England vs Australia first T20 scorecard, live stream, teams, updates, Travis Head, toss, video, highlights

Australia secured a 28-run victory in their first T20I against England in Southampton, behind a trademark blitz from opener Travis Head and another bowling masterclass from leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

The tourists were bowled out for 179 runs in 19.3 overs on Thursday morning AEST after failing to capitalise on a fast start from Head (59 from 23 balls) and opening partner Matt Short (41 from 26 balls), who combined for an opening partnership of 86 runs at the Rose Bowl.

Leg-spinners Adil Rashid (1-23) and Liam Livingstone (3-22) held up the run-flow in the middle overs, with some questionable shot selection helping England, before quick Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood finished off the tail superbly. After racing to 2-118 in ten overs, the wasteful Australians were down 8-61 after the drinks break.

MATCH CENTRE: England vs Australia T20I scorecard, stats

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England could only manage 151 runs from 19.2 overs after Zampa, who took 2-20 from four frugal overs, and the Australian sailors caused chaos in the chase.

Hazlewood and Abbott both took multiple wickets, while Australia are desperate for the fitness of Xavier Bartlett after the Queenslander left the field with a suspected side injury and did not complete his fourth over.

It was Australia's fourth consecutive T20 win after beating Scotland 3-0 in Edinburgh last week.

We were definitely on target for over 200 and we did our best to screw it up, laughed Australia captain Mitchell Marsh during the post-match presentation.

But it was really nice to start the series with a win.

England captain Phil Salt, leading his country for the first time in the absence of the injured Jos Buttler, opted to bowl first after winning the toss, which was postponed due to rain.

Short, who had replaced young Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the batting order, hit six consecutive sixes against Reece Topley in the second over, quickly hitting the left-handed bowler over square leg on both occasions.

After overturning an incorrect catch-behind decision in the fourth over, Head went all out when Sam Curran was brought on, scoring 30 runs in one over to equal the Australian record.

“I love getting out there and having a blast,” Head said during the post-match presentation.

I know that won't always be the case, but I'm in good shape at the moment and I want to keep it that way.

Most runs in one over by an Australian in men's T20Is

30 Ricky Ponting vs New Zealand, 2005 (626646)

30 Aaron Finch/Glenn Maxwell v PAK, 2014 (41466nb54)

30 Dan Christian vs. BAN, 2021 (666.66)

30 Mitchell Marsh v SCO, 2024 (664644)

30 Travis Head vs ENG, 2024 (446664)

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Head, later named player of the match, smashed his fifth T20I fifty in just 19 deliveries, but departed on the final delivery of the Powerplay, with a top-edged pull shot off Mahmood towards debutant Jordan Cox at deep square leg. The next over, leg-spinner Adil Rashid deceived rival captain Marsh through the air, bowling the West Australian for two.

England struggled back into control as Livingstone tore through Australia’s middle order after the drinks break, taking three wickets in quick succession. Short chose deep square leg before Marcus Stoinis and Tim David were trapped on the pads and swept recklessly in almost identical fashion, with England successfully adjudicating LBW calls on successive deliveries.

Curran returned to the attack in the 17th over, bowling wicketkeeper Josh Inglis for 37. Inglis was hit by a slower ball after missing an attempted reverse lap over third man.

Inglis' dismissal sparked a frantic collapse of 4-7 from ten deliveries, with Archer and Mahmood producing yorker after yorker at the death. Archer, who finished with 2-31, removed Sean Abbott and Bartlett in successive deliveries before Mahmood (2-21) bowled all-rounder Cameron Green for 13.

After tailender Josh Hazlewood survived two hat-tricks, Australia's chaotic innings ended with a quiet run-out in the final over.

Salt was lucky to survive the first ball of the run chase after chipping a regulation catch to Marsh on mid-off, but Bartlett had just overshot. The next over, fellow opener Will Jacks hit a short delivery from Hazlewood to deep fine leg, caught by Short for 6.

Bartlett threw a tricky return chance in the third over to give Cox an extra chance at 1, but the Englishman failed to capitalise on the reprieve, while David pulled off a superb catch over his shoulder a few minutes later.

England were suddenly in trouble at 4-52 in the eighth over when Salt and debutant Jacob Bethell fell victim to Abbott (3-28) and Zampa respectively. All-rounders Livingstone and Curran, however, counter-attacked after the drinks break and put together a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

A well-placed bumper from Abbott saw Curran run out in the 13th over. He was caught at short fine leg for 18, before Livingstone cut back to his stumps for 37, exposing England's long tail.

The result was finally settled when Zampa struck Jamie Overton, England's last recognised batsman, out for 15 minutes with a flat delivery that bounced off his pads and into the pins.

They played well, fair play, Salt said after the game.

We should have pursued it realistically, but we live to fight another day.

The second T20 between England and Australia kicks off at 3.30am AEST on Saturday morning in Cardiff's Sophia Gardens.