England settled for a 2-0 series win over Australia in a warmup series for the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup after the third match was washed out on Friday following several delays for rain.
England tallied 112 for two in 12 overs after being sent in to bat in the rain-interrupted innings. Australia was 30 for three in reply when time ran out and the match was declared a no-result.
Skipper Jos Buttler top-scored for England with an unbeaten 65 off 41 deliveries and shared partnerships of 56 for the second wicket with Dawid Malan (23) and 49 for the unbroken third wicket with Ben Stokes, who finished 17 not out.
Australia’s target was revised up to 130 in 12 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method and the chase started badly for the host when England pacer Chris Woakes dismissed skipper Aaron Finch and No. 3 Mitchell Marsh for ducks on the first two balls of the innings.
Woakes also removed Glenn Maxwell (8) in the third over and returned figures of three for four from two overs. Rain stopped play again after 3.5 overs and time ran out to resume the match.
Steve Smith finished unbeaten on seven and Marcus Stoinis was not out on eight after hitting the last ball of the game for a six.
England won each of the first two games by eight runs and heads into the T20 World Cup with increased confidence after beating the defending T20 world champion.
Australia and England will play unofficial warmup games in Brisbane next week before the Super 12 phase of the T20 World Cup begins on October 22. Australia opens the Super 12 phase in a rematch of the 2021 final against New Zealand. England’s opening game is against Afghanistan.
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