Dawid Malan and Sam Curran shine as England complete series win over Australia

Malan scored 82 runs off 49 balls to help England to a competitive total of 178 before three wickets from Curran derailed Australia's chase

Canberra: England 178-7, Australia 170-6 - England won by eight runs

Scorecard

Dawid Malan and Sam Curran were the standout performers as England hung on to defeat Australia by eight runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in this three-match T20I series.

Malan rescued England with the bat, scoring a half-century in his 50th T20I to help his side to a competitive total of 178 for 7, before Curran derailed Australia's chase with figures of 3 for 25. 

Having lost the toss and been sent into bat, Jos Buttler once again made a bright start, dispatching Josh Hazlewood for four off the first delivery of the match. However, unlike in Perth, when Buttler and Hales put on 132 for the first wicket, neither opener survived the powerplay.

Buttler skied Pat Cummins to Adam Zampa at short third to depart for 17 (13) in the fourth over and six balls later Hales (4 off 7) picked out David Warner off the bowling of Marcus Stoinis: England 31 for 2.

Things went from bad to worse for the batting side. Ben Stokes laboured to 7 (11) before being bowled by a quicker delivery from Zampa and Harry Brook was caught behind by Matthew Wade (bowled Stoinis) to leave England four down at the halfway mark.

^{Dawid Malan scored a crucial half-century for England [Mark Evans/Getty Images]}

However, Malan batted smartly at No.3, keeping the scoreboard ticking over to allow Moeen Ali to settle into his innings before England's vice-captain burst into life with a pair of boundaries off Stoinis in the 13th.

The pair put on 92 runs off 52 balls for the fifth wicket (although three dropped catches certainly helped their cause) before Zampa brought their partnership to an end in the 17th, Moeen caught by Tim David on the boundary for 44 (27).

Curran (8 off 6) was then bowled by Mitchell Starc in the penultimate over before Stoinis accounted for Malan (caught Steve Smith), the batter departing for 82 off 49, including seven fours and four sixes.

Australia made a similarly ropey start to their chase, losing Aaron Finch (caught Stokes, bowled David Willey) and Warner (caught Brook, bowled Reece Topley) inside the powerplay before Glenn Maxwell was deceived by Curran's pace variations and holed out to Hales at deep square: Australia 51 for 3 after eight overs.

The two sides were pretty evenly poised at the 10-over mark – Australia 77 for 3 compared to England's 70 for 4 – but Curran's dismissal of Stoinis, flying on 22 (13), in the 12th tipped the scales slightly in the fielding side's favour.

Stokes then brought an end to a 23-run fifth-wicket stand between Mitchell Marsh and David – Marsh picking out Curran to depart for 45 (29) – to leave Australia five down with 65 required off 35 balls before Curran picked up his third of the night in the 18th, bowling David for 40 (23).

Left to defend 22 off the final over, Curran was pumped for six by Cummins off the first delivery but held his nerve to seal another narrow win for England.