| First Twenty20 international, Perth |
| England 208-6 (20 overs): Hales 84, Buttler 68, Ellis 3-20 |
| Australia 200-9 (20 overs): Warner 73, M Marsh 36, Wood 3-34 |
| England won by eight runs |
| Scorecard |
Alex Hales whacked 84 off 51 balls as he spearheaded England’s eight-run victory over Australia in the first T20 international.
Hales put on 132 in just 11.2 overs with skipper Jos Buttler (68) as the pair provided the bulk of the runs in England’s 208-6, with Nathan Ellis (3-20) the standout bowler for the hosts.
David Warner clubbed 73 off 44 balls – with support from Mitchell Marsh (36) and Marcus Stoinis (35) – to keep Australia in the contest.
But when Warner was the sixth man out to Mark Wood (3-34) with three overs left, it put too much pressure on Australia’s lower order in Perth and England closed out the game.
Australia needed 16 off the final over but Sam Curran had Matthew Wade (21) caught at mid-wicket and then bowled Ellis for a…
