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Welcome to Wisden’s match blog for the live coverage of the England v Australia T20 World Cup 2021 fixture in Dubai on October 30 – follow this space for live updates from the venue, including commentary, score, analysis, and where to watch details (TV channels, broadcast and live streaming) for Eng vs Aus.

England vs Australia: Live scorecard, predictions and stats.

Summary: Buttler punishes Australia with quickfire half-century

T20 World Cup 2021, England v Australia: Live updates from Dubai

England win!

Really, Australia scratched their way to 125, and England made a mockery of the target, thanks, significantly, to Buttler’s freewheeling approach. Playing in his own, six-hitting mode, he kept the runs flowing. England look so good in this tournament. The title could well be theirs to lose. That net run-rate is also going to fly high up after tonight’s big win.

Update: Agar gets his first. Ideally, one of the spinners could have been called on early, but then Australia, having seen how England’s seamers did, persisted with his own set of quicks. England, however, have been near flawless in their approach, hardly letting any pressure get to him.

Over 8: England 82-1, Buttler continues to punish Australia

Easy goings for Buttler, who continues to punish Australia (and Starc in particular), especially down the ground. Zampa bowled a really good first over, and there are 12 overs still to go, but it’s already looking like curtains for Australia. It’s just a matter of how quickly now.

66 runs in the first six. No team has scored more runs in the powerplay this tournament.

Update: Oh Buttler, looks like he’s playing a video game. Two near-identical sixes, falling in the same tier on the ground over Pat Cummins’ head, and Buttler has really maximised on this powerplay.

Over 5: England 48-0, Australia running out of ideas

Roy and Buttler have given England a brisk start, and there’s a mini-conference going on between Finch, Starc and Warner between overs. The openers have been near-perfect so far (there’s one over in the powerplay still to go).

And, as we say it, Ashton Agar is in play, trying to somehow bring Australia back into this game. There’s no respite though.

Update: There’s no one who dismisses a cricket ball in international cricket quite like Jason Roy. The new ball was so crucial for Australia, but so far, they’ve been on the receiving end of a brisk start.

Probably time to already get in one of the two spinners?

Over 2: England 13-0, Roy, Buttler go for their strokes

Roy and Buttler are looking to play their strokes, even in the small total, looking to punish anything too short or too full. There’s so much responsibility on Starc and Hazlewood to, a certain extent at least, mimic what Woakes and Jordan could do with the new ball.

30 Oct 2021 at 16:45 UK time: Innings break

Australia end on 125 all out. Commendable recovery from where they were at one point – they lost their first four for 21 runs. The resistance was headlined by Finch, and in parts by Agar and Cummins. The pitch looks to be carrying something extra for the seamers early on. At least there’s something on the board for Starc & Co to play with.

Over 19, Australia 112-8, Finch falls as Australia’s innings tails off

Jordan comes back with a double-whammy, keeping it simple with his searing yorkers in place. He had two in two (such a good bowler at the death). Would have been quite something, if we had two hat-tricks on the same day.

Update: Finch falls after heroic effort

Finch, Agar and now Cummins have taken Australia closer to a respectable finish here. With Cummins doing well to keep the run-rate up from the other end, Finch too tried to take the aerial route. He’s livid with himself, smashing his bat on his pad as he walks off.

Jordan gets Cummins off the very next ball.

Over 17, Australia 95-5, Agar joins Finch in late resistance

Woakes, who bowled so well in his first three overs, has conceded 20 runs off his last one, as Australia’s gasping innings gets a lifeline.

The question is – at what point do Australia decide to accelerate? They’ve done well to recover, albeit marginally so, and Finch is able to find the boundaries here and there. With just four overs to go, and Cummins still to go, there’s still enough to take them close to 120 (if that is even close to being enough).

And hey, Ashton Agar can bat. How many teenage No.11s have hit 99 on Test debut?

Aaron Finch’s’ last six T20I innings: 30, 53, 34, 0, 37, 34* (today)

Over 14: 57-5, Finch the lone warrior as Australia continue to crumble

Finch continues to soldier along, even as the batting around him continues to wither away. A couple of boundaries off Mills would really help bring down the mounting pressure. Can he really get them to something over 100?

Tymal Mills is back to begin the second half of Australia’s innings.

Over 9: Australia 37-4, Gloom all around for the Aussies – can Finch resuscitate them?

Australia’s top order might have left plenty for Finch to do here, but there’s still enough batting resources around him, and just over 10 overs to go. It’s probably one of the slowest starts you would see to a T20 game.

Over 7, Aus 27-4, More spin coming Australia’s way

Some more leg-spin from England here – Liam Livingstone is bowling gentle leggies from the other end. Importantly for Australia, Finch is still around – he’ll be looking to guide them towards some sort of respectability.

Update: Stoinis was completely clueless, didn’t pick the googly at all there. It’s been just over half an hour here and Dubai, but it must be feeling like hours for Australia. Mind you, there has been only one boundary in the powerplay.

Over 6.1, Australia 21-4, England ace the powerplay

First six overs, and England have hardly put a foot wrong here! Adil Rashid is brought into the attack, and he traps Stoinis plumb with a vicious googly. What a ball! Similar to the one that accounted for Andre Russell just days ago.

There seems to be a hint of extra grass on the surface, and it seems to be helping the ball nip into the batters. Finch and Stoinis will have to really weather the storm here, wait for these two to be off the attack, and then look ahead.

Over 4, Australia 15-3, Woakes running through the Aussies!

Woakes’ figures right now: 2-0-6-2. Not even four overs, and we have Marcus Stoinis already in the middle.

Oh dear, this is just going from bad to worse for Australia. Maxwell is gone, trying to play a loose stroke over midwicket. They take a forced review, but it’s plumb really.

Chris Woakes is having an absolute ball!

Australia in their last two World Cup matches v England

2-10 (ODI World Cup semi-final, 2019)
2-8 (T20 World Cup, 2021)#AUSvENG

— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) October 30, 2021

Woakes and Jordan are breathing fire at the moment. Nothing out of the ordinary, just wonderful lengths, plain and simple. It’s going to be interesting to see what Glenn Maxwell does here – naturally aggressive, he’ll have to mellow down given the situation today.

Over 2.1: Australia 8-2, Woakes, you beauty!

Spectacular catch from Woakes! What a day he’s had already. Smith tries to slap one over mid-on, but only gets as far as Woakes. What brilliant athleticism – leaping back for a one-handed stunner.

Update: Woakes draws first blood! Wonderful line, jagging away, Warner is forced to play at it and only feathers it to the keeper. Ooh, that’s big!

Over 1: Australia 6-0, England begin with spin

Rashid hardly did anything wrong, teasing Australia with flighted lengths, but Finch gets off the mark with a wonderful inside-out drive over cover. Early indications that it’s going to be one fine contest.

Both England and Australia players are taking the knee.

Finch and Warner are in the middle. The England players have moved into position. It’s time for live action. Adil Rashid will start off.

30 Oct 2021, 17:53 local time: The players have assembled on the field, and it’s time for the anthems.

Australia’s top order looks much stronger now, with David Warner back in form.

David Warner’s return to form in the previous match has boosted energy and performance levels in the Australian team. England have been brilliant in both games. Winner tonight will be virtually assured of place in semis. Match holds out rich promise

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 30, 2021

No Mitchell Marsh? Feel it’s a logical call, for Australia have enough in the pace department already, and are also well-stocked on the batting front. With Ashton Agar, there will be a good variety of options in the middle overs.

England XI: Buttler, Roy, Malan, Morgan, Bairstow, Livingstone, Ali, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid, Mills

Australia XI: Finch, Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Wade, Cummins, Agar, Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood

TOSS: Morgan calls correctly, and England opt to BOWL first.

England are playing the same XI. Australia have brought in Ashton Agar.

Eoin Morgan and Aaron Finch are having a quick chat in the middle ahead of the toss. On either side of the playing surface, we have Chris Woakes and Josh Hazlewood bowling.

30 Oct 2021 at 13:15 (GMT+1), 17:15 local time: We’re 15 minutes away from the toss, and the preparations are heating up. Not too many fans today – difficult to match the sort of volume we saw for India-Pakistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan, but the expectation is that a few more spectators might trickle in.

30 Oct 2021 at 13:45 (GMT+1): Players from both teams have begun their practice in the middle of the square, even as the stadium, currently barren, open its gates to the public. On one side of the playing strip, Adam Zampa is bowling his leggies, while the England bowling set is operating on the other side.

Glenn Maxwell, who has been in stupendous form of late, walks in to assess the pitch with a bat in hand.

T20 World Cup 2021 England v Australia: Preview

Match start time: 18:00 local time, 19:30 IST, 15:00 UK time

Match Date: October 30, 2021

Match Venue: Dubai Sports City Stadium, Dubai

England began their campaign with two comprehensive wins – against West Indies and Bangladesh, and their current net run-rate stands at a whopping 3.614. Australia managed a close win against South Africa, and also encountered a few minor hiccups against Sri Lanka before winning the game comfortably by seven wickets. Their net run rate sits at 0.727.

T20 World Cup 2021 England v Australia: Where to watch live

Where to watch: India

Star Sports Network; Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar

Start time: 7:30 pm IST

Where to watch: UK & Ireland

Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Mix; Streaming: Sky Sports app, www.skysports.com

Start time: 3 pm BST

Where to watch: Australia

Fox Cricket; Foxtel GO, Foxtel NOW, Kayo Sports

Start time: 1 am AEST

The complete list of broadcast (TV and live streaming) options for the tournament can be found here.

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