Acting Twenty20 captain Steve Smith cited the inability of Australia's middle-order batsmen to score boundaries immediately upon arriving at the crease as significant in England's ability to hang on for a five-run win in the team's one-off Twenty20 on Monday.
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England overcame a sedate powerplay, in which they made only 2-27, thanks to a third-wicket stand of 135 between captain Eoin Morgan (74 off 39 deliveries) and Moeen Ali (72 not out off 46). Both took advantage of the mostly short boundaries at Cardiff's Swalec Stadium to contribute 10 of England's 11 sixes for the innings.
Australia were well on the way to reaching the target of 183, thanks to a century partnership between Smith (90 off 53 deliveries) and Glenn Maxwell (44 off 32). After Maxwell fell in the 14th over Mitch Marsh took over the supporting role. Their victory hopes were dashed by their nervy end to the innings. They lost 5-24 between the 18th and 20th overs, including losing Smith, to finish 8-177.
The visitors managed only two boundaries in the last three overs: one to Marsh courtesy of an awful misfield from Ali, another to debutant Marcus Stoinis, who finished 10 not out from eight deliveries.
"I thought we timed our run pretty well," said Smith. "I thought both innings were actually quite similar; two early wickets from each of us and then a hundred-run partnership. They finished off just a little bit better than us with the bat. A couple of their guys came in and hit boundaries early on and I guess our blokes weren't able to do that at the end and I think that's what cost us.
"It would have been nice to have been 100 not out and win that game but it wasn't to be. I was disappointed when I got out. I was trying to get the side home and it didn't work out today."
Smith said Stoinis would learn from having been in the centre at the end, which included a bad mix-up that saw Matthew Wade run out to dent Australia's bid to score the 12 runs they needed in the final over.
"Anytime you're in those situations it's tough. It's his first game and he came in and needed over 10 an over," said Smith. "It was difficult circumstances ... I'm sure he was a little bit nervous walking out to bat as everyone is in the first game. I'm sure he'll be better for the run, that's for sure."
The player brought to England solely for this match, leg-spinner Cameron Boyce, was not called upon until the 14th over - and only bowled that over after he conceded 19 runs to Ali and Morgan. Acting captain Smith - Aaron Finch is still Australia's Twenty20 captain - maintained the Queenslander was still on track to go to next year's World Twenty20.
"When we went to Dubai [last October] ... probably similar conditions to what we're going to get in India for the World Cup, I thought he bowled really nicely there," he said of Boyce. "Today was quite a tough time to bowl, with two left-handers going. But he was over here for one game and I thought he deserved a crack, and tried to get a wicket. It was quite hard going for him and they got him away a bit, but he'll certainly learn from that and continue to get better."
