Australia beat England by five wickets in third T20I

Australia won the third and final T20I against England by five wickets in Southampton on Tuesday.

The victory in the dead rubber means they have managed to avoid a clean sweep in the three-match series.

Three Lions had registered a narrow two-run win in the opening game. They went on to win the series by securing a comfortable six-wicket victory in the second fixture on Sunday.

England, being asked to bat first, scored 145-6 with wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow scoring a half-century.

The 30-year-old top-scored with 55 off 44 balls with three boundaries and three maximums to his name.

He put on a 49-run partnership with young Tom Banton who scored 21 from 18 deliveries.

Joe Denly played a crucial knock of unbeaten 29 runs which came off 19 deliveries.

Moeen Ali, who was leading the side in absence of their regular captain Eoin Morgan, scored 23 off 21 balls.

Leg spinner Adam Zampa returned with figures of 2-34 in four overs for the Kangaroos.

Australia's nervy run chase

The 146-run chase proved to be a nervous one for the visitors who were playing to end the three-match series on a winning note.

The opening pair of captain Aaron Finch and wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade anchored the side to 31 before the latter was dismissed for 14 off nine by pacer Mark Wood.

The Melbourne Renegades captain and Marcus Stoinis added 39 runs together for the second wicket before the Melbourne Stars batsman was caught off Tom Curran's bowling after scoring 26 off 18 deliveries with four boundaries to his name.

England went on to crawl their way into the match courtesy sublime bowling performance from leg-spinner Adil Rashid who dismissed Glenn Maxwell (six off 11) and the Australia captain (39 off 26) in a space of three deliveries in the 11th over, leaving the side at 87-4.

The visitors were further reduced to 100-5 when Steve Smith headed back to the pavilion shortly, again on the bowling of the 32-year-old leggie.

However, Mitchell Marsh (39 off 36) and Ashton Agar (16 off 13) put on a 46-run partnership for the sixth wicket to take the side home with four balls to spare.