England were soundly beaten by Australia by 28 runs in their first T20 international.
Australia amassed a stunning 132-3, with Travis Head smashing 59 from 23 balls as he and opening partner Matthew Short put on 86 in the first six overs.
But a strong fightback from a youthful England side restricted Australia to 179 to give them hope ahead of the chase.
However their chase hit the rocks early on as three wickets went down in the powerplay.
Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran bolstered England’s chances with a 54-run stand but after they departed in quick succession, England were bowled out for 151.
The second game of the T20 series takes place in Cardiff on Friday.
Player of the Match Head said: “It was a nice start. Nice to get under way. England bowled well at the start and in the first few overs it was nice to get one away.
“To set a platform like that with the hitters we had behind us…it was nice to do the job.
“I just tried to acclimate to a pitch with a bit of pace in it. The pitches in Scotland were a lot different.
“For me it was about using the pace well which I think I did. Matthew Short got off to a cracking start in the first few overs and we matched well together. Nice to get that partnership going and starting the series well.”
A 28-run defeat in Southampton 🏟
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🏴 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 11, 2024
