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Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell flexed their muscles as England defied a surprise five-wicket haul from part-timer Matthew Short to set up a T20 series decider against Australia on Sunday.
In the 194th set, England slipped to 79 for three when Phil Salt fell into an apparent trap set by substitute teammate Travis Head, hole-hitting Short, but a boundary-laden stand of 90 in 47 balls between Livingstone and Bethell broke the back of the chase.
Bethell’s dismissal for 44 from 24 balls with the finish line in sight unsettled England, but Livingstone took them to the brink of victory with a superb 87 from 47 deliveries, including five sixes and six fours.
He was out with the scores tied and Brydon Carse thoughtlessly hit the next ball into the air to give Short, who had previously taken only two international wickets, his first professional five-for.
However, Adil Rashid headed the back point for the single England needed for a three-wicket win with six balls to spare in Cardiff, levelling the three-match series at 1-1 heading into Old Trafford this weekend.
Livingstone, in his 50th T20, had earlier taken two for 16 from three overs while Carse, just a fortnight after returning to cricket following a three-month ban for breaching betting rules, also impressed with a couple of wickets as he replaced Jofra Archer, topping 90mph.
Head, who led the tourists in the absence of the ailing Mitch Marsh, was again electric at the top of the order with 31 from 14 balls while Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 50 – his first international fifty – was followed by Australia plundering 60 from the last five overs to finish on 193 for six.
Short again sparked Australia’s early charge, hitting Reece Topley off the field in a first over yielding 15 before Head took centre stage after being bowled at zero with a streaky top edge.
Topley and Saqib Mahmood paid for over-pitching as Head hit them both to the short, straight boundary and he toyed with the pitch as Australia raced to 51 without loss in four overs before Carse made an instant impact.
In his first England outing for nine months, Carse’s 91mph delivery was launched chest-high towards Rashid, who, alongside the fast bowler, put on the brakes after Sam Curran was bludgeoned for three consecutive fours by Fraser-McGurk in the final over of the Powerplay.
Short had slowed to a near standstill before being castled for 28 off 24 deliveries by Rashid, but Fraser-McGurk drove the Yorkshireman for six before a remarkable carve over deep point, through the hands of a leaping Jacob Bethell en route to a fifty in 29 balls.
Trying to up the ante for Livingstone, Fraser-McGurk instead offered a catch to Jamie Overton at long-on while Marcus Stoinis perished in similar fashion in the Cumbrian’s final over.
The fact that Rashid conceded 15 runs in his final over may explain why Livingstone did not complete his allotment, but England continued to chip away as Carse caught the end of Tim David’s bat down to Salt, while Curran’s delivery did for Josh Inglis, who pitched tamely into the deep to depart for 42.
Overton took advantage of a running opportunity to give Cameron Green a reprieve, who made an unbroken 36 in 17 deliveries with Aaron Hardie. Hardie, in particular, was equal to Curran’s variations in a final over costing 20.
Salt was initially alert at the start of the reply but, on a five, he hit three successive leg-side sixes off Hardie before Sean Abbott silenced the crowd with two wickets in three balls.
Will Jacks undercooked a pull on 12 before Abbott’s shooter pierced Jordan Cox’s defences, with Livingstone beaten by a beauty first and then surviving a review for lbw in a hectic over.
Undeterred, Livingstone cleared deep mid-wicket to Stoinis and then got revenge on Abbott with three fours in an over as England closed to within two of Australia’s powerplay score, helped by a couple of escapes on the rope from Fraser-McGurk.
Head’s gamble to introduce Short’s part-time off-spin paid off, with Salt’s eyes lighting up only for the opener to miscue straight in the air to fall for 39 off 23 balls.
After needing 104 runs off the last 10 overs, Livingstone put the hammer down, picking up Green for six before dropping Stoinis twice into the crowd for a fifty in 27 balls. Bethell sprung into action with a swing off slow left-hander Cooper Connolly before bowling Australia’s top spinner Adam Zampa.
Bethell, in only his second T20, used his feet brilliantly to disrupt Zampa’s pace and took him for four-six-four-four but with 25 needed off the last four overs, the 20-year-old missed a reverse sweep against Short.
Short then trapped Curran in the same over and while Livingstone hit a six and then a four off the spinner to level the scores, he and Carse both bungled their copybook before Rashid brought England home.
