LIVE: Ellis pulls England back after Buttler blitz
Nathan Ellis #NathanEllis
Captain Buttler bashes fast fifty on return
Nathan Ellis has helped Australia’s second-string bowling attack recover from an early pounding as England posted 6-208 in the series-opening T20 clash at Optus Stadium.
The decision to send England in backfired as openers Alex Hales (84 off 51 balls) and Jos Buttler (68 off 32) took England to 0-132 in the 12th over on Sunday.
Australia made a whopping six changes for the match, with Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell all rested.
It left Cameron Green (0-38 off three overs), Mitchell Swepson (0-31 off two), Daniel Sams (1-42 off four), Ellis (3-20 off four overs), Marcus Stoinis (1-36 off three) and Kane Richardson (1-39 off four) to pick up the slack on the bowling front.
Ellis puts the brakes on England with tidy display
Ellis was the only bowler to escape the carnage.
Buttler took just 25 balls to reach his half-century and finished his innings with eight fours and four sixes to his name.
Hales needed 29 balls for his half-century, and by the time he departed in the 15th over he had plundered 12 fours and three sixes.
Ellis was critical in limiting the damage, especially in the 19th over when conceding just one run while taking the wickets of Sam Curran and Moeen Ali.
The innings started badly for Australia, with Green cracked for four boundaries by Buttler in the opening over.
Hales powers fast start with blistering 84
Swepson was greeted in the seventh by being thumped for consecutive sixes as Buttler and Hales teed off.
Mitch Marsh dropped a spectacular one-handed attempt when Buttler was on 30, and Ben Stokes was given a life on one when Richardson grassed a tough one-handed chance while running back with the flight of the ball.
Stokes, playing his first T20 international in more than 18 months, suffered a scary moment when he was struck on the chin by an 111km/h Sams delivery while attempting a reverse shot.
After being assessed for a few minutes Stokes was able to play on, but he holed out in the deep a short time later.
At 2-167 after 15 overs England looked set for a huge total, but Ellis and Richardson were able to slow down the run rate with some tight bowling and a series of wickets.
Men’s Dettol T20I Series v England
Australia squad (first T20I): Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchel Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Australia squad (second and third T20Is): Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Sunday Oct 9: Perth Stadium, 7.10pm AEDT
Wednesday Oct 12: Manuka Oval, Canberra 7:10pm AEDT
Friday Oct 14: Manuka Oval, Canberra 7:10pm AEDT
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