Stuart Broad admitted England were beaten by a “very special” innings after Aaron Finch’s world-record 156 secured the first NatWest Twenty20 international for Australia.
On a night when run-scoring records tumbled, Finch (above) smacked 14 sixes in his 63-ball innings. The 26-year-old’s heavy hitting helped Australia to 248 for six, the second-highest international Twenty20 score.
England responded with their own second-best Twenty20 score, 209 for six, but even Joe Root’s unbeaten 90 failed to give them any real hope as they fell 39 runs short.
“It was special striking from Finch, to hit 14 sixes in an innings,” Broad said. “We [threw] everything at him but he just played everything fantastically well. In Twenty20 cricket that can happen. He made it his day in quite spectacular fashion.
“Sometimes you just have to say that was a very special innings.”
Root had to undergo treatment for a cut in his mouth after he was left bloodied by an awkward Josh Hazlewood delivery early in his innings. “It makes his knock even better,” Broad added. “He’s got over an inch laceration inside his mouth which is quite nasty.
“He was spitting out a lot of blood. It’s not the first blow he’s had to his face, I’m sure he’ll get over it.”
The teams travel to Durham for tomorrow’s second match before next week’s five-game ODI series begins at Headingley on Friday.
CRICKET AUSTRALIA today announced plans to stage Sheffield Shield matches under lights with the longer-term aim of holding day-night Test matches.
They said that round nine of their domestic tournament — the equivalent of the County Championship — would have games played under the floodlights. Using a pink ball, matches in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria will serve as an experiment with a view to a five-day Test match being played at night in the 2015-16 season.
