- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The first match of the limited overs leg of Australia’s tour of England begins today with the first of two Twenty20 fixtures. at the Rose Bowl in Southampton tonight. Join us from 3.00am AEST for live updates.
From a format that purists crave for to one that they detest.
While T20Is has definitely increased the fans’ interest in the game, it will be a tough act to follow to the Ashes series that’s just gone by.
Both teams will have a clutch of new players and there will be a couple of different captains leading them. Interestingly both skippers have a task on their hand in terms of pulling their teams out of their current, rather low ICC T20I rankings.
George Bailey will skipper the Aussies as he has done since the 2011-12 series against India. He has a task on his hand, given Australia’s poor T20I record in recent times.
Much like their Test match numbers, Australia’s performance in T20I cricket hasn’t the best and they will enter this game on the back of five successive defeats to three different countries.
The last time they won a T20I was in the 2012 World T20 and that was a part of a five-match winning streak, thanks mainly due to Shane Watson’s fine batting.
Watson will hold the key once again given his superb T20I record. He is nearing the 1000-run mark in the format which places his 12th in the all-time list and his strike-rate of 148 is the highest among those in the top-20 run-getters.
Interestingly Australia also have Dave Warner in their ranks who has 1206 runs to his name in T20I cricket, making him the third-best batsman all-time.
Aaron Finch had a mixed bag on his recent tour of South Africa with the A team but his batting in this format of the game has been eye-catching.
He was responsible for Melbourne Renegades’ fine showing in the previous Big Bash League t20.
James Faulkner’s fine Test debut aside, he is a wily T20 bowler and should make it to the line-up along side likes of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Clint McKay.
It will be interesting to see whether Australia hand an international debut to Fawad Ahmed or carry on with a combination of Glenn Maxwell and Adam Voges as part-time spin bowlers.
Bailey’s opposite number will be abrasive form of Stuart Broad, whose leadup to this game has been rather interesting.
First he was involved in the The Oval urinating controversy, followed by getting into a war of words with former skipper and TV pundit Michael Vaughan.
Come the match-evening, his side would hope that Broad’s locked away all those off-field distractions and fully focussing on the match in hand.
He has a decent set of players under his watch – a fine mix of those who have established their credentials as T20 cricketers and some who are looking to impress.
Luke Wright’s fine recent form will mean he should make it to the top-order along with Alex Hales and Michael Lumb although Michael Carberry will push hard for a place in the side.
Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara will prop up the English middle-order with Joe Root expected to be slotted somewhere in the top seven.
Steve Finn has a lot to prove after a poor Ashes opener and should partner captain Broad with the ball. James Tredwell will take over the spin bowling attack.
Follow the live score and blog of this T20I from 3.30 am AEST. You can join me for this live blog and post your comments below.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.