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Cool-headed Marsh makes his case for finisher role

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh was recalled for the third T20 and showed he has the skills to close out games for Australia with a career-best unbeaten knock in Southampton

Mitch Marsh has put his hand up to be Australia's T20 finisher after he steered his side out of trouble and on to victory in the tense five-wicket win against England on Wednesday morning (AEST).

Chasing 146 to avoid a clean sweep, Australia were in cruise control before England's ace spinner Adil Rashid captured three wickets in 11 balls to have the tourists reeling at 5-100 with seven overs remaining.

But Marsh – playing in his first match for six months – held his nerve to see off Rashid and then take down England's pace attack to finish unbeaten on a career-best 39 and hit the winning run with three balls to spare.

That type of innings was missing in Australia's disappointing loss in the opening match having been in command of the game only to let it slip with a late-innings collapse.

The calls for a specialist finisher in the shortest format were made and they could be answered by Marsh, who says he loves batting when the pressure is on and the game on the line.

"I've played in this role for most of my career even though for the Scorchers I bat a bit higher up the order and have a bit more time to get in," Marsh said after the match.

"I loved tonight, loved finishing off the game for the boys and contributing to a great win.”

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Marsh’s 39no is Australia’s highest score by a batter from 6-11 in a T20 match since the last T20 World Cup in India more than four years ago.

"It's a hard spot to bat, finishing the game you find yourself in different situations," he continued.

"I was thinking about it tonight, just loving the experience of that again, getting out there and having that feeling of being under pressure.

"That's why we play, that's why we play hard. Just rapt to be able to contribute after a long layoff to a great win."

Marsh's innings was not with good fortune.

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From the third ball he faced, he was put down by Dawid Malan at first slip from the bowling of part-time leggie Joe Denly before Rashid found his outside edge four balls later, but Malan again could not hold on.

Fortunately for Marsh that was Rashid's final over and against the pace, the right-hander was more settled and more productive.

Marsh muscled express paceman Mark Wood over cow corner for six then sent a half-volley racing to the point boundary to bring the runs required below balls remaining with four overs left.

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From there he calmly rotated the strike as he and Ashton Agar (16 not out) iced the match.

The 28-year-old says starting against spin is an area of his game he is always working on.

"I feel like my game is improving, my first couple of balls tonight I was just a bit nervous and without playing a game for six months I was a bit jittery," he said.

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"But I got through it, had a bit of luck, but I feel like my game is really improving against spin.

"But Adil is a class bowler and you've got to make sure you're up for the challenge when you play against him."

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

Second T20: England won by six wickets with seven balls to spare

Third T20: Australia won by five wickets with three balls to spare

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

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

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