September 17, 2024

Green’s career-best with bat and ball seals Australia’s 3-0 sweep

Green’s career-best with bat and ball seals Australia’s 3-0 sweep

Australia 153 for 4 (Green 62*, Marsh 31, Currie 2-20) beat Scotland 149 for 9 (McMullen 56, Green 3-35, Hardie 2-18) by six wickets

An all-round display from Cameron Green, coupled with some excellent fielding, helped Australia complete a 3-0 sweep against Scotland at Edinburgh.

Green first registered his career-best figures to help restrict the hosts to 149 for 9 before anchoring the chase with his highest score as Australia overcame the challenge of losing their openers early and completed the chase with 23 balls to spare.

Brandon McMullen scored his third half-century in four matches against Australia, but once again, it wasn’t enough as he and opener George Munsey were the only batters to make significant contributions for Scotland.

Currie gets Australia’s openers again

Unlike in the first match of the series, where they blitzed 156 inside ten overs, Australia got off to a nervy start in their chase. McMullen took a blinder, diving low to his left at backward point, to dismiss Jake Fraser-McGurk off Brad Currie for the batter’s second duck of the series.

In his next over, Currie had Head hole out to long-on to account for both Australia openers in his first two overs for two matches in a row.

Green, Marsh bring the chase under control

But Mitchell Marsh, back at No. 3 after demoting himself down the order in the second game, and Cameron Green stitched a 61-run stand that put Australia in control.

Currie was given a third consecutive over in the powerplay as Scotland looked to make the most of the early movement on offer. But Marsh and Green took on the left-arm quick in the sixth over, with both batters hitting him for sixes between long-on and deep midwicket.

Marsh then pulled Chris Sole for a six before getting a boundary off Safyaan Sharif. When Mark Watt entered the attack, Green drove him down the ground for four before launching him for a six over long-on.

Jack Jarvis then got a breakthrough for Scotland when Marsh chopped on trying to pull a length ball that stuck in the pitch.

But Green and Tim David continued to attack, hitting a six in each of the next three overs, the best of which came off Watt’s bowling as Green reverse-swept him over backward point.

Green then drove Jarvis down the ground before getting to a 33-ball fifty with a single.

David, who hit two fours to end that Jarvis over, holed out off Sole’s slower short ball to deep-backward square leg, but by then Australia just needed 19 off 34 balls.

Green continued to take on Watt, hitting him for another six, before Aaron Hardie hit the winning runs with a square drive for his second boundary.

Munsey drives Scotland’s good start

An injury to Michael Jones brought Ollie Hairs back into the side, and he was the one who gave Scotland the early momentum after Australia chose to bowl. He hit Hardie over covers for four before pulling Sean Abbott for six. But Hardie then had him chopping on to give Australia their first breakthrough.

Munsey, who was struggling till then, ended the third over with a six whipped over midwicket with fast hands. Debutant Cooper Connolly was given the ball in the powerplay and was greeted by McMullen with a six over long-on. In the next over, McMullen hooked Stoinis for four.

Green was entrusted with the sixth over, and drew Munsey’s inside edge that went past the stumps for four. Munsey deposited the next ball over cow corner but Green then cramped him for room and had him steering a catch to backward point.

McMullen stands tall for Scotland

The scoring slowed down after the fielding restrictions were relaxed. Green then bowled Richie Berrington through the gate with one that jagged in from outside off. But McMullen continued his excellent form against Australia, hooking Green for a six. When Cross was bowled by Adam Zampa three overs later, McMullen responded by lofting the legspinner over long-on.

McMullen held steady even as Michael Leask holed out to a good diving catch by David at long-on off Abbott. He hit Connolly for a four to bring up his half-century off 32 balls.

But Head took a stunning catch at short fine leg to end McMullen’s innings. McMullen looked to scoop a short ball around off over his shoulder and it was timed well, but Head moved to his right and plucked it.

Scotland managed just 11 runs for the loss of three wickets in the remaining 20 deliveries, with Green dismissing Mark Watt in the final over to register his first three-wicket haul in all T20s.

Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo

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