |
England missed the chance to complete a series clean sweep over Australia when their third Twenty20 match in Canberra was curtailed because of rain.
Two rain delays had already seen the match reduced to 12 overs per side, but a third delay three overs into Australia's reply saw the game called off.
Australia, chasing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern-revised total of 130, were 30-3 at that stage, with Chris Woakes taking all three wickets, including two in the first two balls of the innings.
England had earlier reached 112-2 either side of two stoppages, with captain Jos Buttler smashing 65 from just 41 balls.
They now have just one more warm-up game against Pakistan on Monday before their World Cup opener against Afghanistan on 22 October.
"I hope we can go all the way in the World Cup," Buttler said after the match. "We have a good thing going. It will be good fun and we are looking forward to it."
Frustrating end to promising series for England
There has been some terrible weather on Australia's east coast over the last 24 hours driven by a La Niña weather pattern, with widespread flooding across three states.
However, the skies cleared in time for the start of play at the Manuka Oval to raise hopes of a full match.
But after being put in to bat after losing the toss for the third successive game, the rain soon returned, meaning England were never able to get into a rhythm.
They lost Alex Hales in the second over when he nicked a Josh Hazlewood delivery straight to Aaron Finch at first slip, but Buttler and Dawid Malan guided England to 49-1 after 6.2 overs when the rain first arrived.
Dawid Malan hit 107 runs from 70 deliveries across his three innings this series
When they returned Malan was dismissed for 23 when he top-edged a Pat Cummins delivery into the sky and Mitchell Marsh took a smart catch.
But a further delay soon followed with the match reduced to 12 overs, giving Buttler and Ben Stokes just 14 balls to face before the innings break.
Chasing an imposing revised target, Australia's task was made even harder when Finch and Marsh fell to Woakes with the first two balls of the innings.
A slower ball from Woakes then accounted for Maxwell to leave England scenting victory, but further rain the following over ended the contest just seven balls short of reaching five overs, the minimum needed for a result.
Reasons to be positive
Jos Buttler became England's white-ball captain in June following Eoin Morgan's retirement
Despite the soggy end to the series there are plenty of reasons to England to be positive as they finalise their plans for the World Cup, not least the successful return from injury by Buttler.
The England captain sat out the entire Pakistan series with a calf problem but showed no ill-effects from the lay-off, hitting 150 runs in his three innings.
He also formed a promising partnership with Alex Hales, who hit a match-winning 84 in the first T20 on his comeback after a three-year absence from the international stage.
England's bowling options have been depleted by injury for much of the year but Woakes, Chris Jordan and Mark Wood are fit again to offer depth.
That leaves Liam Livingstone as England's main fitness doubt. He has been out injured since August but is targeting a return in Monday's match with Pakistan.
Ben Stokes' form with the bat was a concern after two single-digit scores, but his spritely 17 not out here suggested he is finding his form at just the right time.
"Ben Stokes is a superstar of the game in any format," added Buttler. "He hasn't played much T20 recently, but that's OK. He can affect the game with bat ball and in the field. He's someone you want in your team."