Australia break Scotland hearts with last-over victory in T20 World Cup thriller

Australia overcame a determined challenge from Scotland to earn a last-over five-wicket victory in a crucial final Group B match at the T20 World Cup in St Lucia on Sunday.

Replying to Scotland's 180 for five, their highest total in a T20 World Cup match, half-centuries from Travis Head (68 off 49 balls, five fours, four sixes) and Marcus Stoinis (59 off 29 balls, nine fours, two sixes) paced them to the target and a 100 per cent winning record in the group with two balls to spare.

Tim David's unbeaten 24 off 14 balls finished the job at the Daren Sammy Stadium to lift Australia to 186 for five.

But he required a generous slice of luck when dropped at deep midwicket before finishing off the match with a huge six in the same direction off the next ball from seamer Brad Wheal.

The result also eliminated Scotland and allowed title-holders England, winners earlier in the day over Namibia in a rain-affected match in Antigua, to qualify for the Super Eights phase of the competition alongside their arch-rivals by virtue of a better net run-rate than the Scots.

"The plan was the usual: get yourself in, play shots along the ground and then take it from there," said man of the match Stoinis in explaining the strategy through his innings and the 80-run fourth-wicket partnership with Head.

"I was just trying to keep him there, keep him batting and it turned the game, even though he got out in the end."

Earlier, Brandon McMullen led the Scottish effort with a top score of 60 off 34 balls (two fours, six sixes) after they were put in.

His ultra-aggression, and support from opener George Munsey (35) in an 89-run second-wicket partnership, pushed the scoring rate up to 10 runs per over. However, Australia were able to regain a measure