Taha’s report from Southampton has just landed. And with that I’ll sign off.
Our man on the ground called this a “fresh-faced England side” but I doubt they’ll use that as an excuse. There’s still plenty of talent in the ranks and this should be a cracking series.
Thanks for joining me. Til next time:
Plenty to ponder for England but they definitely got the balance of the team wrong. Overton as a specialist batter at 7 with Archer in at 8 is a sign of that. I expect that’ll be the first thing they fix for Cardiff.
Finally, some thoughts from Australia’s captain, Mitch Marsh:
It’s pretty exciting watching Heady going about his work. And Shorty. They both started amazingly. Heady is a special talent. We were certainly on par for above 200. We tried our best to stuff it up. But it’s certainly nice to start the series with a win.
We’re very lucky to have [Zampa and Hazlewood] in our team. Especially for some of the young guys in the team to learn off them.
I think it was a 200 wicket. I thought it was a great wicket. It certainly nipped around a bit for them when Heady was going. Then it doesn’t matter when he’s firing away. I thought we made use of the conditions in the powerplay. And it was just a great wicket.
[Bartlett] yeah it’s always disappointing to see a young fella go down. Hopefully it’s not too bad.
Now England’s skipper, Phil Salt:
Everything was good apart from the result. They played well. Fair play, Heady came out swinging in the powerplay. We dragged it back well in the middle. But ultimately it was a game when we needed 50 off 30 we were just a few too many wickets down.
[Head] has done that now around the world for a number of years. We were very aware of what he can do and what they can do. When the ball starts flying like that it’s about slowing it down. Every ball is an event in its own right. Maybe we could have done that a bit better. But it’s given us something to go an work on to get parity in the next game.
[Livingstone and Rashid] were brilliant. Bethell as well. He didn’t pick up a wicket but the way that he bowled, the way that he crossed the line, it looked like he’d been there a million times before so a real positive for us.
It’s always nice when teams get good starts and you manage to drag them back in the middle. That’s a massive feather in your cap as a bowling unit. As I said they played extremely well, the bowlers dragged it back so well. We should have chased them, realistically, but we live to fight another day.
They did bowl well. Put the ball in the right areas. We could have taken partnerships deeper. But this is cricket. We’ve had a good look at it.
Time for some post-match yarns.
First up it’s the player of the match, selected by the Sky commentators, Travis Head:
It was a nice start. Nice to get underway. Disappointed not to go on with it. But nice to set a platform.
I was just trying to acclimatise to a pitch that had a bit of pace in it. Last week in Scotland the pitches were a bit slow. For me it was just about using the pace well. Shorty got off to a great start in the first two overs. We matched well and started the series well.
[And the secret to his free-flowing style?] I just put it down to the coaching style. I guess a bit of luck. I;ve worked hard over a period of time to play freer. Mindset, all of those things. I’d love to go out and whack it every time. I know that’s not going to be the case. I’m in some nice form at the minute and I just hope to continue that as a batter. And also taking my chances a couple of years ago.
Every Aussie bowler bagged a wicket.
Bartlett: 1-26 from 3.6
Hazlewood: 2-32 from 4
Abbott: 3-28 from 3.2
Green: 1-14 from 1.2
Zampa: 2-20 from 4
Stoinis: 1-30 from 3.
Mahmood b Abbott 12 (13) England all-out for 151
Australia win by 28 runs. Mahmood crunched a six off the first ball by standing tall and whacking a shortish ball over midwicket. His next ball he tried to paddle it over fine leg but made a mess of it and got himself bowled.
Australia win it comfortably thanks to Head’s pyrotechnics at the top of the order and an all-round bowling performance, particularly Hazlewood and Zampa.
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19th over: England 145-9 (Mahmood 6, Topley 1) Not long now. Green grabs a goodie. Stoinis steals a scalp. England need 35 off the final over. Six sixes will do it.
WICKET! Rashid c Green b Stoinis 7 (10) England 142-9
Another stunner in the field! Perhaps Green is the only player on the park who could have held that. He misjudged it as Rashid bunts it high and not very far. Green at mid-off has to peddle back after getting stuck underneath the ball but he sticks out his long levers and holds on.
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18th over: England 141-8 (Rashid 7, Mahmood 4) Abbott chooses to bowl short instead of hit the stumps. Mahmood and Rashid can’t find a boundary, and they get themselves in tangles running between the wickets, but they survive and collect a single each with Mahmood also flapping one down to deep third for two.
17th over: 135-8 (Rashid 6, Mahmood 0) Some of the crowd has seen enough as large chunks of supporters start making their way out the ground. Fair enough. This game is done. So is Hazlewood who closes out with 2-32 from his four overs. Rashid spanks one down the ground for four, much to the annoyance of the fast bowler.
I’ll pass this on to the editors, Julian Diamond:
“Hi Daniel, What chance match report headlines read … “Salt gets caught short.””
16th over: England 128-8 (Rashid 2, Mahmood 0) Zampa closes out with stunning figures of 2-20 from his four overs. This last one adding one more to the wicket column and only two to the total. England are limping to a tame end here.
WICKET! Overton b Zampa 15 (9) England 128-8
Bowled him off the pads! Overton gave himself room to work it though the off-side but the zip off the deck catches him by surprise. In the end he wafts at it tamely, misses it and is bowled after a ricochet off his pads.
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15th over: England 126-7 (Overton 14, Rashid 1) Tell you what, that’s impressive batting from Overton. After Archer fluffed Green to deep midwicket, Overton pulled hard for four, bashed another through the covers for four more, and then picked up a pair of twos to close out the over. England won’t win, needing a further 54 off 30. But Overton is going to give it a go.
WICKET! Archer c Short b Green 4 (5) England 113-7
Predictable end for Archer. But what was he expected to do? A slog off Green doesn’t come close to the middle of the bat and Short take an easy catch running in from the boundary on the leg side.
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14th over: England 113-6 (Overton 3, Archer 6) If Archer is going to bat like that then this game is well and truly done. Number eight feels too high and he’s proving that to be the case, swiping at Hazlewood with no control or confidence. Still, he manages to hack a couple down to cow corner and also picks up a scampered single. The big Aussie bowler could clean up here after castling Livingstone via an inside edge.
WICKET! Livingstone b Hazlewood 37 (27) England 108-6
Dragged on! And that could be game over. Marsh recognised that this was the moment to strike and he went to one of his trump cards. Full with extra zip, Livingstone tried to steer it down to deep third while stuck in his crease but could only catch the inside edge.
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13th over: England 108-5 (Livingstone 37, Overton 2) Abbott concedes 15 off that over but gets the big wicket that brings out England’s long tail. Curran creamed a pull to midwicket, Livingstone chunked a drive down to deep third. There was also a no-ball and two wides. But the wicket of Curran means the bowler wins the battle and Australia are zeroing in on victory. England need 72 off 42 at over 10 an over.
WICKET! Curran c Zampa b Abbott 18 (14) England 106-5
Stunned silence greets Curran’s wicket. Abbott was having a bit of a nightmare over, conceding two fours, over-stepping once and bowling two wides. But he backed himself, dug in a slower bouner and Curran had to fetch it. But rather than spanking it over the infield, he spooned it straight to Zampa at short fine leg. Australia needed that and once again this game turns.
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12th over: England 93-4 (Livingstone 32, Curran 13) Curran joins the party with a world class lofted cover drive off Zampa that screams to the boundary. But Zampa is world class himself and he tightens his line and only concedes four runs from the other five deliveries in the over. The required rate has been reduced but England still need 87 from 48 balls.
11th over: England 85-4 (Livingstone 31, Curran 6) Is this the over that turns things back in England’s favour? Livingstone leads the fightback by crunching a pull shot off Stoinis’ attempted bouncer in front of square for four. Then he whips a six over deep backward square that went miles in the air. A cut towards deep cover is worth two and a drive into that same region is worth four. He keeps the strike with a single off the last ball in an over that added 17 to the score.
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10th over: England 68-4 (Livingstone 14, Curran 6) Zampa is on the money. Even when he over pitches or drags it down, the extra zip he’s able to generate rushes the batters and they’re unable to time it as they’d like. Curran pulls in front of square for two, Livingstone gets a single to long on, Curran gets a pair of ones in the deep and Livingstone flat-bats another single to the sweeper on the off-side. Australia won’t mind conceding six an over. England now need 112 off the last 60 balls.
9th over: England 62-4 (Livingstone 12, Curran 2) Big Stoinis with his “big rig” as Ricky Ponting put it, enters the scene. Curran gets a single to long on before Stoinis digs in a bumper that crashes into Livingstone’s helmet, beating his pull. But the England batter isn’t bothered and after a concussion test climbs into another pull and hammers it backward of square for four. A swish down to deep square adds two more off Livingstone’s bat either with two wides in the mix as well. Better over for England. They’ll need more of those.
8th over: England 53-4 (Livingstone 6, Curran 1) England need a partnership. Australia are managing to pick up regular wickets and this reply is stuttering along. Like Rashid, Zampa makes an instant impact by bagging a wicket while only giving away four singles.
WICKET! Bethell b Zampa 2 (6) England 52-4
Bethell’s debut ends in disappointment! He just didn’t pick the length as he rocked back and tried to pull a ball that wasn’t short enough to do so. It skidded off the surface and hit his stumps before he knew what had happened. Great bowling by Zampa who makes an immediate impact.
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7th over: England 49-3 (Livingstone 4, Bethell 1) Bartlett, can’t complete his over. He was two away from finishing his set but pulled up holding his side. That’s a recurring problem for tall fast bowlers. The physio comes on to usher him off the pitch. So Cam Green will round things out. After Bartlett gave up two singles, Green concedes one more. One of those singles was off Bethell’s blade as the 20-year-old punched through the covers for his first international run.
WICKET! Salt c Short b Abbott 20 (12) England 46-3
Salt can’t believe what he’s done! He holds his head with his hands but he has to go. Abbott, after bowling four dots to Livingstone and then conceding a single to Short at fine leg, drags one down and Salt sets the pull short. But rather than belt it, he merely guides it to Short who takes a good grab above his head. Like Australia, England lose a wicket with the final ball of the powerplay but they’re 43 runs short of where the Aussies were and have two more back in the shed.
6th over: England 46-3
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5th over: England 45-2 (Salt 20, Livingstone 1) Salt is batting like a dream. He closes this over with a perfectly timed drive on the up that beats the diving fielder in the covers. Cox was finding his groove and spanked a lofted drive over extra cover before he fell to a worldie grab from David having skied a hack into the leg side.
WICKET! Cox c David b Bartlett 17 (12) England 40-2
WHAT A STUNNER! I’m sure you’ve read a whole bunch of hyperbole on the OBO over the years but that is genuinely one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. Cox hit this into the stratosphere. David, at midwicket, has to turn and chase it over his shoulder. It screams back down to Earth and the Aussie shot out both hands, got around the ball, rolled with the momentum and held on. Unreal.
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4th over: England 34-1 (Salt 16, Cox 11) Salt climbs into Hazlewood’s half-volley and sweetly times it through the covers for four. That was delicious! Cox gets his first boundaries in international cricket but they’re not how he imagined they’d come. Both are off the inside edge as they race down to fine-leg. Cox pulls his helmet over his eyes in embarrassment. Don’t mind that Jordan. They all count. Salt makes in an expensive over as he ends the set with a lovely late cut that beats the man at short-third. 18 from it.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Salt 7, Cox 2) Australia’s openers are not making the same mistakes that their English counterparts made. Where Archer, Mahmood and Curran went short, Hazlewood and Bartlett are going full. Well, around a good length. Buttler begins this over by dropping a very sharp return catch with one hand. He then strings together another two dot balls and ends with another. Between them he gives up just two singles. Great bowling.
2nd over: England 14-1 (Salt 6, Cox 1) Quality from Hazlewood as he starts with a wicket and concedes just three runs. Made it look simple. A good length at a decent pace around a fourth-fifth stump line. Sounds easy when you spell it out like that.
WICKET! Jacks c Short b Hazlewood 6 (7) England 13-1
Soft from Jacks as he spoons a sitter to fine leg. Hazlewood landed it on a Test length and Jacks slid across his crease to make room. But Hazlewood followed him which meant he landed in an awkward position and couldn’t get hold of the whip.
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1st over: England 11-0 (Salt 6, Jacks 4) Salt is caught first ball! But it’s a no-ball! Marsh didn’t hear the call from the umpire as he pouched Salt’s skewed skier at mid-off. Jacks slashes at the next and gets away with it as another skier lands where a point would have been. There are two more edges that fly towards that point region but there isn’t anyone there, so they both trickle for singles. Bartlett drags his final delivery down and Salt can rock back and pull it in front of square for four.
This is more than gettable for England.
Salt and Jacks have taken guard and are ready to go. Bartlett, listed as right-arm fast, will open.
Smylers (no last name give) wants to make sure more people see Ireland’s stunning victory:
“Hi, Daniel. If anybody hasn’t seen today’s ODI between Ireland Women and England Women, don’t look at the result; just watch the final three overs on YouTube and enjoy.”
Speaking of remarkable turnarounds, how about Ireland’s first ever win over England?
After losing by 275 runs in the previous match, a sensational final three overs saw Ireland claim a historic triumph in Belfast.
Here’s Raf Nicholson’s report:
Loads of players deserve credit. Archer and Mahmood for cleaning up the tail. Livingstone for bagging a bunch of wickets when things threatened to spiral out of control.
But the man who truly turned things round was – once again – Adil Rashid who claimed 2-23 from his four overs while conceding just one boundary.
Guy Hornsby has some love for the veteran leggie:
“I’m still not over Jimmy, of course Daniel, but I wonder when we’re going to mourn his white ball cousin, Adil. His control and variety is unequalled for England and he’s been one of the best spinners in the modern era of short form cricket. An all-timer. 120 wickets in T20s at 24, at 7.3 economy and a 20 ball strike rate. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down. When he’s gone it’s going to be an almighty hole to fill. What a player.”
WICKET! Zampa run-out Cox/Salt 4 (2) Australia all-out 179
What a remarkable turnaround that is! It ends with Zampa run-out after trying to eke out an extra run but Cox did well to pick up cleanly and throw in accurately on the bounce.
Australia had 86 from the first six overs for just one wicket. They managed 93 for nine from the remaining 14.
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19th over: Australia 173-9 (Hazelwood 1, Zampa 0) Mahmood concedes just one run as he gets his second wicket. To the crowd’s relief he doesn’t get another as that means Archer is on a hat-trick first up next over.
WICKET! Green b Mahmood 13 (16) Australia 172-9
A TEAM HAt-TRICK! Three wickets in three balls for England and Australia are on the ropes. Another perfect yorker, this time from Mahmood. And that’s his second in two balls so he’s on a hat-trick himself.
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WICKET! Bartlett b Archer 0 (1) Australia 172-8
Two in two! That was a gem! If the first wicket was slightly fortunate as it was a full toss this was inch perfect. So fast, so accurate, so good!
18th over: Australia 172-8 (Green 13)
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WICKET! Abbott b Archer 4 (5) Australia 172-7
Full, straight, fast, OUT! Just too quick for Abbott who shifted across his crease and tried to flick it over fine leg. In the end it was a full toss but it was always beating the bat and made a mess of the sticks. Australia are collapsing.
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17th over: Australia 166-6 (Green 11, Abbott 1) A fantastic return from Curran. He started his over with a wide and he must have thought this just wouldn’t be his night. But he backed himself and went to the back-of-the-hand slower ball. Once he cramped Green and then, after bringing deep third up, beat Inglis’ reverse scoop and took the top of his off-stump.
WICKET! Inglis b Curran 37 (28) Australia 165-6
Inglis falls looking for a reverse scoop! Curran, who got obliterated in his first over, returns with what could be a game-changing scalp. Slightly slower, I think, which meant Inglis lost his shape as he waited to execute his premeditated stroke. It bit into the surface and clipped the top of off. That could be the difference between chasing at 10 an over or eight an over.
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16th over: Australia 161-5 (Inglis 36, Green 9) Rashid completes his set with figures of 1-23 from his four overs. What a player. His final six balls cost a miserly six runs and no boundaries. Inglis keeps things ticking along with Green keeping pace, flicking a couple past midwicket and running hard.
15th over: Australia 155-5 (Inglis 34, Green 5) Livingstone continues, and why not? But Inglis steps up and unfurls a truly majestic inside-out lofted cover drive that gets to the rope with just one bounce. That was gorgeous! There’s a wide down leg but otherwise Livingstone is tidy, conceding four singles and a couple as Inglis bisects two fielders in the deep on the leg side.
14th over: Australia 144-5 (Inglis 26, Green 3) Bethell isn’t having as much joy as the leggies. Another drag one – his customary one for the over – is given the business by Inglis he swivels and lifts it over wide fine leg for six. 10 off this over as well. That’s three consecutive overs from Bethell that cost double digits.
13th over: Australia 134-5 (Inglis 17, Green 2) Livingstone is labelled as a ‘part-timer’ but he’s leading England’s fightback. After getting hammered down the ground for six by Stoinis off his first ball of the over, he went full and straight and bagged back-to-back wickets. Both were lbw. Both were given not out. Both were reviewed successfully. In a flash the game has turned.
WICKET! David lbw Livingstone 0 (1) Australia 132-5
Livingstone is on a hat-trick! Unreal scenes as David misses with a swiping sweep. It hits his pad and again the original decision is not-out. But it pitched in line and didn’t shoot down leg. Three reds and he’s gone as well.
Updated
WICKET! Stoinis lbw Livingstone 10 (8) Australia 132-4
England have turned this game! Salt gambled by sticking with Livingstone and it looked a costly mistake as Stoinis clobbered the first ball of the over for six down the ground. But a flatter, fuller one beat the reverse sweep and thudded into the front pad. Originally give not-out, three reds had Stoinis on his bike.
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12th over: Australia 126-3 (Inglis 17, Stoinis 4) England’s wrist-spinners have completely changed the complexion of this game. Before Rashid’s first over Australia were 86-1 after six overs. Now, after Rashid’s third that cost just five singles, the Aussies are 126-3. Stoinis is struggling to pick him and almost popped back a return catch.
11th over: Australia 121-3 (Inglis 15, Stoinis 1) What a terrific start from Livingstone, whose leg-spin has bagged a big wicket and only cost three runs. Two of them were off the bat of Inglis who is now the senior batter. Stoinis, the new man, gets off the mark with a mistimed swipe into the leg side.
WICKET! Short c Curran b Livingstone 41 (26) Australia 118-3
The change of bowling works! Livingstone into the attack and Short climbs into a slog-sweep. I initially thought he got all of it but he’s well short of the deep backward square boundary where Curran runs in and pouches it.
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10th over: Australia 118-2 (Short 41, Inglis 13) Bethell again drags one down and Short nails it over the infield on the off-side in front of square for four. Otherwise the Aussie are happy to rotate the strike. Three singles, a two for Inglis with a pull through midwicket and a leg-bye to finish all add up to another 10 off that Bethell over.
9th over: Australia 108-2 (Short 36, Inglis 9) With chaos swirling around him, Rashid still exudes calm and control. And even though Inglis whacked him for four down the ground with a lovely swing of the bat, the leggie still looked dangerous, keeping Australia to three singles throughout the rest of the set.
8th over: Australia 101-2 (Short 35, Inglis 3) Bethell’s first over in international cricket ends with two boundaries as he drags down to Short. First he’s cut through point and then he’s popped over the infield on the leg side between the boundary riders. Otherwise it was tidy, but those two fours means he concedes 10 runs as Australia bring up three figures in a flash.
7th over: Australia 91-2 (Short 27, Inglis 2) Great start from Rashid who knocked over the Australia skipper with one that went on with the arm while only conceding five runs. Inglis, the new man, gets off the mark with a swishing drive down the ground for two.
WICKET! Marsh b Rashid 2 (3) Australia 89-2
Adil knocks him over! From the very first ball Marsh didn’t look comfortable facing the world’s best T20 bowler. The Aussie skipper plants his front foot and takes a mighty swipe at it but misses by some distance as the leg spinner finds his off-stump.
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WICKET! Head c Cox b Mahmood 59 (23) Australia 86-1
Head holes out! After spanking Mahmood for a six to bring up his fifty off just 19 balls, and then taking two more boundaries – rather cheaply down to fine leg as Mahmood lost his line – Head goes again but can only sky it out to deep midwicekt where Cox holds onto one that came down with icicles.
Still, that’s unquestionably Australia’s powerplay.
6th over: Australia 86-1 (Short 26)
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Head reaches 50 off 19 balls
“Simply incredible ball-striking,” says Eoin Morgan. That’s for sure. Another six – a swivel-pull off Mahmood – brings up his half-century.
5th over: Australia 71-0 (Head 25, Head 45) Sam Curran now and he is welcomed into the attack with a spanking. Well, six spankings, actually. It’s not good bowling. He’s far too short and Head pulls a slower ball for four, cuts for four more and then pulls a six backward of square. Curran corrects his length but it doesn’t change the outcome. Head flicks a six over midwicket and then over deep point. He ends the over with a four to deep mid-off. 446664. What an over from Head!
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4th over: Australia 41-0 (Short 25, Head 15) Mahmood into the attack and he is smoked through the covers by Short who stands tall and unleashes his arms at a short and wide one. Head survives a caught behind decision having reviewed the instant the finger went up. No controversy there, it clearly hit his jumper. Short cracks two more into the covers but they’re both stopped. Not a bad first over from Mahmood.
3rd over: Australia 35-0 (Short 20, Head 15) Archer beats Head’s outside edge with his first two balls but the next two fly away to the fence. Neither are out the middle of the bat but Head gives them both a proper thwack – first over cover off the front foot, then off the back foot over backward point. That forces Archer to bowl from round the wicket to reduce the width but Head is up to the task as he tucks the final delivery through midwicket for another four.
2nd over: Australia 23-0 (Short 20, Head 3) Topley from the other end offers a different prospect than Archer. He’s looking to swing it back into the right hander with his left arm but gets too straight on two occasions and Short clobbers him for back-to-back sixes. The first is over deep square leg, the second is even bigger over fine leg. Four singles elsewhere in the set means it’s an expensive start for Topley.
1st over: Australia 8-0 (Short 7, Head 1) Archer with some zip opens up. His first ball is back of a length and Short swivel-pulls it past the man at midwicket who misfields as it bobbles for a couple. An inside edge gets Short off strike before Archer beats Head with a beauty that lifts from a good length. The next squirts off a leading edge that would have landed on a regulation backward point’s nose. Instead Head picks up a single to the sweeper and Short gets a pair of twos through the off-side.
An eventful and steamy opening from Archer.
Can confirm that the shirts aren’t classics. England in bright red with blue trousers. Australia in dark green with yellow embellishments. Actually the Aussie kit isn’t so bad.
Anyway, enough of that. It’s Archer with the new ball. He’ll be tearing into Short first up.
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Almost there. They’re clearing the ground staff, ushering the Sky pundits off the pitch and setting things up. Not long now.
Jacob Bethell is on screen chatting to Mark Butcher and he seems like a lovely young lad!
I hope that comes across sincerely. Speaks well, backs himself and exudes a real love for the game. He’s just 20-years-old and has already shone under the bright lights of The Hundred, scoring fast runs and plucking sensational catches on the boundary.
There’s been loads of positive noise around him. Let’s hope he goes well.
Despite fielding three debutants and an unfamiliar top order, I’m really excited to see England bowl.
Adil Rashid is the world’s number one ranked T20 bowler and how good is it to see Jofra Archer fit and ready to go? Saqib Mahmood and Reece Topley are handy – and tall – operators as well. Australia will have to bat this evening.
England win the toss and bowl first
“The venue suits bowling first,” says skipper Phil Salt as three players – Jacob Bethell, Jordon Cox and Jamie Overton – make their debut.
Mitch Marsh, Australia’s captain with a mighty moustache, also would have bowled first.
England: Phil Salt (c, wk), Will Jacks, Jordon Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley.
Australia: Travis Head, Matthew Short, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazelwood.
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Andrew Kitching has a very particular wish:
“I’d love one of the old MCC touring jerseys. Love the red and yellow piping. Far better than the home version.”
Well Andrew, perhaps someone out there has just what you’re looking for.
What will the players be wearing?
That might not matter now, but in 10, 20, 30 years from now, perhaps these strips will be considered vintage classics.
Hopefully future generations have an easy time locating them. At least easier than the challenge me and my fellow collectors face whenever we search for holy grails and white whales.
For a better idea of what I’m on about, take a read of this week’s Spin column, penned by yours truly:
The Sky feed has just flicked on and it’s sunshine and blue skies!
Looks lovely down on the south coast.
It’s probably not the smartest decision but there’s something special about a player heroically limping out to bat at No 11 for the good of the team.
Here’s Tom Banton doing so for Somerset:
Tom Banton rolled his ankle in the warm-up before day three of Somerset's County Championship title clash with Surrey.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 11, 2024
Tomorrow he will go for an MRI, but today, with his team desperate to stretch their lead, he limped to the middle at No.11. Hero.pic.twitter.com/u6h9CSupnH
Rain in the air and moisture on the ground means there’ll be a delay to the toss and start time.
It was scheduled for 6 pm but it’ll now be 6:15 pm.
Play will get underway at 6:45 pm.
Can’t wait for that first ball?
Well, if you’re hankering for some cricket on the go, Tom Davies is on top of all the County Championship action here:
Preamble
I never thought I’d say this but I’m glad the Test schedule is over and we can get stuck into some white ball action.
No really, I am. It’s not only because the six England Tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka were plodding affairs. No disrespect to the opposition who, thanks to deep inequities in the game, arrived to a gun fight with little more than wooden swords. But of course the lack of a proper battle diluted the whole affair.
Australia’s white ball players will offer a much tougher test of England’s mettle and it’s for that reason that I’m jazzed about this contest.
As Geoff Lemon writes, there’s been a bit of change in both camps as “two quite aged teams are becoming two sides in transition.” This means we’re in relatively unknown territory and, given the heavy emphasis on 20 and 50 over ICC competitions, this next month could give us an idea of the future world order of the game. A few standout performances from some newbies could become launchpads for greater heights.
Geoff also concedes that this is a money spinner. But that’s not said with dripping cynicism. Money means interest and cricket in general needs an interested public. As a fan of the game with no skin in this one, I’m just hoping for some decent action.
England have (cheekily, I feel) named their XI already. But I’ll stick with OBO convention and list that later. I’ll also be bringing you the Aussie line-up with some other bits and bobs as we approach the first ball which is scheduled at 6:30 pm BST/3:30 am AEST (good morning to you early birds).
