Cricket: England win with last ball against Australia in T20 thriller
It was a sensational debut for Chris Woakes as he steered England to a one wicket victory in the last ball of the T20 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. The win set a new World record as the England team won their eighth successive victory in Twenty20 cricket.
Woakes', who made a 15 ball 19, lost Graeme Swann at the other end at the beginning of the final over, with four runs still needed. But the Warwickshire all-rounder kept his cool and leveled the scores against the brilliant Watson, with a shaky Ajmal Shahzad at the other end. He then struck the final ball over mid-wicket for a single, winning England their eighth successive T20 cricket match.
However, though Woakes will steal the headlines, it was Collingwood's probable test replacement, Eoin Morgan, who was the architect of the victory with the top score of 43 from 33 balls with five fours and a six.
England started on the aggressive, despite chasing an achievable total of 158, with Ian Bell, dropped on the very first ball at square-leg by Steve O'Keefe, striking Tait for three boundaries in as many deliveries in the same over. However, Bell's opening partner Steve Davies fell in the very next over, when his cover-drove went to short for a simple catch.
Bell was again dropped in the third over at backward point thought it would have been a sensational catch had David Warner held onto it after landing. Bell then upper-cut Tait for six in the same over before falling to Mitchell Johnson at 27.
Kevin Pietersen was the next to fall having made 25 from just 11 balls before Paul Collingwood slowed the game down, ticking for singles making 16 off 20 before falling out while reverse-sweeping. With Eoin Morgan at the other end, Luke Wright was given lbw to Tait. However, Morgan's innings made for a tense finale with Woakes seeing England through.
In retrospect, Australia should have done better considering they had six wickets in hand while finishing at 157, having made 76 in 8 overs.
Shane Watson, who finished with bowling figures of 4-15, broke his bat in course of his ballistic 31-ball 59, which was a part of the 83-run association with Warner, before finally being dismissed by Michael Yardy. The England bowlers fought back well with Graeme Swann giving away just 14 in three overs, despite his opening over going for three sixes.
The next T20 tie between the two will be played at Melbourne on January 14.
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