An entirely abysmal tour for England ended in characteristic defeat in Sydney on Sunday, as Australia clinched a comfortable 84-run victory – and resounding three-nil series win – in the third and final Twenty20 International.
Whitewashed across five Tests and the subject of a four-nil thrashing during the ODIs, the tainted tourists were equally outgunned through the shortest format of the international game.
The hosts’ choice to bat first brought an impressive final total of 195 for six, built on the back of captain George Bailey’s unbeaten 49 from a mere 20 deliveries, which included all of 26 runs struck off seamer Jade Dernbach’s final over.
The visitors had started well, with skipper Stuart Broad and debutant Chris Jordan combining well with the new ball. Fellow right-armers Dernbach, Tim Bresnan and Ben Stokes – and spinner Joe Root – could not follow suit.
Broad was the pick of the bowlers, completing fine figures of three for 30 in four overs. His haul, however, was not nearly enough to prevent England’s 12th loss in 13 international appearances in Australia.
The visiting batsmen were weak in reply, with the talented Eoin Morgan’s 31 as good as it got in a very insufficient 111 all out in just 17.2 overs. Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and spinners Glenn Maxwell and James Muirhead snared a brace each.
Not one of openers Luke Wright and Alex Hales, all-rounder Stokes, wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler or the promising Ravi Bopara were able to graduate to double figures. Wright and company’s slew of much-vaunted experience in the Big Bash League recently was, indeed, laid to waste.
Bailey, appropriately, was named Player of the Series – thanks to 123 runs in three innings at a quickfire strike-rate of 198.38. Australia will soon commence a three-Test series in South Africa, while England will begin preparations for a brief limited-overs series in the West Indies, where Broad or Morgan are expected to captain the team in the absence of the rested Alastair Cook.
