Australia Defeated by 156 for 3 (Head 80). Scotland 154 9 (Abbott 3-39) for seven wickets

The home side came out of the blocks with good intent, led by George Muncy, and kept promising despite shipping wickets in an attempt to keep the early run rate high. However, Australia’s pace changes proved effective with two wickets from Adam Zampa as well as a slightly two-paced surface, losing 6 wickets for 44 runs at 101 for 3 in the 12th over.

Head Attack (And Some Marsh)

Given how much he’s been talked about this year, it was easy to forget that Fraser-McGurk was making his T20I debut. But he couldn’t leave a mark on his first innings as he faced a somewhat unexpected look at Brendan McMullen’s medium pace with the new ball. To pull his third ball, he missteps to mid-wicket where Charlie Castle takes a brilliant catch.

But any thought of a flurry for the Aussies disappeared at the boundary pitcher. Head, who was man of the tournament at the MLC in July, hit three fours in the first over off Brad Wheel and McMillan’s second over did not help as he cost 20. But real disaster was saved for Jack Jarvis in the fifth over. As Marsh scored 30 runs with three sixes. Scotland’s bowlers had no answer as several balls entered the trees.

On the first ball of the sixth over, Head scored a 17-ball fifty to equal Marcus Stoins’ record for the fastest 14-ball T20I for Australia with either a four or a six.

Muncie’s power play promise

Scotland opener George Muncy had an early tease of a boundary as he made repeated whip pulses down the leg side to ensure Australia were under some pressure with the ball in the powerplay as McMullen He also played his role.

In the fifth over, Muncy dispatched consecutive deliveries from Riley Meredith, playing his first T20I since 2021, to make it 18 with a six and another boundary. Muncy reached Scotland’s fifty in the next over, but then fell to an excellent catch from Josh Ingles who dived to his left to collect a thick outside edge.

The blur of Scotland

Scotland’s progress was further damaged when McMullen was moved to deep cover shortly after fielding restrictions ended. Captain Richie Barrington looked set to settle but his dismissal against Zampa caught at long off proved to be a turning point in the innings. From there Scotland struggled to regain any momentum. Consecutive overs by Stoins and Cameron Green went for just four as the two all-rounders’ combined four overs were worth just 22 runs.

Meredith, Xavier Bartlett and Shaun Abbott finished the innings strongly, in reply to which Jack Jarvis and Mark Watt hit just one beautiful six.

Watt’s long ball

While most of the focus in the chase was on Head, Marsh helped himself to a left-arm spinner’s first-ball fall to Watt before making 39 off 11 balls when he was out of the fielding restrictions when perhaps They could have used earlier.