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Melbourne: Australia have made it a trifecta of series victories over England this summer, needing just two T20 internationals to win the series and doing so convincingly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – by eight wickets and with 31 balls to spare.
Set a lowly 131 to win, it took Cameron White all of 11 balls to ensure England were under absolutely no illusions that they were walking the green mile toward an 11th defeat at the hands of a merciless host.
By that point, White had already put five deliveries to the boundary, and the scoreline read a rather bizarre: White 24, Finch 0, Australia 0-24.
It was precisely the kind of furious start England would have been desperate to avoid, though captain Broad couldn't scout around his field for scapegoats, as the second, third and fifth balls of his opening over were crunched over wide mid off, cheekily guided past first slip, and sent away behind square for boundaries.
White didn't let up. The first ball from Jade Dernbach – who had copped such a hammering in Hobart – was promptly despatched through cover, the third pulled through midwicket for four more.
It took an inspired spell to all-too briefly resurrect the tourists. Tim Bresnan was the man. Replacing the errant Dernbach, the right-armer cajoled an otherwise flatlining pitch into life. It brought about the wicket of Finch (10) with the score at 48, as the Victorian failed to deal with one cutting in off the pitch and was duly adjudged adjacent to the pegs.
With Bresnan's first two overs costing just three runs, new man Glenn Maxwell (the third Victorian to the crease from as many batsmen in a memorable evening for the locals) duly succumbed to what was perhaps a misguided pressure to push the run rate, holing out for two to deep backward square leg from the darting off-spin of James Tredwell.
Australia captain George Bailey ended the run of Victorians and refused to let the innings stagnate for long, lofting Tredwell over long-on for the first six of the match from just the seventh ball he faced.
Shortly after Bailey's arrival at the crease, Broad returned to the attack. Whether it was with the belief that his very presence could con the opposing skipper into revisiting some of his Ashes shortfalls, or simply one last desperate roll of the dice, it very nearly worked.
Broad hurried one past him and followed it up with a snorter that was too quick for the batsman, who could only manage a top edge. But as has been the way this summer, luck was wearing green and gold, and the ball sailed above wicketkeeper Jos Buttler's head and down to the ropes for four.
Having survived Broad, normal service was quickly restored, to the tune of 18 (one six, three fours) from the very next Dernbach over.
The Bailey savagery brought up the hundred at the end of the 12th over, and three balls into the 13th, White brought up a second consecutive 50, this one from just 38 balls.
Bailey was moments behind him, raising his bat the following over as five fours and three sixes helped him reach the half-century mark in a lightning-fast 24 deliveries.
The win was achieved a short time later, with White (67 from 45) and Bailey (60 from 28) both unbeaten, and the only gripe the crowd of 64,385 could possibly have had was that favourite son Brad Hodge hadn't received an opportunity to show his wares with the bat.
Earlier, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood claimed a career-best four for 30 as England set Australia a target of 131.
England won the toss and batted but struggled on a slow-paced pitch, with wicketkeeper Jos Buttler topscoring with 22 off 27 balls in a total of 9 for 130.
Opener Michael Lumb was out for 18 in the fourth over, caught at mid-on, and Luke Wright fell for a duck in the following over after recalled veteran Brad Hodge took a great catch at cover.
Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc held a difficult chance at third man to remove Alex Hales for 16, as Hazlewood claimed his second victim.
England lost four wickets in four overs when the 39-year-old Hodge threw the stumps down from cover to beat the dive of Eoin Morgan (six).
Australia's fielding was at its athletic best when Glenn Maxwell at mid-wicket threw to the bowler's end to run out Joe Root for 18 at 63 for five.
Young leg-spinner James Muirhead enticed Ravi Bopara (six) to slog/sweep a catch to the leg-side boundary, and Nathan Coulter-Nile trapped Buttler leg before wicket 96 for seven.
Muirhead (1-17) and Starc (1-19), in his first international game for the summer, were economical.
Tailenders Tim Bresnan (18) and Stuart Broad (18 not out) added a valuable 34-run partnership for the eighth wicket to give England a competitive total.
Hazlewood bowled Bresnan and James Tredwell (0) with the last two deliveries of the innings.
Earlier, England have won the toss and opted to bat.
One change for England -- James Tredwell replaces Briggs.
George Bailey would have batted too and he confirms the return of Brad Hodge, Mitchell Starc is also back after suffered with injury.
Teams
Australia Aaron Finch, Cameron White, Brad Hodge, Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey (capt), Chris Lynn, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Muirhead.
England: Michael Lumb, Alex Hales, Luke Wright, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad (capt), Jade Dernbach, ames Tredwell.
Brief scores
England 9 for 130 (Buttler 22, Hazlewood 4-30)
Australia 2 for 131 (Bailey 60*, White 58*)
Result Australia won by eight wickets
MOM Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
