Glenn Maxwell has produced a cracking cameo after storms cleared in Brisbane to allow for a seven-over slog in Australia’s T20 opener against Pakistan.
The all-rounder plundered 43 from 19 balls as the hosts made 3-93 in their seven overs at the Gabba on Thursday, running out comfortable 29-run winners.
Play looked unlikely as lightning and rain lingered and delayed the toss for more than two hours.
But it cleared in time for Maxwell to find some form, the enigmatic talent not mucking around after scores of 0, 16 and 0 in Australia’s 50-over series loss.
He reverse paddled his first delivery for four, one of four boundaries in his first six deliveries.
The Victorian flushed another reverse paddle that went over the head of the man on the rope and narrowly missed an unsuspecting spectator in the third row.
The mercurial dasher then heaved a six over mid-wicket and another over mid-off from Haris Rauf’s second over, racing to 40 off 15.
A frenetic innings was halted by a well-aimed Abbas Afridi bouncer, Maxwell hurried as he found the man on the rope.
Marcus Stoinis then chimed in with 21 off seven balls, including 10 off the final two balls of the innings.
Earlier opening pair Matt Short (seven) and Jake Fraser McGurk’s (nine) lean runs at international level continued.
McGurk, who clipped his first two balls to the boundary, threw his head back in disgust after drilling a catch to point.
Naseem Shah (1-37 off two overs) copped plenty of stick while Afridi conceded just nine runs of his sole over.
Pakistan’s run chase never got going, with Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett both striking early to leave the tourists 3/16 after the first two overs.
Two more wickets in Nathan Ellis’s first over effectively killed the game with the score at 5/20, but some counter-attacking from Abbas Afridi and Haseebullah Khan returned some respectability.
Two Adam Zampa wickets with the final two balls of the game saw Pakistan crash to 9-64 as Australia celebrated its victory.
AAP/ABC
