1st T20 England v Australia: Finch blows away England with record ton

Record-breaking batsman Aaron Finch thinks a first win in any format in six months will give Australia a huge dose of much-needed confidence after the disappointment of the Ashes defeat.

The 26-year-old smashed 156 runs off 63 balls to help Australia beat England in a Twenty20 match at the Rose Bowl on Thursday, bettering the previous international record of 123 scored by New Zealander Brendon McCullum.

Australia's tally of 248 for six was the second highest score in an international T20 after Sri Lanka's 260 against Kenya in 2007, and set up their first victory since they beat West Indies in a one dayer in early February.

"It was just one of those days when everything hit the middle of the bat and things went my way," Finch told a news conference in Southampton.

"It was a beautiful wicket. The outfield was lightning and all you had to do was hit the gap early and you got maximum value.

"It was a beautiful place to bat, I think the bowlers won't be too happy about it though."

In 70 minutes of batting fireworks, Finch hit 11 fours and a T20 record 14 sixes, one off the bowling of Stuart Broad bringing up his first international century from 47 balls.

The opener said he was unaware he had a chance to better South African Richard Levi's 45-ball record for the fastest T20 century.

"I think you saw, I started blocking the hell out of it around 100," he laughed. "I did get a little bit nervous but I had no idea what the record was."

Finch hoped his blistering innings would help him stake a "pretty good" claim to stay in the side for the second T20 against England in Durham and the one-day series to follow.

Although Australia's winless streak in test cricket is now guaranteed to extend to 11 months, Finch thought breaking the drought in all forms of the game augured well for the limited overs series against England.

"It's huge boost, there's a lot of new players in so there's a lot of fresh guys ready to go," he said.

"So I think there hasn't been a lot of baggage carried over from the Ashes ... I think everyone's really confident going into the series."

The match was also notable for being the international debut of leg spinner Fawad Ahmed, a former refugee from Pakistan who benefited from a change in the law to get his Australian citizenship in July.

"There's a huge excitement around the group about Fawad playing," Finch said of his Victoria state team mate, who failed to take a wicket and cost 43 runs in tricky conditions at the Rose Bowl.

"He bowled the house down in domestic cricket last year and I think given the conditions, he adapted really well.

"It's never easy when batsmen are trying to attack you so much but he's got a wise head on his shoulders and I thought he did really well today."

Joe Root hit a defiant unbeaten 90 off 49 balls with 13 fours and a six to reach 209-6 but the day belonged to Aaron Finch who smashed a record-breaking 156 to power Australia to a 39-run victory in the first T20 international at Rose Bowl on Thursday.

Chasing a target of 249, England never really got going losing wickets at regular intervals before Root, Bopara (45) and Buttler (27) provided some late resistance.

Australia's Aaron Finch set a new world record for the highest individual Twenty20 international score as he made a stunning 156 against England at Southampton on Thursday.

Finch surpassed the previous record of 123 set by New Zealand's Brendon McCullum against Bangladesh at Pallekele in September last year.

Remarkably, Finch got off the mark, reached his 50, hundred and 150, with sixes.

Finch was also on course to break the record for the fastest T20 international century before eventually reaching his hundred from 47 balls, two outside the mark set by South African Richard Levi.

The 26-year-old Victorian faced just 63 balls, including 11 fours and 14 sixes - 128 of his runs coming in boundaries - in an innings that ended when he was bowled by Jade Dernbach.

His 14 sixes were also a world record for the most in any T20 international individual innings.

Finch's century was only the 10th in all T20 internationals, the first by an Australian and the first by any batsman in England.

ENGLAND INNINGS

Buttler is bowled by Faulkner to end a 66-run stand for the sixth wicket. Eng 203-6.

Jos Buttler b Faulkner 27 (17b 1x4 2x6)

Root smashes three consecutive boundaries of Johnson beginning with a six. Eng 175-5 in 17 overs.

Bopara goes after hammering a six and boundary off Watson. Eng 137-5.

Ravi Bopara c Warner b Watson 45 (29b 4x4 1x6)

Root reaches his half century by slamming Faulkner to the midwicket fence. Eng 135-4 in 13 overs.

Bopara smashes a boundary off Faulkner. Eng 98-4 in 10 overs.

Root gets a couple of boundaries off Ahmed. Eng 88-4 in 9 overs.

Root thumps consecutive boundaries off Watson. Eng 75-4 in 8 overs.

Root cracks a couple of boundaries off Hazlewood as England reach 54-4 at the end of the Powerplay overs.

Maxwell takes a brilliant head high catch at cover to dismiss Morgan. Eng 42-4.

Eoin Morgan c Maxwell b Johnson 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Wright is caught behind as England lose three wickets in four balls. Eng 37-3.

Luke Wright c Wade b Hazlewood 4 (2b 1x4 0x6)

Wade takes a good running catch to dismiss Hales off Hazlewood. Eng 33-2.

Alex Hales c Wade b Hazlewood 8 (9b 1x4 0x6)

Johnson gets his revenge trapping Lumb plumb. Eng 33-1.

Michael Lumb lbw b Johnson 22 (11b 3x4 1x6)

Lumb hits the first six of the England innings off Hazlewood. Eng 26-0 in 2 overs.

England are off to a flying start with Lumb cracking three boundaries off Johnson in the first over.Eng 17-0 in 1 over.

AUSTRALIA INNINGS

A record breaking century by Aaron Finch (156) lifted Australia to 248-6 in the first Twenty20 international against England on Thursday.

Finch blasted the highest individual score in a T20 international which contained a record number of 14 sixes in addition to 11 fours and came off just 63 balls.

He raced to his century off just 47 balls during his blistering knock.

Watson chipped in with 37 off 16 balls hitting four boundaries and two sixes during a 101-run stand for the third wicket before both were bowled by Dernbach in the 18th over.

Dernbach finished with three for 34.

None of the bowlers were spared during Finch's terrific onslaught with Root going for 27 in his one over while Broad took one wicket for 51.

Dernbach gets his third wicket bowling Maxwell. Aus 242-6.

Glenn Maxwell b Dernbach 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Wade hammers consecutive boundaries off Finn, including a six. Aus 242-5 in 19 overs.

Bailey is trapped leg before by Finn as Australia slump to 228-5.

George Bailey lbw b Finn 1 (2b 0x4 0x6)

Double strike by Dernbach who bowls Watson. Aus 227-4.

Shane Watson b Dernbach 37 (16b 4x4 2x6)

Finch's epoch-making innings comes to an end as he is bowled by Dernbach. Aus 22-3.

Aaron Finch b Dernbach 156 (63b 11x4 14x6)

Briggs goes for 23 as Finch clubs three sixes and a boundary. Aus 222-2 in 17 overs.

Finch bludgeons consecutive sixes of Wright while Watson also gets into the act smashing a straight six. Aus 180-2 in 15 overs.

Finch completes a remarkable century off 47 balls by top edging Broad over the keeper's head for an extraordinary six.

It contained nine boundaries and seven sixes.

Watson gets his first boundary cracking Dernbach through extra cover followed by another down the ground. Aus 141-2 in 12 overs.

Lumb takes a good catch to dismiss Marsh. Aus 125-2.

Shaun Marsh c Lumb b Briggs 28 (21b 2x4 1x6)

Root's first overs costs 27 runs as Finch smashes three sixes and two boundaries. Aus 122-1 in 10 overs.

Finch clobbers three consecutive sixes off Root, bringing up the 100 of the Australia innings.

Finch gets another boundary via a misfield after smashing Briggs down the ground. Aus 95-1 in 9 overs.

Finch smashes Bopara down the ground to reach his second T20 international half century off just 26 deliveries and following up with a boundary as Bopara goes for 15 in his first over. Aus 86-1 in 8 overs.

Marsh cuts the first delivery from Bopara for a boundary past point.

Marsh sweeps Briggs over long on for a six. Aus 71-1 in 7 overs.

Briggs comes into the attack and Finch slams his second delivery through the covers.

Finch seems to be unstoppable smashing Dernbach over extra for a stunning six. Aus 59-1 in 6 overs.

Finch smacks Finn for a six over midwicket to keep up the tempo. Aus 49-1 in 5 overs.

Shaun Marsh joins in the act smashing Broad past point for a boundary. Aus 39-1 in 4 overs.

Finn takes a hammering from Finch who hits three boundaries in the third over. Aus 29-1.

Finch is on fire cracking consecutive boundaries off Finn flicking to long leg and clubbing the next one over mid-on.

Finch edges Broad past the vacant slip for a boundary.

Broad draws first blood having Warner caught behind. Aus 11-1.

David Warner c Buttler b Broad 1 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Aaron Finch hits the first six of the match over square leg off Finn. Aus 10-0 in 1 over.

Finn opens the attacks as Warner takes strike.

Stuart Broad won the toss after Australia's  George Bailey called it wrong but have opted to bowl first in the first Twenty20 match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Thursday.

Pakistan-born spinner Fawad Ahmed is going to make his debut for Australia.

PLAYING XI

England: Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Luke Wright, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, Fawad Ahmed

PREVIEW

Any event in the aftermath of an Ashes series has got its work cut out to capture the imagination but a short, sharp Twenty20 series has got a chance, with the World T20 next March adding much-needed relevance.

Australia will also be extremely keen to take something home and recent history suggests they are a good bet to do so, with the last three Ashes winners struggling in the limited-overs matches that followed.

But Australia may have to wait until the ODI series to find much-craved success because England's T20 squad is largely fresh and eager to impress selectors ahead of a global tournament.

There are potential places in the ODI team at stake too, with England likely to continue rotation of the players involved in more than one format until preparation for the 2015 ODI World Cup begins in a year's time.

Australia also need to reverse a poor recent record in bilateral T20 series. Since June 2010, they have only won five of 19 matches.

That they managed to defy that form with a run to the semi-final of the World T20 in Sri Lanka was down to a remarkable tournament from Shane Watson and a good showing from the now-retired Mike Hussey.

George Bailey returns to lead the side along with a host of one-day specialists including Mitchell Johnson, the mere mention of whom draws guffaws from England supporters, but his good showing in the Champions Trophy suggests he could earn their respect.

England also change captains with Stuart Broad taking the reins. He has a squad full of players in form having recently played in the Friends Life t20 and closing rounds of the Yorkshire Bank 40.

Michael Carberry heads that list after over 500 runs in the Flt20 and is in line for a first international appearance since his solitary Test in Chittagong three years ago.

Ravi Bopara has also found his touch and will use the limited-overs internationals to stake a claim for a place on the Ashes tour as a potential No. 6.

It's a big few weeks for Jos Buttler with the jury very much out on how effective his swashbuckling batting actually is.

He will be mostly judged on his performances in the ODIs where there is more doubt on his ability to bat for a long period, but he will like to get in credit during this series.

His recent showings in T20s for England - two good knocks in New Zealand and good contributions in India before Christmas - plus Matt Prior's loss of form also give him some leeway.

Mitchell Starc endured a difficult Ashes series, coming in-and-out of the side and struggling for rhythm.

One-day cricket appears to be his strength and his best statistics both internationally and domestically are found in Twenty20. He was superb at the World T20 in Sri Lanka, third-highest of the wicket-takers with 10 dismissals.

England's T20 squad is largely at full-strength with a host of options in the batting order.
Michael Carberry has been called up following a super domestic season and should play one of the two matches in this series. Joe Root gives England another spin option alongside James Tredwell, with the choice of fast bowlers looking between Jade Dernbach and Boyd Rankin.

Australia have an inflated 18-man squad for this series, which will be trimmed to 15 for the ODI series.

Adam Voges had a limited Flt20 for Middlesex with the bat but was their most economical bowler and, unless Fawad Ahmed is given a debut, Voges will be relied upon for some slow bowling with Glenn Maxwell also an option.

There's a choice between Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh for the No. 3 slot with Finch having the better record from his handful of internationals.

TEAMS:

England: Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Luke Wright, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler (wk), Stuart Broad (capt), Steven Finn, James Tredwell, Jade Dernbach

Australia: David Warner, Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, George Bailey (capt), Adam Voges, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay.

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