Hales leads England to 195-5 against Australia

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 today.
The opening batsman's innings was the centrepiece of England's 195 for five 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 three for 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.
Hales drove a straight six as James Faulkner's opening over went for 19 runs and left-hander Lumb struck all-rounder Shane Watson high over long-on for six.

It was not long before Hales completed a 34-ball fifty, also including eight fours -- his sixth half-century in 21 matches at this level.
However, the first wicket partnership was broken when Lumb top-edged a sweep off Ahmed and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
England, though, were still well-placed at 111 for one in the 12th over.
Luke Wright added a quickfire 30 before he was well caught by a leaping Mitchell Johnson at mid-off after driving a Faulkner full-toss.
Hales, off the last ball of the penultimate over, was caught by David Warner, running in from long-on, off Faulkner to end a 61-ball innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes.