OVER 18: ENG 180/5 (Root 77* Buttler 18*) That's an excellent over from James Faulkner, good old fashioned blockhole stuff and England can manage no more than five singles off the over. Just 68 needed from 12 balls now. This is the highest aggregate score in a T20 (i.e. 248 + England's score = 428)
OVER 17: ENG 175/5 (Root 73* Buttler 16*) Mitchell back in. Remarkable shot from Root, Mitch sends down a 90mph ball outisde off and Root backs away and just flips it over the cover boundary for six. Now another precise, powerful shot through the offside for four and a pull for four as Root spots the slower cutter. Oh Mitch! Now a front foot no ball. WHY U DO THE BAD THING MITCH? Good recovery again though, fires it full and just wide enough. 74 needed from 18 balls Wonder if Rooty can get to a century? Unlikely but not impossible.
OVER 16: ENG 158/5 (Root 58* Buttler 15*) Root deals with Hazlewood's bouncer better this time, pulling it away for four. Now a savage shot from Buttler back past the bowler, a mighty flat six with a tennis shot. RRR 22.75
OVER 15: ENG 145/5 (Root 53* Buttler 7*) Fawad beats Buttler with a beauty, huge ripping leg-break that richly deserved a wicket. Fawad shows he's got a decent googly. After a slightly nervy start, this has been an encouraging debut from Fawad Ahmed, albeit that figures of 43/0 off four don't really reflect that. Buttler drives him for four through point in an eight-run over.
OVER 14: ENG 137/5 (Root 52* Buttler 0*) Jos cannot get either of his first two balls away
WICKET! Bopara c Warner b Watson 45 Ah, shame. An entertaining knock comes to an end. Ravi nails Watson for a couple of nice shots down the ground, but Watto is not as dumb as he looks (thank goodness). 12 off the first three balls of the over with Watto bolwing length, so he digs in the bouncer. Ravi goes after it, but he's not in the right position and he has succeded only in slapping that high in the air, Warner making no mistake at midwicket. FOW 137/5
OVER 13: ENG 125/4 (Root 52* Bopara 33*) Ha, bit of comedy here. As I say, Engand going for a single every ball now, and it was only a matter of time before one of the Aussie fielders hit. It's David Warner at midwicket, Ravi going to the bowler's end. Good throw by David Warner, he hits the stumps right at the base and both he and Ravi are sure it's out. Ravi, in fact, is walking off. But, quirkily, the ball has not really dislodged the bails, I guess maybe because it hit right at the base and when you actually look at it in slow mo, Ravi has jsut about got home before the bails pop out of their grooves. Something of an oddity because the ball hit the stumps with Ravi quite a way short. Root gets a four off the last ball of the Faulkner over, and that gives him a well made fifty. He's showed heart as well as skill, having been hit in the kisser early on.
OVER 12: ENG 115/4 (Root 48* Bopara 28*) Excellent over from Watson, England can manage only five off it. It's tip and run stuff now, and England sneak home for singles that would be curtains with direct hits. This partnership is worth 73 off 7.3 overs. RRR 16.75
Graeme: "Hi again Alan, you must be having a fun time this evening! What is it with the 'A' s? Ashton in the first Ashes Test then Aaron in the first T20. Is there something going on?"
OVER 11: ENG 110/4 (Root 46* Bopara 25*) Fawad. Go on Fawad, son. Oooh, this is close. Ravi has gone for a big sweep and missed it. Matthew Wade has the bails off in a trice and it's nip and tuck as to whether Ravi has got the foot back down or not. I think this is probably going to go in Ravi's favour and, after a lengthy TV umpire deliberation, he is given in. A wide, as it happens. Bopara down the track, turning a decent ball into a full toss and smashing it down the ground... and into a cameraman! Ouch. They sneak a quick single to finish the over and there 12 off the over. Even that is not enough, though. 139 needed from 54 balls, RRR 15.44
Peter mailed this earlier but it has all been a bit franctic: "Crikey Alan, looks as though we have lost this before picking up a bat in anger! Don't like to say this, but Stevie Finn's delivery stride problems don't look any better than when he was dropped from the Test side. Needs to put in much better performances than this in the next few weeks or his tour place could be at risk."
OVER 10: ENG 98/4 (Root 45* Bopara 15*) James Faulkner into the attack or, rather, the defence. Ravi panels an attempted yorker back past the bowler for four and, since losing those four wickets and, y'know, effectively losing the game, England are actually going along pretty nicely.
OVER 9: ENG 88/4 (Root 41* Bopara 9*) Root reverse sweeps and just for a second Fawad thinks that he has his maiden international wicket, but Root indeed got a little under edge on it. Both batsmen prepared to sweep Fawad, and Root starting to look pretty handy as he puills him away for four.
OVER 8: ENG 75/4 (Root 30* Bopara 7*) Watto comes on and sends down a solid enough over save for a couple of balls that stray down leg, Root is more than competent enough to work them away for fours.
OVER 7: ENG 64/4 (Root 19* Bopara 7*) The future of Australian leg-spin looks.... well, not brilliant on this limted evidence. Fawad slightly aprehensive, starts with a ball dragged down the legside, Bopara helps that on his way with a fine paddle. Ravi and Root are able to milk the spinner for some easy ones and twos. Ten off the over, but even that's not enough.
OVER 6: ENG 54/4 (Root 15* Bopara 1*) Two nice shots from Joe in this over, a four apiece. A flick through midwicket and then a cut behind point.
Graeme Whittaker: "Crikey Moses, it's all go isn't it? We seemed to be getting a right going over, I popped out for a few minutes and Jade D has bowled three of the bounders out! Still seems a half decent score thought, hope we bat better than in the Ashes Tests."
Evan Dunn: "It will be nice to see Carberry take up the challenge - Oh, wait, he's not playing! why pick him because he's in form and leave him out? More curious decisions by the management."
OVER 5: ENG 42/4 (Root 4* Bopara 0*) Indignity is piled upon indignity for England as Mitchell Johnson sends down a wicket maiden. Never mind The Oval pitch, England have wet themselves here in the face of Australia's admitttedly terrifying total.
WICKET! Morgan c Maxwell b Johnson 0 Crikey, this is a rout. Morgan has slapped the ball to point, sharp catch from Maxwell and mixed-bag Mitchell has his second wicket. FOW 42/4
OVER 4: ENG 42/3 (Morgan 0* Root 4*) Well, it all happened in that over. Not just the two wickets, but now Joe Root is hit in the mouth. Top edges the ball into his grille going for the pull, and if he hadn't had that metal grille young Joe would have been seriously, permanently hurt. A bit of the metal face guard flies off as he is struck and there is a delay as he receives treatment. David Warner is the first bloke up to check he's okay. Or maybe to check if he's not okay, who knows. Root is eventually okay to continue and he's hit a four, but this game is surely done and dusted b'now.
WICKET! Hales c Wade b Hazlewood 8 Oh dear, and that's two in two as Hales smears it high up in the air. Some confusion between Fawad Ahmed (intersting to note) and keeper Wade, each leaving it to the other and eventually the keeper has to make a lot of ground to dive full length and cling on. FOW 33/2
.... The batsmen cross, Luke Wright laces his first ball through the covers for four... but then....
WICKET! Wright c Wade b Hazlewood 4 Thin edge, Wright doesn't seem to think he hit it, but that's academic becuase the umpire does. England, having started quite brightly in chase of this mammoth score, have now lost three wickets in four balls. FOW 37/3 Looks like Wright's boot scrapped the ground, perhaps that is what the umpire heard.
OVER 3: ENG 33/1 (Hales 8*) Michael Lumb has been having some fun, he's hit a six and three fours but that's all over now off the last ball of the third over. He plays all around a full swinger from Mitchell, that's as plumb as you could wish for and a bright and breezy start comes to an end.
WICKET! Lumb lbw Johnson 22 Plumb, bang in front. FOW 33/1
20.23 Still, while there’s Mitchell Johnson, there’s always hope. He starts with a front foot no ball that Lumb chips over the infield for two. But Mitch digs himself out of a hole with a really good, really quick delivery. Pace is really good from Mitch. 92mph. Ah, but now a wide to go with that no ball.
Anyway, afraid I missed the next couple of overs because the computer crashed. What a pathetic effort from Team Telegraph’s technical arm. Yet again. Is it really so much to ask that we could have some computers that work? From what I can gather, Lumb managed to whack a few, and as my mickey mouse computer sputters back into life I see that Lumb has baseball batted Hazlewood back past the bowler for six. Cool.
Anyhow, after two overs it is ENG 26/0 (Lumb 20* Hales 3*)
20.07 The Aussies are back out, here come Hales and Lumb. Mitchell Johnson to bowl.
ENGLAND NEED 249 TO WIN As good a T20 knock as I have ever seen, Aaron Finch, who looks like Desperate Dan and hits the ball with terrifying power, has mashed England into submission with a 63-ball 156. Jade Dernbach the pick of the bowlers, but only by default really, as England had no answers to an astonishing display of power hitting that has given Aaron Finch the highest score in an interational T20. Almost impossible to see England winning from here.
OVER 20: AUS 248/6 (Wade 15* Faulkner 5*) England have actually fought back pretty well in the last three overs. Dernbach keeping things nice and tight in this last over, just six runs off it and the wicket and that's the end of the innings.
WICKET! Maxwell b Dernbach 1 Quick and straight from Dernbach, "you miss I hit". He's now picked up three-fer, so well bowled Jade, albeit that the match is surely beyond England now. It's going to take something remarkable. FOW 242/6
OVER 19: AUS 242/5 (Maxwell 1* Wade 14*) Couple of dot balls to Wade, but then a short ball that he can tuck away for a cheap four. Then Finn unwisely goes for a length ball, Wade smashes that over mid on for six. 18 sixes in the innings, and international T20 record. Pulls the ball away now, and Alex Hales just cannot quite get there. Four. 14 runs off the Finn over; he finishes with 1/45 off four. Dernbach to bowl the last over.
WICKET! Bailey lbw Finn 1 The skip comes across his stumps, tries to work it to leg and misses. Stone dead lbw. FOW 228/5
OVER 18: AUS 228/4 (Bailey 1* Maxwell 1*) Surely too late in the context of the game, but Jade has not only stopped the bleeding, that two-wicket over has ensured that England have two new men to bowl at.
WICKET! Finch b Dernbach 156 A four to start this over, but Dernbach has at last removed him, Finch for once not picking the slower ball and he's bowled. His incredible 63 ball knock comes to an end, he leaves to a standing ovation. FOW 226/3
... and then after a single ....
WICKET! Watson b Dernbach 37 Wonderful slower ball from Dernbach, a looper out the back of the hand, Watson is completely baffled by it, he looks as confused as a Watson trying to figure out how to use the DRS. Plays all around the ball, bowled leg stump, and a handy contribution comes to an end. FOW 228/4
OVER 17: AUS 222/2 (Finch 152* Watson 37*) This is the best T20 knock I have ever seen. Danny Briggs the latest lamb to the slaughter, a four and three sixes in this over. Morgan at midwicket is close to one as he leaps, but the other two, fuggedaboudit. He even pinches the strike off the last ball of the over. Astonishing batting.
OVER 16: AUS 199/2 (Finch 129* Watson 37*) Broad. Short and wide. Finch steps away and slams it over cover for another six, and that gives him the highest score in Twenty20 internationals. And Watson's all over England as well now. he gets the leg out of the way and hammers Broad for six, and then Broad hands him a full toss. Bang. Four. Absolute carnage down in Hampshire.
OVER 15: AUS 180/2 (Finch 121* Watson 26*) Heavens above. Luke Wright's first over was cheap, but this one has gone to all parts. 23 off it. Two more massive sixes from Finch, and now Watson's in on the act too, smashing the ball back over Wright's head for six. Poor from Wright, although to be fair how do you bowl to batting like this? Well, you don't serve it up on a length, at least. Chastening evening for England's bowlers so far.
OVER 14: AUS 157/2 (Finch 106* Watson 18*) Broad to Finch. Can he get the ton? He's done it! Fantastic batting from Aaron Finch. Looking a bit nervy as he dabs it into the offside and sets off for a non-existent run. Turns back, safe. And here it is! Shorter ball, he's swung that away fine, top edge in fact and.... oooh, is fine leg going to get there? No! Six runs. Aaron Finch has a T20 hundred. 105* off just 47 balls, what a knock this has been. The first international T20 ton in Britain.
OVER 13: AUS 145/2 (Finch 99* Watson 13*) Luke Wright, who's hardly bowled in the Friends Life T20 this year, comes on and puts the brakes on, thank goodness. Finchy has gone into the shell a bit. He takes two dabbed singles, and that's 44 balls. If he gets a single off the last ball of the over he can equal the record... Nah, he's dinked it to third man for no run. Good job Luke Wright, just four runs off the over.
OVER 12: AUS 141/2 (Finch 97* Watson 11*) Dernbach back on. Finch doing it in singles now. Watto gloves the ball through the slip cordon for a couple, then back cuts for one. That brings Finch back on. 96* off 41 balls. Another single. Finch taking it easy while Watson plays himself in. Poor ball from Jade now, on a length just outside off, that's Watson's favourite area and that rattles away. Same ball next delivery, Watson back, sets himself, front leg out the way, and then the weight comes forward and that superb timing and sheer strength send that ball humming to the long off boundary. Classic Watto.
OVER 11: AUS 128/2 (Finch 95* Watson 0*) Briggs has been the pick of the bowlers so far, six off that and the wicket. Finch is reduced to singles and, glory be, there's even a dot ball.
WICKET! Marsh c Lumb b Briggs 28 Respite for England, not the main man they wanted, but a wicket nevertheless as Marsh slogs it up in the air. He'd played a good second fiddle though, and this partnership has made Australia warm favourites. FOW 125/2
OVER 10: AUS 122/1 (Finch 91* Marsh 27*) Joe Root. Oh my goodness. This is savage. Finch has hit Joe Root for three sixes in a row. Down the ground, thoughts for a second that he hasn't got enough of it but that's flown away. Now a cleaner strike, sails back over the bowler for a big six. Now a fearsome flat six into the stands at midwicket. Follows these three sixes up with a four that laces through the offside for four. Ends the over with a thin edge for four. 27 runs off the over! 36 balls for 91* runs. The fastest T20 ton is 45 balls. It's on. It's very on.
OVER 9: AUS 95/1 (Finch 65* Marsh 26*) Grr, very poor from Michael Lumb. Briggs had managed to introduce some calm to the situation, five singles in a row and then the sixth ball of the over is bunted down the ground. But a misfield by Lumb! That makes it a nine-run over when really it should have been six off the over.
OVER 8: AUS 86/1 (Finch 59* Marsh 23*) Ravi Bopara is the latest lucky chap to have a bowl at Finch. Starts with a genuinely poor ball, short and wide, and that's cut for four. Rest of the over is a bit better, he even hits Finch on the pads and shouts for LBW, but that was going down leg. But that followed two more boundaries, Finch spots the slower ball and slams it for six to bring up his fifty, soon adding another four to go with. The fiddy up off just 26 balls and this is some fantastic T20 hitting. 15 off the over.
OVER 7: AUS 71/1 (Finch 49* Marsh 18*) Local lad Danny Briggs comes on but he cannot stem the bleeding. Finch gives himself room and cuts a four, and now Marsh smears it over cow for six. He didn't time that at all, but my goodness he's a strong blighter. Real Captain Caveman stuff as he toe-ends that for a maximum.
OVER 6: AUS 58/1 (Finch 44* Marsh 10*) Absolutely amazing shot from Finch off the last ball of Dernbach's over. He backs away a mile, actually falling over it looks like but somehow gets the toe of the bat onto a ball outside off srump, depositing it over cover for six! Decent over other than that, Jade nailing a couple of back-of-the-hand slowies and Steve Finn doing his bit with a super diving stop at short third man. As the powerplay comes to a close, though, Australia are well on top.
OVER 5: AUS 49/1 (Finch 37* Marsh 8*) Crikey, not getting any better for Finn. Or, rather, it was, in that the first five balls of the over go for just four (props to Joe Root for saving a boundary with a fine dive) but the last ball of the over is a slower ball, Finch reads it like a beano and slaughters it for six over square leg.
OVER 4: AUS 39/1 (Finch 28* Marsh 7*) A three to Finch, Lumb doing well to save the boundary, and then an attractive stroke from Marsh, playing very late and cracking it through point for four. Ten off the over.
OVER 3: AUS 29/1 (Finch 25* Marsh 0*) Finny has problems. He's falling away in the delivery stride and dropping the ball on leg stump, and friend Finch is treating him to some fearful tap. Flick to long leg, a savage on drive off the back foot, and then a slower ball that's spotted early and slammed away. Four for each. 13 off the over and Finn is not going well at all.
Peter Rowntree: "Yes player rotation has caused some controversy in the last few days. But for T20 their are specialist players such as Lumb, Hales etc. Also gives the chance for England to look at some of the probables given that there are possibly 2 or 3 tour places still up for grabs. So personally not against it, and rather surprised that KP is being risked in the ODI games given his injury problems in the last few months."
OVER 2: AUS 16/1 (Finch 13* Marsh 0*) We were expecting Watto in at three not Marsh. Finch edges Broad through where slip isn't and should be. Four.
WICKET! Warner c Buttler b Broad 1 Bwa-ha-ha. All happening here. Finch goes for a quick single, Jade Dernbach with the throw, and he's completely misjudged it and thrown the ball right into Finch's groin! Ouch. Some industrial langauge from the Aussie opener, and frankly who can blame him? JD apologises and everyone's cool. Now Warner goes for the big shot, hoicks it miles up in the air and he's lost the grip of his bat in the process. Buttler is under the steepler and he's out. Bit of a delay while we check for the no ball. It's perilously close, but he's just about okay. The batsmen cross. FOW 11/1
OVER 1: AUS 10/0 (Warner 1* Finch 7*) Good start from Finny. Full and straight. The pitch looks dry and dusty, the first nut disturbs the surface. Couple of leg byes, and now Warner has hoicked one away, it lands on the bounce a few yards in from the fielder at long leg. Ha! But here's Finchy! Hanging back on the back foot, and he's swung his very first ball away for six over square leg. Single off the last ball and that makes ten off it. Oh. Poor Finny. Not a bad over. It wasn't a bad ball, the one that went for six, either.
18.27 Looks like it will be Finny to start from the Northern End. Aw, good old Paul Allot is on comms.
18.25 Players are out, handshakes all round. Pleasant evening there. Here come Warner and Finch. The straight boundary is close, but it's a long way to the ropes square of the wicket.
18.19 Gimmicks aside, this could be an entertaining evening. Both sides are packed with power hitters, there's the boom-or-bust joys of Mitch and Jade, a debute leggie... Apparently, Fawad has only ever played one T20 before in his whole pro career.
18.17 Oh look. Parachutes. How exciting. Cricket's idea of what makes a spectacle is alway funny.
18.13 I am looking forward to getting another look at Aaron Finch, he cracked a 53* against England at Melbourne in January 2011, but has been promoted up the order since then. It's a formidable top three for the men in green and gold.
18.09 And England fans who are enjoying a beer or two will be pleased to see that Mitchell Johnson is back in the side. But the real story here has to be the inclusion of the Pakistan leggie Fawad Ahmed, who fled his home country after persecution from religious extremists (for coaching women cricketers, as I understand it) and has been fast-tracked into the national set-up for his new one. Good luck to him.
18.04 Selection questions all over the place here. Warner and Finch at the top of the order for the Aussies. Shame, Michael Carberry hasn't made the XI for England. "32-year-old, what is the point of having him in the squad and not playing him?" asks Nasser. Quite so. A bit of a dusty pitch, apparently. Steve Finn is in the team for England, but Tredders is left out in favour of local boy Danny Briggs.
England: Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Luke Wright, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, Fawad Ahmed
18.02 Here's Knighty with the captains and the coin. Broad is the tosser. England win toss and bowl. George Bailey says he wanted to bat anyway. Fawad Ahmed plays.
18.00 Considerable pomp and circumstance on Sky Sports for this game. Yet to see any pictures of the ground or the players. Ah, speak of the devil. Here is the Ageas Bowl.
17.55 Who do you fancy for tonight's game? Even money your Aussies, England just odds-on. A lot of bookies make both teams 10/11. Greedy beggars.
17.45 Jade Dernbach talking on TV now about his bowling plans. He's brighter than you'd think, Jade. Seems to be a guy who thinks about his bowling quite clearly and impressively. Jonathan Liew did a good interview with him recently. He still dresses like an absolute weapon, though. Jade, not Jonathan. Jonathan dresses nicely.
17.40 Gutting to hear that poor Ryan Harris has gone in the leg again. They're saying two months for his hamstring to heal. What is it with these Aussie bowlers and their fitness?
17.35 England come into the first of these two Twenty20s with their tails up, the T20 side has done quite well recently, and there's the World T20 in March to look forward to. England's talented but still somewhat erratic side contains many young lads with cases to make for that. The Aussies, meanwhile, are picking from a squad of 18 and will want to buld on the momentum of some encouraging individual performances as the Test series went on.
17.30 Afternoon all, welcome to our live blog coverage of the first Twenty20 between England and Australia. We'll be bringing you the action from Hampshire's Rose Bowl ground. Play starts at 18.30.
A neat idea this afternoon, they put the women's cricket on beforehand. England restricted the Aussies to 127 but then slumped to 9/3. It looked like being a tight finish - we needed 42 from 33 balls at four wickets down, but a super unbeaten 80 from Lydia Greenway saw England home with six balls to spare. The five-wicket win means that England have secured the Ashes. Hats off to Charlotte Edwards and her side.
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