113 in just 6 overs—it’s not a video game scorecard; it is the powerplay score of Australia vs Scotland in a T20I match in Edinburgh. On Wednesday, 4 September 2024, Scotland and Australia played a T20I match in Edinburgh, which has now been registered in history books because of the carnage that Australia started on Scotland.
Scotland and Australia played the 1st T20I match of the 3-match series on Wednesday, where Australia won the toss and decided to bowl first. Scotland made a decent score of 154/9 against the Aussie bowling in the first innings of this match, which concluded like a normal T20I match. However, it was the second inning that made this match a historic encounter.
The Kangaroos arrived to pursue a modest target of 155 runs. Australia started to bash Scottish bowlers as expected, but Tarvis Head was not just bashing; he was butchering the bowlers. It was Travis Head who took Australia to the biggest powerplay score by a full-member nation in T20Is.
Riding on Head and Captain Marsh’s innings Australia concluded the powerplay with a score of 113/1, a world record in T20Is for the highest total in the powerplay. Australia chased the given target of 155 in just 9.4 overs with seven wickets in hand.
Top 10 highest powerplay scores in T20Is (by test-playing nations)
Scotland v Australia at Edinburgh, 4 Sep 2024
Batting Team: Australia, 113 Runs
South Africa v West Indies at Centurion, 26 Mar 2023
Batting Team: South Africa, 102 Runs
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Coolidge, 3 Mar 2021
Batting Team: West Indies, 98 Runs
West Indies v Ireland at St George’s, 15 Jan 2020
Batting Team: Ireland, 93 Runs
West Indies v Afghanistan at Gros Islet, 17 Jun 2024
Batting Team: West Indies, 92 Runs
New Zealand v Australia at Auckland, 16 Feb 2018
Batting Team: Australia, 91 Runs
Bangladesh v West Indies at Sylhet, 17 Dec 2018
Batting Team: West Indies, 91 Runs
England v South Africa at Wankhede, 18 Mar 2016
Batting Team: England, 89 Runs
South Africa v England at Johannesburg, 21 Feb 2016
Batting Team: South Africa, 88 Runs
Bangladesh v West Indies at Mirpur, 22 Dec 2018
Batting Team: West Indies, 88 Runs
Travis Head smashed 80 off 25 balls to help Australia chase down Scotland’s 154-run target. The Aussie opener struck five sixes and 12 fours as Australia set a new T20 international first powerplay record of 113/1 in the first six overs. At the start of the inning, Jake Fraser-McGurk was dismissed for a three-ball duck, and the visitors lost a wicket without scoring a score.
However, Head and Mitchell Marsh thwarted Scotland’s attempt. Marsh scored 30 off one over from Jack Jarvis, while Head achieved his half-century in just 17 balls. Both fell to Mark Watt in the eighth over, but the damage was already done.
From there, Josh Inglis picked up the baton, and his quick-fire unbeaten 27 helped Australia win by seven wickets with 62 balls remaining. Earlier, George Munsey led Scotland’s batting to 154/9 by scoring 28 runs. Sean Abbott was the best of the Australian bowlers, earning 3 wickets for 39 runs.
Match Scorecard
Scotland 154/9 in 20 overs (George Munsey 28; Sean Abbott 3-39)
Australia 156/3 in 9.4 overs (Travis Head 80, Mitchell Marsh 39; Mark Watt 2-13)
