Alex Hales fell just short again of becoming the first England batsman to score a Twenty20 international century as he made 94 in the second Twenty20 against Australia on Saturday.
The opening batsman’s innings was the centrepiece of England’s 195/5 at Chester-le-Street as they looked to level the two-match series at 1-1 after a 39-run loss at Southampton on Thursday.
Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, wicketless on debut at Southampton, took his first international wickets, including two in the last over, to finish with 3/25.
Hales, who made 99 in a T20 international against the West Indies at his Nottinghamshire home ground of Trent Bridge last year, shared an opening stand of 111 with Michael Lumb (43).
That partnership equalled England’s best for any wicket against Australia in a T20 international, with Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen having put on 111 for the second wicket in England’s 2010 World Twenty20 final win over their arch-rivals in Barbados.
England, in a mirror image of Thursday’s 39-run defeat in the first T20 at Southampton, were sent into bat by Australia captain George Bailey on Saturday.
The powerplay ended with England 61 without loss off six overs after a blizzard of boundaries.