The Buttler did it: Jos seals series win

A clinical chase from Jos Buttler has led England to an emphatic six-wicket win and a T20I series victory over Australia in Southampton.

Australia needed to bounce back in the second T20 International to keep the three-match series alive, but their total of 7-157 was simply not enough in the face of Buttler’s career-best 77 not out from 54 deliveries, which saw England home with seven balls to spare.

With England requiring 18 runs from the final two overs, Aaron Finch threw the ball to Adam Zampa hoping his leg-spinner could produce the same sort of miracle fightback England managed in the series opener.

Moeen Ali quickly put paid to those hopes, striking a six followed by a four, before Buttler iced the victory with a massive straight maximum.

The tourists were gifted a wicket early in England’s chase when Jonny Bairstow’s bat struck leg stump in his follow through after being beaten attempting to pull Mitchell Starc – becoming the first England player out hit wicket in a T20I as he departed for nine in the third over.

Australia did not strike again until the 14th over as Buttler and Dawan Malan (42 off 32) put on 87 for the second wicket, before the latter miscued a slogsweep off Ashton Agar and picked out Marcus Stoinis at deep midwicket.

Agar’s second blow, removing the dangerous Tom Banton for two, briefly inflated Australian hopes, as did Zampa’s removal of England captain Morgan for seven, but Buttler’s highest T20I score sealed the series win.

While it was a late collapse that cost Australia in match one, the damage was done early in the second after Finch won the toss and elected to bat.

A scintillating start from England’s quicks produced immediate results; Jofra Archer had David Warner was caught behind for a duck from the third ball of the match, before Mark Wood ensured Alex Carey’s promotion to No.3 was short-lived, as he too was caught behind, for two.

Warner reviewed, believing the ball had only clipped his elbow, but ultra edge showed the ball had indeed flicked his glove.

Steve Smith made a promising start, hitting a four then a six, but an ill-judged attempt at a quick single proved his undoing as he took on the arm of Morgan.

The England captain only had one stump to aim at, but his athletic underarm throw found its target and left Smith short of his crease, forcing him to depart for a seven-ball 10.

It was left to Finch and Stoinis to do the rebuilding but after steadying proceedings and then looking to escalate in a 49-run stand, both fell in the space of seven deliveries to again halt Australia’s charge.

Finch chopped on Chris Jordan, out for a 33-ball 40, while Stoinis was deceived by the final ball of Adil Rashid’s spell, caught at slip for 35 from 26.

However, what had looked at risk of being a well below-par total at 5-89 with five overs remaining was given a late boost, thanks to Glenn Maxwell (25 from 18), Agar (23 off 20) and Pat Cummins (13no off 5).

Both teams had named XIs from the opening T20I, which saw England fight back to claim a two-run victory.

Shortly before the match started, the International Cricket Council announced England’s players had been fined 20 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20I on Friday.

Morgan pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction.

Australia XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson

England XI: Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Tom Banton, Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid

2020 Tour of England

Australia's T20 and ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. Reserves: Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood. Reserves: Joe Denly, Saqib Mahmood

First T20: England won by two runs

September 6:2nd T20, Southampton, 11.15pm AEST

September 8:3rd T20, Southampton, 3am AEST Sept 9

September 11:1st ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 13:2nd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 16:3rd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST