Australia continued their dominant form in international cricket, securing a 28-run victory in the first T20I against England at Southampton. However, the triumph was marred by concern over a potential side injury to emerging fast bowler Xavier Bartlett, raising further questions about Australia’s depleted pace attack during their UK tour.
The 25-year-old Bartlett, who has been touted as one of Australia’s rising stars, left the field during his fourth over while clutching his side. The Queenslander did not return for the rest of the match, leaving a major concern for the Australian camp. A team spokesperson confirmed that Bartlett had sustained a side injury, with further assessment to take place in the coming days. His injury comes at a time when Australia is already struggling with a lack of fast-bowling options due to injuries.
A Setback Amid a Bowling Crisis
Bartlett is the third Australian fast bowler to suffer an injury during the tour. Just last week, Nathan Ellis had to return home with a hamstring injury, and Riley Meredith is also heading back to Australia after failing to recover from side soreness that he experienced in the series against Scotland. With these absences, Australia’s pace stocks are already stretched thin, putting added pressure on the remaining bowlers for the rest of the series.
In response to this fast-bowling crisis, Ben Dwarshuis has been called up as a reserve, should Australia need an extra pace option for the remaining two matches of the series. The Australian side will now face the difficult task of managing their limited resources while trying to secure a series win against their Ashes rivals.
Head and Short Set the Stage
Despite the blow of Bartlett’s injury, Australia’s top order shone, especially in the Powerplay, as Travis Head and Matt Short delivered a blistering start to the innings. Australia asked to bat first, posted 180 runs on the board, with Head smashing 59 from just 23 balls and Short contributing a valuable 41 off 26.
The partnership of Head and Short proved crucial, with the duo scoring a combined 86 runs in the first six overs. Short, who replaced Jake Fraser-McGurk after the latter missed the Scotland series due to the birth of his first child, quickly found his rhythm, taking 15 runs off the second over bowled by Reece Topley. Head, on the other hand, was in imperious form, turning The Rose Bowl into his playground with his boundary-hitting ability.
In one of the standout moments of the match, Head went after England’s Sam Curran in the fifth over, hammering 30 runs off just six deliveries. The over included two fours, followed by three consecutive sixes and another boundary, displaying Head’s destructive capability on the international stage.
However, after the Powerplay fireworks, England’s spinners and fast bowlers pulled things back. Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood used their pace to restrict Australia in the middle overs, and Liam Livingstone’s impressive figures of 3-22 helped put the brakes on Australia’s charge.
Australia’s Bowling Unit Holds Strong
Despite being pegged back in the middle overs, Australia’s bowlers ensured that England never got close to chasing down the target. After Bartlett’s injury, the onus fell on Australia’s remaining bowlers, and they responded well.
Liam Livingstone did threaten briefly for England with a quick-fire 37, but Australia’s reintroduced paceman Josh Hazlewood ended any hopes of an England comeback. Hazlewood, returning after a minor calf strain, removed Livingstone with a brilliant delivery that knocked over his stumps, ending England’s chase.
Adam Zampa also had a crucial role to play, continuing his excellent form with figures of 2-20, while Sean Abbott delivered a match-winning performance, picking up three wickets to stifle the hosts’ batting effort.
Though Bartlett’s absence was felt, Australia’s depth in the bowling department shone through. Hazlewood’s experience, coupled with Zampa and Abbott’s consistency, proved too much for England’s batters to handle.
Read in the next article about Essex Slam ECB for “Stupid” Decision.