ENG vs AUS: Matthew Short breaks 13-year-old record, joins elite T20I list with stunning 5/22

Australian all-rounder Matthew Short has etched his name into the record books with a remarkable five-wicket haul in the second T20I against England at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

On 13 September, Short's off-spin proved tough to handle for the England batters, as he finished with the record-breaking figures of 5/22 in just three overs in the second T20I.

Matthew Short’s record-breaking 5-wicket haul goes in vain as England levels series

However, Short’s heroics went in vain, as England won the second T20I by three wickets with an over to spare to level the ongoing three-match T20I series 1-1 against Australia on Friday in Cardiff.

The third and final T20I is scheduled to be held at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester on September 15. Matthew Short's outstanding performance helped him to break the long-standing record by Shane Watson for the best bowling figures by an Australian in T20Is against England.

The former Australian all-rounder, who took 4/15 in a T20I match against England in 2011, set the record, which has now been broken by Short to become the Australian player with the best T20I figures in England.

The most surprising thing is that both Watson and Matthew Short's brilliance came in a losing cause. Yet Short's effort was not only a record for Australia but also turned out to be an extremely rare feat. The all-rounder became the first player from a full-member country to open the batting as well as take a five-for in the same match in T20I cricket.

Matthew Short becomes the seventh bowler to have a fifer in England in T20I cricket

Earlier in the game, the 28-year-old chipped in with a useful 24-ball 28 before his personal triumph in the match. Meanwhile, Matthew Short's bowling figures of 5/22 are the second-best against England in T20Is, only after Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's 6/25 in 2017.

Matthew Short joined the elite group of bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jason Holder, Lasith Malinga, and Lungi Ngidi—who have a fifer to their names against England in the T20I cricket.

Additionally, Matthew Short also became only the fourth Australian to claim a five-wicket haul in T20I history. Ashton Agar leads the pack with 6/30 against New Zealand in 2021, followed by Adam Zampa's 5/19 against Bangladesh.

His 5/22 is also the joint-best bowling performance in a losing cause by a bowler from a full-member nation, sharing this record with Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman, who took the same figures against New Zealand in 2016.

Even as England won the match and leveled the ongoing T20I series, Short's individual brilliance shone as a silver lining for Australia. The magic the all-rounder created in his spell has kept fans excited.

England's middle order becomes Short's victim

Notably, Australia’s stand-in captain Travis Head brought Short into the attack in the ninth over, and he struck almost immediately, removing the dangerous England opener and stand-in captain Phil Salt, who was going along brilliantly at 39 from 23 balls.

Short once again restarted Australia's hopes when he came back into attack in the 17th over. He had removed Jacob Bethell to break a vital fourth-wicket stand and followed that with the key wicket of Sam Curran in the same over. As the game reached the last phase, Liam Livingstone took Short for a six and a four off his penultimate over.

The tall Australian had the last say, clean bowling Livingstone, who played an innings of extraordinary quality, making 87 from 47 balls. On the very next ball, Short sent back the prized wicket of Brydon Carse, but that was little solace as Australia slumped to defeat.