Summary

  • Second T20, Sophia Gardens

  • England chase 194 to level three-match series at 1-1

  • Livingstone hits brilliant 87 off 47 balls & Bethell makes fine 44 off 24; Short takes 5-22

  • Australia 193-6: Fraser-McGurk 50 (31); Livingstone 2-16, Carse 2-26

  • Decider live on BBC One at Old Trafford on Sunday

  • Watch highlights at 23:05 BST on BBC Two and iPlayer

Live Reporting

by Tom Mallows & Mike Peter

  1. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Short certainly didn't sprint towards the ball. We thought he might have to get a move on, and he left himself with a diving catch. He'll be disappointed, that was a catchable.

  2. Geoff Lemon
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    Dropped, and that might be the game!

  3. dropped catch

    Livingstone dropped on 72

    Ohhh, is that the match?

    Liam Livingstone launches one skywards into the leg-side, Matthew Short runs in from deep mid-wicket and goes for the dive - but the ball bursts from his grasp!

  4. England still firm favourites, so why is everyone so nervous?

    WinViz gives England 85% chance of victory, Australia 15%CricViz

  5. Ben Jones
    CricViz analyst

    44 for Jacob Bethell - that's the highest score by an England batter aged 20 or younger in T20 internationals, and the third highest in white ball full stop behind Ben Hollioake and Liam Plunkett.

    Bethell hits Abbott for six

  6. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I think he might have been trying to hit it to the leg side, but the way his bat has turned in his hand has brought that leading edge. That puts the pressure on Jamie Overton, he's known for his big hitting not his turning of the strike against the spinners.

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Curran c Connolly b Short 1 (Eng 171-5)

    Connolly removes Curran for 1

    Well, well.

    Sam Curran dances down the track and goes for the big hit but the ball can only skew into the air and land in the hands of Cooper Connolly in the covers.

  8. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Australia will think if they can squeeze the new batter Sam Curran, then you've got Jamie Overton and you're into the bowlers. There's a bit of hope.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Bethell b Short 44 (Eng 169-4)

    Short bowls Bethell for 44

    Me and my big mouth.

    England should still go on and win the game but Australia just force an opening, with Jacob Bethell going for the reverse sweep but getting into a bit of a tangle and the ball escapes onto the stumps.

    Warm applause for Bethell, who has introduced himself to international cricket.

  10. Well, well, well. How the turntables.

    WinViz gives England a 91% chance of victory, Australia 9%CricViz

  11. Geoff Lemon
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    It always seems to me that if teams get Zampa, they get Australia.

  12. This partnership is worth 84 from 40 balls.

    Gamechanger.

  13. Eng 163-3

    Didn't quite get the height, but it has the distance. Jacob Bethell backs away and nails a pull shot from Sean Abbott that fizzes over deep backward square's head.

    31 needed from 30 now. England storming to the line.

  14. Sam Drury
    BBC Sport at Sophia Gardens

    That sort of thing doesn't happen to Adam Zampa very often.

    If that's Jacob Bethell introducing himself to international cricket, it's not a bad way to do it.

  15. Get Involved

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or via text to 81111 (UK only - texts charged at standard message rate)

    Liam Livingstone doesn’t get enough credit for his all-rounder performances, fast becoming the real deal.

    Dave from Dawlish (excited Somerset fan )

  16. Eng 152-3

    Jacob Bethell is toying with Adam Zampa now as he clubs him away for back-to-back fours. This is one of the best leg-spinners in the world we are talking about.

    After hovering around 10 an over for much of the innings, England's required rate has dropped to seven.

    They need 42 from 36.

  17. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    He's playing with one of the best bowlers in the world here. He's read that Zampa's got to bowl one in to the pitch, drops back and hammers it.

  18. 6 runs

    Eng 142-3

    Wow! That was enormous!

    Adam Zampa looks furious as Jacob Bethell whips the ball through mid-wicket four before skipping down the track and launching the ball into the top tier of the stand.

  19. Big swing England's way after that over...

    WinViz gives England 66% chance of winning, Australia 34%CricViz

  20. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Former England batter on BBC Sounds

    This is the sort of innings, against Australia, behind in the game, where you need a senior player to step up. If Livingstone gets England close, he'll show how valuable he can be.