England outclassed Australia in a memorable eight-wicket victory to close in on a place in the Men’s T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Jos Buttler smashed a brutal 71 not out from just 32 balls as England raced to a target of 126 with 8.2 overs to spare.
Eoin Morgan’s side dominated from the outset, reducing Australia – unbeaten in their two previous games – to 21-4 in Dubai.
Chris Woakes removed David Warner and Glenn Maxwell and produced an outstanding one-handed catch to dismiss Steve Smith for one.
Lower-order hitting and captain Aaron Finch’s gritty 49-ball 44 took Australia before they were bowled out for 125 off the final ball. It was never likely to be enough.
Buttler launched five huge sixes as the chase turned into a procession, the England-supporting contingent in the crowd singing and dancing in their seats.
It was Australia’s heaviest T20 defeat in terms of balls remaining and maintained England’s perfect start to the tournament.
They have three emphatic wins from three games and sit top of Group One, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.
England play Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Monday before finishing the group with a match against South Africa at the same venue next Saturday. (BBC Sport)
