Live Commentary: Australia vs. England - Second Twenty20 international - as it happened

Good morning everyone. Australia can secure their third series victory of the winter by beating England in the second Twenty20 international today. Will the tourists fall to another defeat at the hands of their rivals? Just two games left on this tour. England captain Stuart Broad will be desperate for a victory.

It was a fantastic start to the T20 series on Wednesday in Hobart. We saw it all from the hosts. Aaron Finch and Cameron White cleared the rope with apparent ease, while Nathan Coulter-Nile handed the tourists a lesson in how to bowl in the shortest format of the game. England's top order failed two days ago. They cannot afford for that to happen again.

News of one of the most interesting selections in a while broke following the game in Hobart. Moises Henriques left the Australian squad to join up with the Test team, leaving a space open in the group for today's game. Who was his replacement? Brad Hodge, the 39-year-old T20 specialist who hasn't played for his country in six years. The locals will be eager to see the veteran today.

ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND WILL BAT FIRST: Broad calls correctly out in the middle and he confirms that the tourists will be setting a total for Australia to chase. Full team news to follow shortly.

AUSTRALIA: Finch, White, Maxwell, Bailey, Hodge, Lynn, Wade, Starc, Coulter-Nile, Hazlewood, Muirhead

ENGLAND: Hales, Lumb, Wright, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Bopara, Bresnan, Broad, Dernbach, Tredwell

Two changes for Australia as Hodge does make his return to the international stage as a replacement for Henriques. Mitchell Starc earns a spot in the bowling attack, with Dan Christian making way for the seamer. Just one change for England as James Tredwell replaces Danny Briggs, who struggled with the ball in Hobart.

Plenty of people questioned the decision to leave Ben Stokes out on Wednesday and they won't be made any happier today. Broad insisted after the defeat in Hobart that he wanted to keep faith with the players who have enjoyed success in this format of the game.

Congratulations to the England skipper, who earns his 50th T20 cap today. It won't matter much to Broad if his side lose the series at the MCG. England really need to end this miserable tour on a high by fighting back against the hosts.

The Melbourne crowd will be delighted to hear that Brad Hodge is back in the Australian team. He's been showing just how good he is in this format for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash. Hodge will be treating this game as an audition ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Australia could be tempted to keep him around for the tournament.

Broad at the toss: "It's good to get first use of the pitch, it looks a good wicket, it's one of the larger grounds so it should be a good game either way. It was an entertaining game in Hobart, I think there were a record amount of sixes, but this is a must win game for us and what an occasion - England v Australia at the MCG - in front of a big crowd."

England's top order just didn't do well enough in Hobart. Alex Hales, Michael Lumb and Luke Wright have the ability to set a brilliant platform for the tourists but they cannot afford to miss out again today. England's plan is based around the top three, so Broad will be hoping for a lot of top order runs.

The players are lined up on the boundary and the action is just a few moments away now. Australia's apparent weakness is their bowling attack, so England need to pile on the pressure in the powerplay. It's a good pitch. We could see another high-scoring game.

Here we go then. They're expecting up to 60,000 fans inside the MCG today. Keep your fingers crossed for a cracker. Hales on strike. Huge roar from the home supporters as the announcer confirms that Hodge will open the bowling with his off-spin. Play!

Hales starts the match with a single through square-leg. Lumb blocks one ball before dropping to one knee to powerfully sweep straight to one of the fielders on the leg-side. Shot! Hodge is slightly too short and Lumb rocks back to hammer four runs through the off-side. The opener brings out the sweep again and beats the fielder on this occasion to collect four more. A single makes it 10 from the over.

Coulter-Nile, who impressed with the ball in Hobart, takes the second over for the hosts. There's a hint of movement back into the left-handed Lumb as the seamer begins his spell with three dot balls. England's opener breaks loose by cutting a wider ball over point for four. Shot! Lumb's impressive start to the innings continues when he clubs four more through mid-wicket after shuffling across the crease to open up the leg-side. Hales 1* Lumb 17

Hales is happy to get off strike at the start of a new over from Starc. The left-arm seamer goes very full to Lumb, who sneaks a single to mid-on from the third delivery. Drop! Hales skips down the pitch and slices a drive to backward point, where Maxwell puts down the catch. He's a good fielder but it's a big, big mistake. Hodge is cheered on by the crowd as he chases the ball through mid-wicket but the veteran can't prevent Hales from reaching the rope at the end of the over.

Hazlewood becomes the fourth different bowler to be thrown the ball as Bailey changes things again.

Lumb's impressive start comes to an end when he skies a shot into the leg-side. Coulter-Nile steadies himself and takes a good catch to send the opener on his way.

Shot! Hales stands tall to pull four through mid-wicket as new arrival Wright watches on from the non-striker's end. The opener adds a couple to make it six from the over. Excellent start for Hazlewood.

Wright wastes no time and chases his first ball, coming inches away from edging one just outside off-stump.

Stunning from Hodge! Wright attacks the ball again outside his off-stump and picks out the returning Hodge, who takes a brilliant catch to his left at cover. The MCG loved that one.

Shot! Confident start to match from Root, who gets off the mark with four past point. The new batsman makes it eight from two deliveries with a fine drive through the covers. Starc follows two gifts with a full-toss but Root fails to connect with the swinging blade. Eight runs and a wicket from the fifth over.

Hales, the top ranked batsman in T20 cricket, lofts four runs into the off-side at the start of Hazlewood's over.

Hales is targeting a boundary on the leg-side but he fails to find the middle of the bat with a wild swing. Starc doesn't look comfortable at third-man. However, he does hold on to hand Hazlewood another wicket. England's top three fail again.

Root shuffles across his crease to nudge a couple to square-leg before rocking back to cut a wider delivery past point for four more. Great timing on show. This is a crucial partnership for the tourists. 48 runs and three wickets from the powerplay.

Shot! Morgan begins his innings with a brilliant reverse sweep for four runs at the start of a new spell from Maxwell. The spinner concedes a single off each of the next three balls.

Disaster for England! Root calls for a risky single and it looks like Morgan will make his ground easily but the bat bounces up on the dive. The third umpire takes his time before giving the batsman out. Who claims the run out? Mr Hodge.

It's a good time for Bailey to turn to James Muirhead, who quickly finds some turn in his over. The leg-spinner settles on a good line to Root and England's new batsman, Jos Buttler. Just five from Muirhead's opening over. Australia in control at the MCG.

Interesting move from Bailey to turn to spin again as Cameron White is given a rare chance to make an impact with the ball. Buttler and Root trade singles at the start of the over.

Terrible for England, brilliant from Maxwell. Buttler thinks two runs are on to mid-wicket but he chooses the wrong arm to challenge. Maxwell gets the ball out of his hand as quickly as possible and Root is short of his ground at the non-striker's end when White whips the bails off.

Buttler picks up a single to hand the strike to Ravi Bopara, who gets off the mark with a run to long-off. One more single makes it six from the ninth over. England in big trouble.

Buttler collects a single at the start of the over. Muirhead finds some turn and bounce to beat the bat. Plenty of encouragement from the Australian fielders for the young spinner. Bopara slices a wider delivery to deep point for one. Buttler drills another single to long-off before Bopara ends the over by sweeping for one to deep square-leg.

Bopara miscues a pull to mid-wicket for a single. Buttler lunges forward to nudge White down the ground for a run. Bopara rotates the strike again. Shot! Slightly too short from White and Buttler takes advantage to hammer four through mid-wicket. Drop! It's a tough chance, but a chance nonetheless. Buttler gets an edge on the ball outside off-stump but Wade can't react to take what would have been a stunning catch. Eight runs from the over.

Coulter-Nile returns to the attack. Shot! Buttler picks up a couple of runs before firing four through mid-wicket with a fine pull shot. Not many players hit the ball harder than England's wicketkeeper. A quick single hands the strike to Bopara, who adds another run to Muirhead at mid-wicket.

Close! It's almost a brilliant moment for Muirhead. The leg-spinner delivers a brilliant ball to completely fool Bopara, who drags his back leg out of the crease. However, the Essex all-rounder does manage to get his foot back before Wade can whip the bails off. The wicketkeeper is in the action again to take a wide down the leg-side.

Muirhead deserves this wicket. Bopara looks to relieve some pressure with a slog-sweep but he's a long way from finding the middle of the bat. Maxwell takes the catch in the deep after nearly making a mess of things again. England in a lot of trouble as Tim Bresnan comes to the crease in the 13th over.

Bresnan gets off the mark with a late cut for a couple of runs. Starc does superbly in the deep to prevent the new batsman from reaching the rope with another cut shot a few moments later. Lovely bowling again from Muirhead to beat Buttler's edge. Buttler 21 Bresnan 5*

Hazlewood starts a new spell by conceding a single to deep cover. Buttler is forced onto the back foot to keep the seamer out. Wade optimistically appeals for a catch down the leg-side but his bid to fool the umpire is unsuccessful when a wide is give. Buttler opens the face of the bat to play the latest of cuts. However, White reacts superbly at backward point to keep him on strike. It's an excellent over from Hazlewood.

Muirhead still has a slip in place at the beginning of the 15th over. Bresnan steers a single behind point to get off strike. Buttler picks out the fielder with a reverse sweep before miscuing a slog into his own pad. Muirhead continues to hit a nice length to restrict the freedom on offer to Buttler, who finally adds a run with a reverse-sweep. Just two runs added in the over. Muirhead finishes his spell with brilliant figures of 1-17.

Big blow for England. A terrible situation is made even worse when Coulter-Nile traps Buttler lbw with the first ball of his new over. The ball would have crashed into leg-stump. Broad in next.

Broad gets off the mark by nudging his second ball into the leg-side for a single. Close! Bresnan is almost the next man to depart when he miscues a pull shot but the ball drops short of Finch, who was sprinting in from long-on. Broad adds another run to deep point to keep the strike. England really need to get somewhere close to 130. It looks a big ask from here. Four overs remaining.

Starc returns for the 17th over. England pick up four leg-byes when the ball deflects off Broad's thigh to beat the diving Wade behind the stumps. A sliced drive brings a single through point. Starc beats Bresnan with a sharp bouncer before almost sneaking one through when the batsman gets a thick inside edge on the ball. Bresnan picks up a run off the final ball to keep the strike.

Bresnan gives himself some room on the crease but can only earn a single to long-on. Shot! Broad expects the short ball and finds the middle of the bat to collect four runs over mid-wicket. The skipper takes on another one from Coulter-Nile and adds two more on the leg-side. A sliced shot to third-man hands the strike to Bresnan, who drills a full-toss to deep mid-wicket for two.

Starc follows Broad with a full delivery when the batsman backs away at the start of the over. The England captain makes the same movement a few moments later but Starc changes his line to beat the bat. Another swing and a miss follows from Broad. A yorker is edge away into the leg-side for a single. Starc comes around the wicket to target Bresnan, who gets off strike with a push to deep cover. Broad picks up a run off the final ball but it's just three singles from the 19th over. Brilliant from Starc/

Hazlewood starts the final over with a wide. Close! Broad skies the ball straight into the air but he just manages to beat Bailey at long-off. No boundary, but Bresnan is forced to dive in at the danger end to secure three runs. Shot! Hazlewood gets his length wrong and Bresnan cashes in to fire four runs straight down the ground. An inside edge brings a quick run behind square on the leg-side. Stunning fielding. Maxwell somehow manages to stop a boundary at deep point and offloads the ball to Starc, who completes the work with a good throw. England still manage to collect three runs.

Hazlewood attempts an optimistic scoop shot but the ball deflects off the pad before hitting the stumps. Decent cameo from the Yorkshire ace.

ENGLAND SET AUSTRALIA 131 TO WIN THE SECOND T20: Hazlewood finishes the innings by bowling Tredwell with a quick, full delivery. Not good enough from England. Bresnan and Broad (18*) have helped the tourists to 130-9 but they're definitely on the back foot.

England have been blown away once again. Australia impressed in the field and their bowlers have cashed in on some poor shots to give the hosts a big advantage at the halfway stage. Hazlewood ends with figures of 4-30 from his four overs, while Muirhead impressed once again with 1-19.

In truth, it's just another failure in a long run of disappointing displays from England on this tour. Buttler top scored with 22 from 27 balls. It's a slower pitch at the MCG but England can have no excuses for such a poor batting performance.

If Australia make a decent start to their reply, the series could be wrapped up very quickly today. Finch and White will play with complete freedom and they can do real damage to England's slim hopes in the six-over powerplay.

England have to take early wickets in this innings. The tourists need to apply some pressure in the first few overs if they are to stand any chance of making Australia sweat. 6.5 runs an over is the required rate.

Plenty of positives for Australia once again. Their bowlers have delivered, now it's time for the batsmen to finish the job off. White and Finch will be desperate to cause damage once again at the top of the order.

Tredwell's role will be vitally important for England. Muirhead, White and Maxwell all impressed with their slow bowling, so Root may also be asked to bowl in this innings. England need their spinner to fire today.

Everyone is ready for the second innings. Broad will bowl the first over. One slip in place. White on strike. Australia need 131 runs to win the series. Play!

Shot! White doesn't take long to find the middle of the bat, lofting the second ball over cover for four runs. Lovely batting on show in the first over as White opens the face to guide four more through third-man. Shot! The crowd are loving this. Broad fires in a short delivery and White stands tall to pull four to the square-leg boundary. A single makes it 13 from the opening over. Great start for White and Australia.

Dernbach takes the second over but it's a disappointing start for the seamer when White takes a step down the pitch to drive through the covers for four. Shot! White must be booked in for dinner somewhere in Melbourne. The opener reaches the rope again by beating Root in the deep with a powerful pull shot. A couple of runs to deep mid-wicket are collected by White, who then edges a single through third-man. Finch finally faces his first ball and he rocks back to guide a single behind point.

Finch steers a run to deep point at the start of the third over. White plays a late, late cut to rotate the strike again. Broad settles on a good length in the middle of the over to force Finch onto the defensive before ruining his work by offering a fuller delivery, which is drilled down the ground for four. Shot! Broad then sends down a short ball but Finch is confident enough to pull behind square for four more. White 25* Finch 10

Bresnan comes into the attack to replace Dernbach. White picks up a single early in the over. It's nice bowling from Bresnan, who settles on the perfect length. Australia have plenty of deliveries to use. Just one run from the over.

Too full from the returning Dernbach, who sends down a slower ball which is easily driven straight down the ground by White for four runs. A wider delivery offers the same batsman some freedom and he takes full advantage to cut over point for another boundary. Shot! Another cut to finish the over, another boundary. Australia need 83 from 90 balls. Plenty of words between Dernbach and White at the end of the over. It seemed to be started by White. These two did were involved in a bit of a disagreement on T20 finals day at the end of the English summer.

England make the breakthrough! Finch feels he's unlucky to be given out lbw but the umpire decides Bresnan would have clipped the top of the stumps. Maxwell in next. 83 needed from 89 balls.

A replay suggests that the ball would have missed the stumps. Finch will definitely be feeling unlucky now. A few beach balls behind the bowler's arm delays proceedings for a moment. Maxwell blocks one ball before getting off the mark with a miscued pull. White makes it just two from the over. Bresnan his showing his teammates how it's done. He's conceded only three runs from 12 deliveries.

Tredwell comes into the attack for the first time. I'm sure Australia won't allow the spinner to settle. White leans forward to reverse sweep for a single. Maxwell chips a run into the leg-side to rotate the strike again. White edges closer to his half-century with a run through square-leg.

It's a terrible delivery, but Tredwell won't care. Maxwell hopes to smash a short ball into the stands but his pull shot is caught by Bresnan in the deep. Captain Bailey in next and he watches White collect a run from the final ball of the over. White 42* Bailey 0

White gets on top of the bounce well to pull Bresnan into the leg-side for one. Bailey gets off the mark by shuffling across his crease to work two runs behind square. A similar shot brings Bailey two more to deep square-leg. Bresnan is surprised to be punished for a wide when he delivers a sharp bouncer. Bailey uses the extra delivery to loft two runs over mid-off.

White is kept quiet by Tredwell early in the ninth over, with just a single being scored through mid-wicket. Six! Bailey skips down the pitch and executes a fantastic shot to clear the long-on boundary. Brilliant batting. A fielding mistake gifts the skipper two more at the end of the over. Australia need 60 from 66 balls.

Bopara comes into the attack to bowl his medium pace. White nudges a single to long-on and Bailey adds another with a clip to deep square-leg. Bopara is fortunate to only concede on when he loses his length in the middle of the over. Bailey opens the face of the bat to steer a single through point. One more makes it five off the over.

Broad brings himself back into the attack to hunt for more wickets. White hurries a run following a push into the off-side. Broad finds some extra bounce to nip one past Bailey's outside edge. Close! It's not going to go England's way today. Bailey gets a top edge on a quick delivery from Broad and the ball only just flicks Buttler's fingers on its way to the rope. A pull behind square hands the strike to White, who keeps out the final ball of the 11th over. 49 needed from 54 balls.

Dernbach returns to the attack. Will there be some more fireworks between him and White? Six! Dernbach vs. White will have to wait. Bailey delights the crowd with a massive six straight down the ground at the start of the over. Dernbach is too short a couple of balls later and Bailey takes advantage to pull for four more through mid-wicket. The England seamer just refuses to learn his lesson. Another half-tracker arrives and Bailey is in no mood to miss out as he pulls four to the rope once again. Shot! Dernbach goes fuller but it's the same result. Bailey opens up the off-side and reaches the rope again with a firm drive. I don't think Dernbach will have too much to say now. 18 from the over. White 48* Bailey 39

HALF-CENTURY! Singles on offer everywhere in Tredwell's over and White takes the opportunity to reach 50 from 38 balls. It's been another great knock from the opener. Six! Bailey is eyeing an early finish as he skips down the pitch to launch Tredwell over long-on for another six. The Australian skipper then flicks a run into the leg-side. White adds one more to make it 11 off the over. Just 20 more runs needed.

Bopara returns to the attack as this match enters its closing stages. White nudges a single into the leg-side. HALF-CENTURY! It's the captain's turn to raise his bat. Bailey plays the latest of cuts to reach the rope and bring up his 50 from just 24 deliveries. Drop! A brilliant innings almost comes to an end but Bopara puts down a chance off his own bowling. That should have been caught. Seven off the over. White 53* Bailey 52

Shot! Lovely timing from White as the opener reaches the mid-wicket boundary with a chip into the leg-side early in Tredwell's over. A single means the hosts need just eight more for victory. Shot! Bailey skips down the pitch and lofts the ball over cover for four more. Four runs needed.

AUSTRALIA WIN BY EIGHT WICKETS! Bailey finishes the job with a sweep behind square for four runs. What an effort from the hosts! Australia seal another series victory with 5.1 overs remaining in this match. There's some ugly scenes at the end as Dernbach confronts White. Check the scoreboard, Jade. White 58* Bailey 60*

How can this tour get any worse for England? The Test, ODI and now the T20 series have all been lost by clear margins. There's one game left and Australia will be desperate to record a whitewash.

Plenty of positives for Australia, none at all for England. Thank you joining me today. Make sure you return on Sunday at 8am (UK time) when this series finishes in Sydney. Goodbye everyone.