Australia Take Just 58 Balls To Chase Scotland's 150+ Target In Record-Breaking SCO vs AUS 1st T20I Match

Australia swat away Scotland in the first match of their first ever T20I bilateral series as the Mitchell Marsh-led side chased Scotland's 150+ target in just 58 balls during a record-breaking match.

Australia demolished Scotland in their first-ever T20I bilateral series as they beat the Scottish side by seven wickets in a match that was marked by historic batting aggression on September 4 (Wednesday). Led by the destructive partnership of opener Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh, Australia took only 58 balls to chase the target of 157 runs, set by Scotland. In what was one of the quickest run-chases in the history of the T20 international cricket, Australia also recorded the highest powerplay score ever in the T20Is history.

Australia, after losing an early wicket of the young batting sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk, looked unaffected as Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh took the attack to the Scotland bowlers without taking a moment. Marsh got going right from the first ball that he faced as he scored a boundary. Head got going from the second over as he scored all the 13 runs from the over after hitting three boundaries.

Travis Head & Mitchell Marsh Register Highest-Ever T20I Powerplay Score

Things turned from seemingly bad to definitely worse when Head hit 20 runs off the third over as he bludgeoned two sixes and two boundaries. From then on, there was no stopping Head and Marsh as they got 19 runs from the fourth over and then Marsh hit three sixes and three fours in the fifth over getting 30 runs from a single over.

Head continued by launching more attack on the Scotland’s bowlers and scored 26 runs in the sixth and the final over of the powerplay, helping Australia register the world record for the highest ever powerplay score in T20Is. In doing so, Head also got to a 17-ball fifty.

Australia, now 113-1 in just six overs, lost Marsh on the very first ball of the seventh over but the damage had already been done as Australia chased the target in just 9.4 overs for the loss of just three wickets. Travis Head made an 80-run knock off just 25 balls a while Australia’s number four Josh Inglis scored an unbeaten 13-ball 27-run knock to do the finishing honours of the match.

Here's a video of Head & Marsh's record-breaking partnership during the SCO vs AUS match:

Earlier in the match, Scotland scored 154-9 in 20 overs in what looked like a respectable total for the hosts. After being put in to bat first by Australia, Scotland’s George Munsey and Matthew Cross helped the team to post 154-run total along with contributions from Richie Berrington and Brandon McMullen. Australia’s Sean Abbott shone with the ball as he bagged three wickets in his four-over spell.