The National Times - Spinners strike as England fight back to hold Australia to 179 in 1st T20

At 118-2 in the 11th over, Australia were threatening a score in excess of 200 in the first of a three-match series, with opener Travis Head scoring a blistering 59.

But England pulled things back thanks to Livingstone's 3-22 and leg-spinner Rashid's typically economical 1-23 in his four overs.

England quicks Saqib Mahmood (2-21) and Jofra Archer (2-31) then produced some excellent yorker bowling late on to further restrict the tourists.

Australia made a rapid start after being sent into bat by stand-in England captain Phil Salt, deputising for the injured Jos Buttler.

Head took advantage of wayward bowling during an innings that featured 30 runs off one Sam Curran over which read 4,4,6,6,6,4.

But going for another big hit, the left-handed opener holed out off Saqib Mahmood to deep square leg, where debutant Jordan Cox held a safe catch, to end a 23-ball innings that featured six fours and four sixes.

Four balls later Australia's 86-1 became 89-2 when captain Mitchell Marsh was clean bowled by Rashid, the world's number one-ranked T20 bowler, as he heaved across the line.

They were soon 118-3 when Matthew Short (41) was well caught low down in the deep by a diving Curran when he miscued a slog-sweep off Livingstone.

And Livingstone then took two wickets in two balls, both lbw on review, when he dismissed Marcus Stoinis (10) after the Australian missed a reverse sweep before Tim David fell for a duck, after failing to connect with a conventional sweep.

All of a sudden, Australia were 132-5 in the 13th over, with Cameron Green surviving the hat-trick delivery.

Wickets continued to tumble, with Archer taking two in two balls too as he clean bowled both Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett to leave Australia 172-8 at the end of the 18th over.

And that became 172-9 off the very next delivery when Mahmood yorked Green.

A.Little--TNT