WICKET! Coulter-Nile c Briggs b Finn 13 Steve Finn was seeing his life flash before his eyes there! First two balls of the over, both are slammed for six by Coulter-Nile. On the 45th anniversary of Sobers's six sixes in an over... But calm is restored as Coulter-N swings and misses at ball three, a slower ball. Then another dot ball, a quick one. Now fifth ball of the over Finn produces a slower ball bouner, Coulter-Nile swings at it, gets the top edge and is easily caught at fine leg. FOW 162/9
Mike Turney, our Danny Briggs correspondent: "Hmmm – humble pie for tea then." Ha, fair play to you Mike. He hadn't done a lot prior to this game.
OVER 18: AUS 150/7 (Johnson 1* Coulter-Nile 1*) Mitch comes in and survives the hat-trick ball, which was wide outside off. Should have gone for the striaght slowie, I reckon Jade. Mitchell has to swing at everything, so.... Anyway. Super over, two runs and two wickets, and you can't say fairer than that. 46 needed from 12 balls.
WICKET! Maxwell c Lumb b Dernbach 27 But that has to be the game. Maxwell has flicked a full toss straight to deep square leg, and Australia's last hope surely goes with him. The batsmen cross. FOW 148/7
... and next ball ...
WICKET! Faulkner c Morgan b Dernbach Excellent short ball from Jade, Faulkner backs away and tries to pull, but the ball is too slippery and quick for that. He slides the ball off the top edge and Morgan takes a wonderful catch at backward point. FOW 148/8
OVER 17: AUS 148/6 (Maxwell 27* Faulkner 5*) Could be a promising physical comedy double act down there, Finny and Morgs with a bit of relay fielding. That's about the best thing that England can say about this Bopara over, which gets slammed for 19 by Maxwell. Too short balls from Ravi get the treatment, six and a four, and then a length ball smacked down the ground. Could have been worse: Maxwell misses out on a full toss off the last ball of the over. So Aussies need 48 off 18 balls, that over has just (just) about kept the Aussies in it.
Graeme Whittaker: "Respect to Marc. 7 hours! Did a few myself earlier and got seriously nettled. However had the pleasure of seeing the Red Arrows, 2 'V' formations of 5 and the chap at the back either trying to keep up or marking them for their formation, low over Hereford on their way to Portrush I guess. Don't want to tempt fate but I think we should win this one."
OVER 16: AUS 129/6 (Maxwell 8* Faulkner 5*) Faulkner comes in, lovely shot as he steps away and hits in-to-out through cover. Very attractive. But Briggs is able to end the over with two dots. Ball was changed after the wicket, should you be interested. Aussies need a huge over now to get back in this.
WICKET! Wade b Briggs 4 First ball of the over, around the wicket, quicker ball, Wade heaves and misses and he's a goner. Your move, Mike Turney. FOW 123/6
OVER 15: AUS 123/5 (Maxwell 7* Wade 4*) Skilful over from Ravi, cutters and slower balls, it's hard for the two new batsmen to line him up and there are eight runs off the over.
Mike Turney's not for turning: "Harsh? Briggs has got 3 wickets in 5 matches with an economy of 11 an over - neither a wicket taker or a run miser. If the aim in 20/20 is to bowl full tosses, he’s the man."
OVER 14: AUS 115/5 (Maxwell 2* Wade 1*) Single to Mawell and Wade to end an impressive over from young Briggs, four runs and a wicket. England firm favourites from here.
WICKET! Bailey lbw Briggs 23 Nicely done, Briggsy. He gets a ball to straighten from around the wicket, Bailey misses with the big slog sweep and that's band LBW. FOW 113/5
OVER 13: AUS 111/4 (Bailey 22*) Seven off the over. Glenn Maxwell will be the new man.
WICKET! Warner c Hales b Dernbach The key man goes, and nobody is happier than Steve Finn. Off the fifth ball of the over, Warner flat-bats it high back over the bowler and Finn, running back from mid off calls for it, runs back and.... gets nowhere near it. The onrushing Joe Root, coming in from long on might have been a better bet. Anyhow, it doesn't matter too much because Warner has spanked a Dernbach slower ball out to Hales on the cover boundary, and he takes a good low catch dicing forward.
Mike Turney: "Has Briggs got incriminating photos of ECB selectors? There can be no other reason why he keeps getting picked. He’s a village green bowler at best." Bit on the harsh side, Mike?
OVER 12: AUS 104/3 (Warner 50* Bailey 19*) Good cricket from the Aussie pair in this over, England's fielders left looking rather flat-footed as Bailey gets no fewer than three well-run twos into the leg-side off Root. In between those, Warner gets the singles that bring up his 50.
OVER 11: AUS 95/3 (Warner 48* Bailey 12*) Skipper Bailey has a look at a couple from Broad and then puts the foot down. A full ball driven for four, pulls the ensuing short one for a couple, and then chips it with the breeze for six over midwicket.
Marc Melander: "Liking your 'Warner looking dangerous' (Over 6). You can tell he's playing cricket and not attempting to connect with Joe Root's chin in a Walkabout battlecruiser. As ever am enjoying your updates. Just slapped a lip over a cold beer after a 7 hour gardening stint." SEVEN HOURS? Bloody hell, what is this, the Burma Railway?
OVER 10: AUS 82/3 (Warner 47*) Looks to be all about Rocky Warner to me. England in control at halfway, 114 needed from 60 balls, although of course a big over or two changes everything.
WICKET! Marsh b Root 13 Nicely done, Joe. Marsh had tonked him over midwicket for six, but Root gets one to skid on with the arm from around the wicket and Marsh is cleaned up off the last ball of the over. FOW 82/3
OVER 9: AUS 73/2 (Warner 47* Marsh 7*) Broad doesn't fancy another of Briggs, or at least not yet, and Ravi comes on. Okay over of cutters. He sends down two wides. But no boundaries, and just seven off it.
OVER 8: AUS 66/2 (Warner 44* Marsh 5*) Joe Root on for a bowl. It's the Warner show so far. Marsh has made a quiet five off seven balls. But Warner is cracking on. He shows he's not just a biffer, a nice delicate back cut for four.
OVER 7: AUS 57/2 (Warner 39* Marsh 1*) Briggs on. Starts with a wide! Dear me. Excellent from Warner in this over. Four through mid on, drive through the offside, and now a six down the ground that defies the leaping effort of Joe Root. Nick Knight wonders if England should have a taller fielder there.
OVER 6: AUS 42/2 (Warner 25* Marsh 1*) Dernbach comes on. Shades of England's failing the other night as he serves up the ball, full and in the slot. Slightly overpitched, it comes on nicely and that's six down the ground. Bouncer called a wide on height. Good stuff in the rest of the over, though. Powerplay comes to an end and you would imagine England are pleased enough. 154 more needed, off 14 overs, and my maths skillz (calculator) tell me that's 11 an over. Warner looking dangerous.
OVER 5: AUS 34/2 (Warner 18* Marsh 1*) Languid swing of the bat from Warner as he plonks Finn over long off for six first ball of the over. Short ball down leg is called wide. Good duel between bat and ball as Finn beats Warner swinging. Finishes with a leg bye. Ten off the over.
OVER 4: AUS 24/2 (Warner 11* Marsh 0*) Flashing blade from Warner, a pull for four and a cut for the same. Broad keeping it wide of off, fearing the breeze across the ground will allow the ball to sail into the stands.
OVER 3: AUS 15/2 (Warner 2* Marsh 0*) In fairness to Warner, there was never a run there, that run out was all of Watson's own making. Earlier in the over, the blond powerhouse had slammed Finn for four, but his day is done. Finn beats Marsh with a snorter first ball, shaving the off-stump. And again next ball! Finn all over the Aussies here.
WICKET! Watson run out 7 Oh dear! By which I mean "ha, ha, ha." Watson dabs it to backward point and sets off. Warner sends him back. Watson turns and tries to get back, Morgan with the direct hit and Watson is gone by a street. FOW 15/2
OVER 2: AUS 9/1 (Warner 2* Watson 1*) Good stuff from Broad, England are off to a strong start. Watson can manage just a single from his first four balls.
WICKET! Finch c Wright b Broad 5 Skipper himself has removed the danger man. Stock ball from Broad, Finch has a go at it and he's spooned it off the top edge to mid-on. No fireworks today. Well, he'd nailed the first ball of the over, a full one outside off, for four, but that's ancient history now. FOW 8/1
OVER 1: AUS 4/0 (Warner 2* Finch 1*) Useful over from Finn. Very good, quick bouncer in there. Only four runs off the over.
16.06 The players are back out, England better hope they get Aaron Finch out cheaply. Steve Finn will bowl the first over, he has a bit to prove. England should win from here. Only seven times have the Aussies managed more than this score in 63 T20s.
ENGLAND MAKE 195/5 A good effort from England again with the bat, Hales just missing out on a century but, to my mind, the story is Fawad Ahmed. Obviously it's early days, but Australia look to have acquired a useful leg-spinning asset here. The way he dealt with the pressure of bowling the last over was impressive, he did for Buttler with a big, slow, leg-break and he had Eoin Morgan on toast with that googly. Encouraging signs. Alex Hales has now made three scores in the nineties in this format. England's score looks very handy, although they would have been hoping for 200-plus, having been 110/0 off 11 overs. And how will they deal with the FINCH HITTER?
OVER 20: ENG 195/5 (Bopara 1* Root 1*) Neither Ravi nor Root can do a lot with the last couple of balls of the over and that's England's lot. Eight runs and two wickets for Fawad Ahmed in the last over.
WICKET! Buttler b Fawad Ahmed 0 Ooh, nice bit of bowling! He tosses it up, it's a slow leg-break, it pitches and turns a fair bit. Buttler heaves all around it and he is bowled. Golden duck! Nice one Fawad. FOW 187/4
... Morgan now nails the ball for six over cow corner.
WICKET! Morgan c Coulter-Nile b Fawad Ahmed 20 Love it! That's the googly, Morgan goes for the same shot but the ball's spun the other way this time, he's hit against the spin and he's hit it right down the throat of Coulter-Nile at deep midwicket. FOW 194/5
OVER 19: ENG 187/3 (Morgan 14*) That came off the last ball of the over and it looks like it is Jos Buttler who comes in. And it looks like Fawad will bowl the last over - I like it. Bold move.
WICKET! Hales c Warner b Faulkner 94 Faulkner. So I guess that means Watto or Fawad will bowl the last? Time running out for Hales, the pair have managed just six runs from the first five balls. He goes for the big shot, smears it down the ground and.... there's that man Warner! Very good catch, Hales goes for 94; that is his third score in the nineties in international T20. FOW 187/3
Peter Rowntree: "Finch is certainly a mighty hitter of the ball and England will need to clip his wings early to stand a chance. England's effort on Thursday taken on its own, 200-plus, was not a bad effort, and they look as though they will get over 200 today. So not much wrong with the batting in this T20 team. It is the bowling that worries me, Finn is below par, I have never had much faith in Dernbach, although he was our best bowler in the first T20 - but look at the bowling figures we had the other day mostly in the 40's from 4 overs - and just think Dave Willey took him for 55 in 4 overs in the T20 final and that is why I lack confidence in our friend Jade."
OVER 18: ENG 181/2 (Hales 91* Morgan 13*) No sooner has 'Beertickers' emailed, then Morgan slams Ann Coulter-Nile over midwicket for six. Bad times for Ann, he's hit for two by Hales, and that's a no ball as well. Could have been worse, Hales only chips it into the offside for two. Hales slices through point for four and all told there are 18 in the over. Can Hales become England's first T20 centurion?
Beertickers: "As an additional point to the non-appearance of Carberrry, I see that Morgan is selected again despite not having scored very much at all recently. In fact he's been rubbish for too long now. It does seem that certain players are always selected irrespective of form whilst others like Carberry and particularly Onions are constantly overlooked. What is it about these players that they never quite make the grade - despite outstanding displays all season long? Or don't the selectors fancy them when it comes down to it? Very confusing."
OVER 17: ENG 162/2 (Hales 82* Morgan 4*) Eoin Morgan comes in, on his way right away with a cut for two, singles make this a seven-run over.
WICKET! Wright c Johnson b Faulkner 30 Aw, what a catch from Mitch! Low full toss from Faulkner, Wright toe ends it to mid off, Johnson with a superb leap to pluck the ball from high above his head. Handy 30 off 18 balls from Luke comes to an end. FOW 157/2
OVER 16: ENG 155/1 (Hales 81* Wright 28*) But the wheels are off for Maxwell now! Wrigth finds his timing and drills him down the ground for six, then carves him for four through point. Maxwell lets slip a full toss, Wright heaves it away and it lands just inside the rope for four. 18 off the over and England are back in front, I'd say.
OVER 15: ENG 137/1 (Hales 78* Wright 13*) Wright hasn't got his timing working yet, he cannot get Johnson away, couple of mistimed pulls, then the batsmen trade singles before Wright does manage to get a boundary with an inside (bottom?) edge wide of the keeper.
OVER 14: ENG 131/1 (Hales 77* Wright 8*) Tidy over from Glenn Maxwell, his brisk off-darts keeping England to seven. Looks like spin is the way to go on this pitch on the limited evidence so far; England have been able to line the quicker lads up nicely. Warner stumbles as he fields, gets a roar from the crowd, raises his cap in good humour. Proper old-fashioned Aussie pantomime villain. These Aus spinners have put the match back in the balance: four overs for 24 from Fawad and the Silver Hammer. England need a big finish.
OVER 13: ENG 124/1 (Hales 76* Wright 2*) Superb yorker from Coulter-Nile, known to all the Aussie lads as Ann; he's very unlucky to see that go for four as Hales somehow jabs the bat on it and slices it down to fine leg. Four for that; eight off the over.
OVER 12: ENG 116/1 (Hales 69* Wright 1*) Fawad the pick of the bowlers so far, just ones and twos in this over. The ball has been changed.
WICKET! Lumb c Wade b Fawad Ahmed 43 Go on Fawad lad! The Pakistan-born leggie has his first international wicket as Lumb top edges a slog-sweep, the ball spooning high to Matthew Wade for a shelling-peas catch. Nelson's done for England, the newly-minted Aussie has his first scalp and it's FOW 111/1
OVER 11: ENG 110/0 (Lumb 43* Hales 64*) Nice! England's 100 is up as Alex Hales spots a Mitchell Johnson cutter early and slams it over long on. Now Mitch, easily rattled fellow that he is, drops it short and that's an easy pull for four. Lumb also gets in on the act with a boundary, stepping back to hammer the ball through the offside and that's a 16-run over.
OVER 10: ENG 94/0 (Lumb 38* Hales 53*) Third quiet-ish over in a row, Hales clips the ball off his pads for a two, that brings up his half century. Just ones and twos off Fawad. England look on course for 200-plus.
OVER 9: ENG 88/0 (Lumb 36* Hales 49*) Faulkner now. Second running mix-up of the day, and a direct hit from Faulkner would have been curtains with both batsmen at the striker's end. Hales turns it off the legs for four, Marsh makes a game effort with the diving catch at square leg.
OVER 8: ENG 82/0 (Lumb 35* Hales 43*) Fawad Ahmed into the fray in an effort to put the brakes on a very good start from the E. Second ball is wide and airy, Hales drives it for four. But just a single and a couple of leg byes in the rest of the over, as well as a shout for a caught-behind that didn't hit the glove.
Marc Melander: "Presumably the triumphant ladies team refrained from wetting their collective lettuces on the square?" I have had no reports of on-pitch wee-wee so far today, Marc, but I'll keep you posted. Pictures in a plain brown envelope to the usual address? Actually, what with bongo being all online these days, has that harmed sales of plain brown envelopes?
OVER 7: ENG 74/0 (Lumb 35* Hales 38*) Back to Watson, England enjoying this now. Watto tries a leg-cutter but it's on a plate for Lump, who produces the shot of the day so far to send a six sailing over long on. Right into the box where some of the women cricketers are sitting! Ones and twos make this a 13 run over.
OVER 6: ENG 61/0 (Lumb 26* Hales 34*) I reckon this could be Alex Hales's day: he's now top-edged a pull for four over the keeper's heid. Over to Lumb. He comes down the pitch and strokes a four, now bludgeons the ball through midwicket, hardly any backswing, just a lot of power from his strong wrists and arms. Excellent start from England as they powerplay comes to a close. And this after a one-run first over!
OVER 5: ENG 46/0 (Lumb 16* Hales 29*) James Faulkner into the attack. Four boundaries to in the over! First two have an element of luck. Inside edge past the stumps, then a smeary sort of a pull, both ill-deserved fours. But nothing wrong with the towering straight six that comes up next! And then a ball slogged hard along the ground to cow corner that beats the desperate dive of Bailey, who tips it onto the rope. A nervy single and Hales has pinched the strike.
OVER 4: ENG 27/0 (Lumb 16* Hales 10*) Here's Coulter-Nile. Beats Hales on the inside edge, appeal from Wade but nobody else. Lumb up-and-unders a ball high, high, high to deep midwicket and Maxwell makes good ground, dives but cannot get the catch. Four. Just a single to go with and that's a useful over.
OVER 3: ENG 22/0 (Lumb 12* Hales 9*) Alex Hales is off and running, two fours into the legside and a quick single to mid off.
OVER 2: ENG 13/0 (Lumb 12* Hales 0*) Counter-intuitive from Bailey, he tosses the ball to Watson. This is a better over for England, first ball sits up nicely for Lumb to cut for four. Too much width from Watto, and now too short, Lumb pulls that away for four. Warner maybe should have stopped it on the boundary. The crowd jeer. It was a bit of failed fielding that 30 years ago wouldn't have raised an eyebrow, but standards are so high that Warner is mocked for failing to effect a running, sliding stop. He takes it in good heart, as he has all summer. Seems like a decent lad, as it goes.
OVER 1: ENG 1/0 (Lumb 1* Hales 0*) Good start from Mitch, three dot balls. Lumb hits two straight to the cover fielder and then is hit on the thigh pad playing across the line. Lumb finally on his way fourth ball with a mistimed pull for one. Hales ducks a bouncer, and then plays and misses. The Aussies are up - they think it's a caught behind! Umpire Rob Bailey thinks otherwise. Even still, very handy over for the Aussies, just one off it. Mitch with the higher than usual arm, looking impressive.
14.30 Lovely day. And here's lovely MItchell Johnson! He will open the bowling to Michael Lumb.
Lanky: "As expected the England Boys Club maintains its terminal behaviour by selecting an unchanged team. The omission of Carberry is no more than everybody expected - so what is the value in selecting him? Just what is it about the England selectors that they can wilfully leave out the best batsman of the season - again? Favouritism is the only reason."
14.18 This new lad in the Aussie side, Nathan Coulter-Nile, then. He's a right-armer, plays for Western Australia and he gets it down there with a muscular action. Not one for the purists, plenty of shoulder in the action, so I dunno how that will hold up for him long-term. He is a powerful lower-order batsman and he is rated as among the best fielders in Australia. 25-years-old, nickname: River. Obviously. Well, it wasn't going to be 'Ann' Coulter, was it? He's on the card to bat 10, and I imagine he'll share the new pill with Mitchell Johnson.
14.17 Here's the England women spraying the champers. They won the T20 quite comfortably this morning.
14.15 England's batting on Thursday was very good, I thought. No complaints on that score. Encouraging knock from Joe Root in his first international T20 knock, and Ravi in the runs. If you make 209 in a T20, you'd expect to win.
14.10 The new man for the Aussies is Nathan Coulter-Nile, an aggressive fast bowler with a brutish action from the shoulder. He also gives it a whack with the bat and is a handy fielder. A thoroughly modern Millie, by all accounts.
14.05 Here's where England bowled to Finch the other night. You don't need me to tell you that they bowled too few yorkers and two many overpitched balls. Still, it was an incredible knock.
14.00 Aussies win the toss and bowl. Just one change to their team, Josh Hazlewood comes out and Nathan Coulter-Nile comes in. England are unchanged, that's a shame: I was hoping that Michael Carberry might get a chance.
13.50 Afternoon all, and welcome to our live blog of the second Twenty20. England lost the first one, thanks to an astonishing knock from Aaron Finch, so they’ll need to win here to share the two-match series. We'll bring you the toss and the teams in a jiffy.
