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Hobart: Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile captured four wickets for 30 to restrict England to 200 for nine in reply to Australia's 213 for four in Hobart on Wednesday.
Australia have beaten a Ravi Bopara-inspired England in the first of three KFC T20 International matches after some of the stars of the Big Bash League justified their national selection, and also laid early claims to be picked for T20Is in South Africa en route to the short format World Cup in Bangladesh.
After Australian openers Cameron White (75) and Aaron Finch (52) to help the home side to 4/213 from the allotted 20 overs at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, recent South Africa Test squad call-up Moises Henriques (2-35) belied the criticism he copped from Dean Jones last night to take two crucial wickets in England's innings of 9-200.
The match also gave Australian selectors an opportunity to blood debutants Chris Lynn, whose 33 off 19 was crucial at the end of the innings, and leg-spinner James Muirhead (1-34).
The 23-year-old leg-spinner has only played two first-class matches for Victoria and five BBL games for the Melbourne Stars, but looked dangerous at times.
Nathan Coulter-Nile was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with 4-30 as the England top-order's inability to build any partnerships of note kept genuine pressure off the home side.
Joe Root, who put down a catch in the Australian innings which gave White a valuable early life, made 30 while Alex Hales (22) and Jos Buttler (20) offered mild resistance.
But it was Bopara, the man who was dismissed in bizarre circumstances in the final Carlton Mid ODI, who looked a (slim) chance to lift England to un unlikely win in front of more than 10,939 fans.
He hit seven sixes in his 65 off 27 balls to give England some faint hopes in the backend of their 20 overs, but his power hitting wasn't enough to stave off a 10th international defeat to Australia on this tour.
White, who was dropped when he was on 12 by Root and then survived being caught off the bowling of his BBL team-mate Luke Wright in the 12th over when the full toss was adjudged a no ball for being above the waist, was probably the difference between the sides.
Wright responded well to that setback, which flustered England captain Broad, by capturing White's wicket two balls later when trapping him in front.
Finch's fifty was his third T20 International half century for Australia.
Looking to heap more misery on England tonight after the tourists' poor tour, Australia capitalised after Root's early – and crucial – drop and raced to 50 from 5.2 overs.
White and Finch, who belted four and three sixes respectively, took the home side to 100 off just 59 balls, with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs (0-53) and Jade Dernbach (1-50) copping plenty of stick.
Finch's departure with the score on 106 brought another Victorian to the crease, with Glenn Maxwell adding a quickfire 20 and providing an innings highlight by dispatching Briggs for a four and a six with consecutive reverse sweeps in the 14th over after White had departed in the previous over.
Maxwell didn't last much longer and became Bopara's first scalp when an errant reverse sweep found Tim Bresnan's safe hands - but his wicket brought Lynn in.
The Brisbane Heat star clubbed three sixes to drag Australia to 200, at which point skipper George Bailey went out for 14 in front of his home crowd.
A couple of late ramp-shots for four from Lynn and Dan Christian off Dernbach ensured England faced a massive challenge as they tried to notch a rare win.
Earlier, Australia have won the toss and opted to bat.
Teams:
Australia: Aaron Finch, Cameron White, Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey (captain), Chris Lynn, Daniel Christian, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, James Muirhead
England: Michael Lumb, Alex Hales, Luke Wright, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad (captain), Jade Dernbach, Danny Briggs
Brief scores
Australia 4 for 213 (White 75, Finch 52)
England 9 for 200 (Bopara 65*, Coulter-Nile 4-30)
Result Australia won by 13 runs
MOM Cameron White (Australia)
