Righto, that is me done. England’s white ball goose is rotating on the spit. A big week coming up for Messrs Buttler and Mott. All that’s to come. Ali Martin’s report from the Kensington Oval should be drifting along the wires any moment.
I’ll be back to bring you Pakistan v India in NYC tomorrow, should be a belter. Thanks for tuning in and goodbye for now.
Plenty of strong reaction flying about. Buttler and Mott don’t have a great deal of credit in the bank.
Hard to recall a lamer second 10 overs in a big game by an England T20 side. Serious questions now for the management. (In truth, there were serious questions before, but today's game provides a sharper focus.)
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 8, 2024
England under a little bit of pressure now. The decision to bowl Will Jacks for the second over of the match will attract scrutiny. T20 is obsessed with matchups. It’s over-thinking it. Why not bowl Jofra at the start??
— Paul Newman (@Paul_Newman66) June 8, 2024
England were looking for a statement performance. Unfortunately not one like this
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) June 8, 2024
Mitch Marsh is, as ever, very chirpy. With good reason after that performance. Australia are quite good in big tournaments. You didn’t hear it here first.
"Experienced guys really stood up when I needed them" 👊
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 8, 2024
Mitchell Marsh on his sides performance against England 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Uzbp7leo95
Adam Zampa is player of the match, deservedly so.
We play England a lot and we know their players. We’ve also trained here and know the dimensions. There was a massive breeze so it was about getting England hitting to the long boundary where it is more difficult to hit sixes and fours.
It’s hard to play cross-bat shots against me. Some of the wickets in the Windies you need to sum up on the spot, looking at how Rash (Adil Rashid) bowled as well helped. We have great depth with our bowling attack, playing all different roles.”
Jos Buttler:
"They came out with a lot of intent and put us under a lot of pressure straightaway. We fought well, but they took wickets at crucial times and played really well.
Hindsight gives you lots of decisions you could have changed, it was quite extreme conditions with the short side and the wind. Jofra bowled really well and looked like he hasn’t been away at all, such variety and skill, it’s great to have him back.
Outside the powerplay was always going to be the challenge, credit to Australia - their seamers were very consistent - making us hit to the long side. We came second today, but it’s all laid out for us, what we need to do.”
Butter speaks to Mel Jones at the post match presentation.
He’s actually quite perky and fluent, not the slightly bristling Buttler that greeted the media this week or the sad eyed Jos-y of the low scores seen far too often in last year’s fifty over World Cup.
I’ll rattle off the key quotes in two tics.
Fair to say the OBO mailbag is groaning under quite a few gloomy reactions to that performance.
“Mildly better than tooth extraction without anaesthetic” writes Stephen Cottrell like a man who knows.
“Sam Curran - player of the tournament 18 months ago. Not picked. Bowling a part time spinner against the lefties in the power play. Having Bairstow in the side at the expense of half a dozen better batters. Holding Livingstine back till it’s too late. Dreadful decision making all round…”
Don’t hold back Stephen, tell us how you really feel.
Australia win by 36 runs
A clinical masterclass from Australia, with both bat and ball. England paid the price for conceding too many runs (70 in five overs) before they got a read on the pitch. Even then Australia had enough nous and muscle to keep finding the fence. Buttler and Salt started well in response but the innings fell away in the middle and ended with something of a squib.
Lots to ponder for Mott and Buttler. They head to Antigua to play Oman and Namibia and can’t afford any slip ups… or for any weather.
Very plausible that Scotland and Australia go into their final group game knowing that a Scotland defeat within a certain margin would see both go through and knock England out. Could be fun
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) June 8, 2024
Updated
19th over: England 152-6 (Brook 10, Jordan 0) England need 50 runs off the final six balls. Which ain’t gonna happen.
Matthew Mott became very angry in India when he was asked to talk about why England’s champion team had played poorly. The reply was that it was nobody back home’s business. I wonder if he’s had any media training since
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 8, 2024
Gulp.
Updated
WICKET! Livingstone c Starc b Cummins 15 (England 152-6)
Cummins gets Livingstone with another slower ball cutter, a slog to the fence is well held by Starc. Australia learnt from England’s errors and have been absolutely clinical.
18th over: England 148-5 (Brook 8, Livingstone 13) Zampa to bowl his last. He’s been excellent today and delivered when the game was tightly poised. Just three singles off the first three balls. Livingstone then slams a six over the fence but it is too little too late. Two more follow into the leg side and a single to finish sees Livingstone keep strike.
Zampa finishes with 2-28 off his four overs and gets a few back slaps and bum pats for his efforts.
Updated
17th over: England 136-5 (Brook 6, Livingstone 3) Win predictor has Australia at 99.68% after Hazlewood finishes his spell with 1-28. Just six off the over.
66 needed from 18 balls. About now, lads, I reckon, if you could?
16th over: England 130-5 (Brook 2, Livingstone 1) Australia all over England like a cheap suit.
72 needed from 24 balls:
Updated
WICKET! Ali c Warner b Cummins 25 (England 128-5)
Cummins picks up Moeen, a slice out to the off side fence where David Warner takes a good catch straight out of the sun.
The big bright thing in the sky is setting on England in this match unless new man Liam Livingstone and Harry Brook can combine to do something pretty remarkable.
15th over: England 126-4 (Ali 24, Brook 1) Brilliant over from Josh Hazlewood – the wicket of Bairstow and just two runs off it. Harry Brook guilty of trying to hit the ball too hard, dots stitched together and tension ramping. Slipping away for England unless they can find a couple of 20+ overs sharpish.
WICKET! Bairstow c Maxwell b Hazlewood 7 (England 124-4)
Bairstow holes out to Maxwell in the deep! Here comes Harry Brook. Lots of pressure on England here.
Updated
14th over: England 124-3 (Bairstow 7, Ali 23) Moeen makes up for his dots in the last over with consecutive sixes off Maxwell first two balls. Pressure on the bowler, he manages to respond with just two singles. Last ball incoming – SIX! Moeen sweeps away over the leg-side for a big one. 2o runs off the over, England’s best of the match, they still need to go at 13 an over to the close.
78 needed from 36 balls.
13th over: England 104-3 (Bairstow 6, Ali 4) Australia putting the squeeze on magnificently. Moeen can only find a single off the first three and then Bairstow tries to moose the next two out of the ground but misses with both. Dot to finish. Zampa wins the battle and gets out of the over for the cost of three. England wilting here, 11 runs off the last three overs, five off the last two.
Updated
12th over: England 101-3 (Bairstow 4, Ali 3) The left handed Moeen is promoted ahead of the right handed Harry Brook on the batting card, that’s a tactical change with the short boundary in mind. Glenn Maxwell is onto bowl trying to defend the short boundary, he darts them in and only two singles off it. 101 needed from 48 balls. England need a big one, pronto.
Updated
WICKET! Jacks c Starc b Stoinis 10 (England 96-3)
Stoinis after a quick drink. Three singles and the pressure starting to build… Jacks goes aerial down the ground but Mitch Starc pulls off a fine catch diving forward! hssssss goes the pressure cooker. Top granb from the athletic Starc.
10th over: England 93-2 (Jacks 9, Bairstow 1) Here’s Jonny. Bairstow bristles out to the middle and narrowly avoids being caught first ball! A mis-timed drive goes in the air through extra-cover but evades the fielder somehow. Ten overs done – England need 109 from 60 balls.
WICKET! Jos Buttler c Cummins b Zampa 42 (England 92-2)
Plenty of chirp out there, Matt Wade behind the stumps the main culprit. Buttler breaks his wrists on a full ball from Zampa and it sails down the ground for SIX. Gone now though! Buttler can’t believe it – he tried a lofted reverse-sweep but didn’t get enough elevation. Pat Cummins taking a simple catch at backward point. Ebb, meet flow.
Updated
9th over: England 83-1 (Buttler 34, Jacks 8) Pat Cummins into the attack for his second over. A single each to Buttler and Jacks. Shot! Jacks uses his strength to bunt Cummins through the covers for four. That’s the only boundary though, seven runs off the over.
Updated
8th over: England 76-1 (Buttler 32, Jacks 3) Excellent over from Zampa. A wicket and just three runs as Will Jacks joins his captain in the middle and opens his account with a couple of singles.
Updated
WICKET! Salt b Zampa 37 (England 73-1)
Adam Zampa to bowl his first – his spell will be crucial to the result in this match… and he’s GOT A WICKET FIRST BALL! Salt goes back and tries to cut but the it spins on and skids through and he’s bowled. Salt looks disbelieving but he’s got to go.
Updated
7th over: England 73-0 (Salt 37, Buttler 32) A big moment as Travis Head steps on the boundary sponge a la Trent Boult in that 2019 final. Could’ve/should’ve been the end of Salt but he actually ends up with six more runs to his name. A single sees Buttler come on strike. SIX! He bunts the Starc slower ball over the short boundary and follows up with a booming drive down the ground for four. Nineteen off the over for England.
6th over: England 54-0 (Salt 29, Buttler 21) Buttler clears the infield and finds the fence against the muscular Stoinis. Only a couple more runs off the over though and that’s the powerplay done with. England are up with the rate but can’t afford to have a bad over. Australia had twenty more runs at this stage.
5th over: England 48-0 (Salt 28, Buttler 16) England get eight runs off Cummins’ first over, Salt has started more fluently than Buttler and steers away for a well timed boundary. One more over of the power play left for them to get some big runs before things get a bit trickier. All ten wickets in hand still though.
4th over: England 40-0 (Salt 20, Buttler 16) Salt pings Hazlewood for two boundaries off the over, both through point with a flat bat. Big over incoming – Pat Cummins is coming on to bowl.
Updated
3rd over: England 31-0 (Salt 16, Buttler 12) That’ll do Phil. Salt hits a mighty 106 metre six onto the roff of the Hall and Griffith Stand. A serious blow that. Held the position as he whipped off the pads impressively. Starc goes to his yorker, a clip off the heel brings a single and a lost radar gifts a wide. Four to Buttler! A whack off the pads into the leg side from Jos and a one bounce four. 13 runs off the over.
Stephen Holiday is tuned in from Oh Canada.
“Sitting in a park in Toronto with my kids. Thanks for all the hard work*. Was thinking back just a few short years and this total wouldn’t have seemed daunting at all. Perhaps even looking at getting to the total with no loss. Now? I’ll let it all play out but I know what I’m thinking…”
Yep the game moves at a frightening pace sometimes and a maddeningly slow one at others.
*And thanks but it is a pleasure. I’m “hardly down t’pit” as my old man might say.
2nd over: England 18-0 (Salt 6, Buttler 11) Good over for England. Buttler skips down and spanks a length ball for four through cover and follows up with a pull for four more. A clip off the pads brings a couple more and two singles make it 12 off the over. Australia hit a lot of sixes, England need to not only find the boundary but clear it too.
1st over: England 6-0 (Salt 5, Buttler 0) Mitchell Starc steaming in with the new ball. Here we go. Eeeesht! A searing yorker first up nearly cleans Salt up but he somehow manages to jam the bat down on it in time. What’s more – it squirts away for four runs! A tidy first over from Starc, just a single and a wide off it to make it six off the first over. Josh Hazlewood is going to bowl the next. England need to take one of him or Starc down to give themselves a chance in this game. Easier said than…
They’ve got a steep hill to run up. Ahem.
“Evening from chilly Howarth (yep it’s Wuthering)“
Evening to you Heathcliffe Ian Chadwick.
“Watching from afar this England team don’t look like they gel, don’t look like they get on and don’t really look fit. They appear positively grumpy…”
I’m not sure I agree with any of this but they certainly looked a bit rattled whilst the Aussie’s were peppering the boundaries with gleeful abandon. I think Buttler is feeling the pressure after a poor world cup and some of that is certainly starting to show. Maybe the other players can pick up on it too. A win here might solve it all and they’ll be away. A thumping loss, or a loss of any kind however and they’ll be the ones feeling like they are in the middle of a wuthering of sorts…
Updated
England will have to have an excellent power play (like Australia did) to keep themselves in this. Here comes Phil Salt and a no doubt butterfly-stomached Jos Buttler.
Can’t help but think that, again, Reece Topley’s height and variations would have been a handful on this
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 8, 2024
Australia set England 202 runs to win!
Wade scampers a single off the last ball and is very nearly run out but Jordan broke the stumps with his hand allowing the batter to just ground his foot in time. Not out after plentiful views by the third umpire. England’s first and last overs were good – the 18 in the middle were the problem. They’ll have to go some to haul down this target. Pressure on Buttler’s boys!
Updated
WICKET! Pat Cummins run out (Buttler/Jordan) 0 (Australia 200-7)
Two in two! Cummins is sacrificed as Wade sprints to get on strike and Buttler/Jordan combine to run the big man out. Decent finish this for England.
WICKET! Stoinis c Brook b Jordan 30 (Australia 200-6)
Jordan gets his 100th T20I wicket as Stoinis finds Brook in the deep.
England have been penalised for a slow over rate and have to have another fielder inside the ring for the last over. Stoinis picks up four down to long on – Harry Brook again sprawling on the turf but he can’t quite reach the ball in time. 200 will be a big psychological blow for Australia to strike against England. All the pressure will be on them in the run chase. Jordan is nudged for a single and then sends down a leg side wide that does see the 200 up for the Aussies. They’ve been excellent with the bat.
19th over: Australia 193-5 (Stoinis 25, Wade 15) Archer to bowl the penultimate. Oh that’s unlucky, he squares Wade up with a beauty that shapes away but the batter gets a tickle of an edge on it away wide of the keeper for four. Cutters and slower balls from Archer, a mis-time pull from Wade brings two more. Harry Brook bravely throws himself in the way of the ball to save a boundary, one of those horrible ones that could end up bouncing up and smashing you in the chops.
Wade attempts a reverse pull but misses – or does he? England think he gloved it and so does the umpire but Wade calls for the review immediately. It was off his arm, not out and time for the final over.
18th over: Australia 185-5 (Stoinis 24, Wade 9) Wade has come out snapping, he rocks back and bunts Rashid through extra cover for four more. A single and a brace follow. One ball in the over to go… a miscommunication in the field between Archer and Bairstow sees the ball trickle between them to the fence. Hmm – double teapot from Rashid and rightly so. The wheels aren’t off for England but they are certainly rattling.
17th over: Australia 173-5 (Stoinis 17, Wade 4) Matt Wade is the new man. His first act is to pull Jordan away for four!
Three overs to come, they could be long ones for England.
Updated
WICKET! Tim David c Livingstone b Jordan 11 (Australia 168-5)
Answer: Not very.
David picks out the man on the fence.
Updated
Jordan is smeared for SIX by Tim David. A remarkable strike considering it was into the breeze on the long boundary side and he took one hand off the bat as he played the stroke. A couple of singles follow… DROP Jordan spills a return catch in his follow through, it was rifled back at him by David but that is a rare sight. How costly will that be…?
16th over: Australia 160-4 (Stoinis 16, David 4) Tim David is the new batter. Livingstone sends down another tidy over, bowling tight lines for five singles. Gah. Yet again Australia hit a six off the final ball to ruin England’s good work. Stoinis climbing into a length ball and depositing high and long back over the bowler’s head. Wonderful shot.
15th over: Australia 149-4 (Stoinis 8, David 1) Rashid goes for just three runs and has the wicket in his back pocket after five balls of the over but is then brought back down to earth as Stoinis sweeps the final ball for SIX over the short boundary. It was a top edge but it soared over the rope.
Updated
WICKET! Maxwell c Salt b Rashid 28 (Australia 141-4)
Another big wicket! Maxwell has to go after cloth-ing a pull shot to Phil Salt at midwicket. Both set men back in the hutch for the aussies.
14th over: Australia 140-3 (Maxwell 26, Stoinis 0) Top over from Livingstone. Just four runs and a wicket off it. England still look a bit battered and bruised. Marcus Stoinis is the new man. He’s got a chest like an American fridge and bulging biceps to go with it. He was the star man against Oman and can hit a loooong ball. Hold onto your stovepipe.
WICKET! Marsh st Buttler b Livingstone 35 (Australia 139-3)
Australia on course for over 200 which everyone on my tv thinks is way above par. Liam Livingstone and his box of tricks are given the nod. He’s on the button and even better… he’s looped a leg spinner past a forward groping Marsh and Buttler removes the bails (albeit at the second pass) Marsh’s foot is on the line so he has to go.
Could be a big moment in the game.
13th over: Australia 136-2 (Marsh 34, Maxwell 26) Chris Jordan nearly gets Maxwell who tries to manipulate a ball from waaaaay outside off stump into the leg side, the top edge narrowly avoiding Jonny Bairstow on the dive. He’s nailed that one thought, Jordan is lifted over short third for SIX.
Jordan slips down a few wides which will do nowt for England’s over rate. Any more time penalties and they’ll start to be punished. They really do not need that. Shot! Maxwell drives uppishly for four and then knocks a single to get Marsh on strike. This partnership looking more and more settled and dangerous as we head towards the business end of the innings. Four more! Marsh splats a wide ball square on the cut. Bruising stuff.
Updated
12th over: Australia 118-2 (Marsh 29, Maxwell 15) Wood returns and is flogged through the leg side for four by Glenn Maxwell. A couple and a single off the over as the final three balls are three hen’s teeth shaped dots. England get their first warning for not starting the next over in time, there’s plenty of flapping going on out there.
11th over: Australia 111-2 (Marsh 26, Maxwell 11) Archer bowls his third over. Pace off is the order of the day, England might rue not learning that was the way to go on this pitch until Australia had maaaarmalised their first five overs for seventy runs. Smash! Marsh hangs back expecting the short ball and manages to get enough on it to just clear the ropes and the boundary riders. SIX runs. That one keeps the Aussie run rate at over ten an over.
Alexander Novara is sat in the bleachers in NYC and emails in with a doozy.
“Hey Jim!
This email is coming to you from the stands for my very first cricket match of my life; before today, I’d never so much as seen a cricket bat or ball with my own two eyes. Granted, I’m in New York watching the gritty/punchy banger of a match between South Africa and the Netherlands, but my loyalty lies in Barbados with the England squad that has relatively recently stolen my heart.
I fell in love with the test game a few years back as an unlikely Italian American who figured you’ve gotta try every sport once, this high-scoring fare still doesn’t feel like proper cricket to me but I certainly won’t complain if it’s what brings my sporting obsession to my doorstep! I’ve been evangelizing the game the best I can, but I do think we’ve still got a bit more work to do before anything takes off stateside outside of ever-dedicated immigrant communities.
As an English test cricket enthusiast, I’ve had this Ashes-reminiscent match marked on the calendar for ages. What a time to be alive! Here’s to the USA in the Super 8, I just hope England can clean up their NRR to join them if my pessimism isn’t misplaced from what we’ve seen in this power play!”
Great to have you on board Alex, I hear the game in NYC was a cracker too…
10th over: Australia 102-2 (Marsh 18, Maxwell 10) Chris Jordan bowls the tenth over and mixes up his lengths and speeds effectively, just five runs off it. Australia bring up their hundred but England have reeled them in a little in the last few overs. Time for a quick slurp of something luminous for the players.
Updated
9th over: Australia 97-2 (Marsh 15, Maxwell 8) Rashid is full, too full – Maxwell pounces and pings it for four through midwicket. Googly time, Rashid executes well and gets a couple of dots. A single brings Marsh on strike. Crack! Marsh goes deep in his crease and pulls a shorter ball onto the solar panels. BIG SIX.
Updated
8th over: Australia 85-2 (Marsh 8, Maxwell 3) Mark Wood returns after being mauled in his first over. A single to Maxwell and then two dots to Marsh. Wood is going for a more pace off approach, rolling his fingers on the seam and cutting it into the pitch, and it is working more for him and England. Just three off the over as England claw some momentum back.
7th over: Australia 82-2 (Marsh 0, Maxwell 0) Rashid is pummelled away on the sweep by Marsh but it is the only boundary of the over which feels like a result for England at the minute. Four singles off the rest, Rashid mixing up flight and length.
6th over: Australia 74-2 (Marsh 0, Maxwell 0) Australia have a very healthy platform for Maxwell and Marsh to spring from. Archer gets out of the over brilliantly, two 90 and then some MPH shorter balls whistle past Glenn Maxwell. End of the power play, Adil Rashid is coming on to bowl.
Updated
WICKET! Travis Head b Archer 34 (Australia 74-2)
Stumps outta the ground! Archer has gone to his cutters and he spears one through the ever dangerous looking Head. England punching back.
Updated
WICKET! David Warner b Ali 39 (Australia 70-1)
My word, England needed that. Moeen skids one through Warner and disturbs the stumps. Breathe, lads. Breathe.
Mitch Marsh joins head in the middle.
5th over: Australia 70-1 (Head 30, Marsh 0)
Updated
Travis Head steps out and launches the returning Moeen for a four and then a SIX down the ground. England look a bit shell shocked. Buttler runs down once more from his position behind the stumps to have a word with his bowler. A whiff of panic I reckon. “The game feels like it is in fast forward when you are out there in this sort of situation” says Aaron Finch on comms. Well it is x32 speed at the minute. Warner hangs back in his crease and pulls away in front of square for four. England badly need a wicket to get some respite… and they get one!
Updated
4th over: Australia 55-0 (Head 19, Warner 35) Mark Wood replaces Will Jacks but in exactly the same way that Head took down Jacks to the short boundary Davey Warner does the same to the Durham speedster – launching the first two balls off the over into the stands on the leg side. Six and Six. Wood comes back with his newly minted slower ball and manages to get a dot to calm things down a little.
Not for long though – an attempted yorker results in a full toss and Warner smears it for a huge SIX. Buttler even feeling moved to run down to his bowler for a word in the ear. It’s carnage so far, the short boundary is proving almost impossible to defend at the moment for England. Warner pulls for four more! Fifty up for the Aussies in not time at all. England reeling in what could well be a must win game.
Updated
3rd over: Australia 33-0 (Head 19, Warner 13) Jofra Archer is summoned for the next over. What a lovely sentence to be able to type. Archer is quick and threatening, angling the ball back in and cramping Warner and Head for room. They manage a couple of quite risky singles and spoon a couple over the infield for a brace each. Neither batter looking comfortable. Archer bowls a cutter last up and it thuds Warner on the glove. No run. A bit of order restored for England by Jofra, eight off the over.
No thank you, Damian Clarke.
“Good evening. Looking forward to this. But may I say a big thank you?Having been in the garden all day, I’ve had nothing but Elvis Costello and his bloody ‘good year for the roses’ in my head. But I’ve just read your early comment, and now it’s been replaced by The Orb and their li’l fluffy white clouds. Lovely.”
2nd over: Australia 25-0 (Head 18, Warner 7) Bish and Bosh. Will Jacks is immediately put under pressure by a swashbuckling Travis Head who opens the shoulders and pumps two length balls for consecutive SIXES! A thick edge runs away for three to bring Warner on strike. Deep breaths Will. No good. Warner slog sweeps for four, Australia are rampant against Jacks and it is fair to say the experiment did not come off for Buttler and England. 22 runs off the over.
1st over: Australia 3-0 (Head 3, Warner 0) Moeen’s first ball is patted back by the walrus tache’d Head. The next is driven away for a couple to the shorter boundary on the off side. Two more dots follow before Head whips into the leg side to keep strike. Frugal start for England. Will Jacks is going to bowl the next over, somewhat surprisingly. England going with off spin against Australia’s two opening lefties.
How do you see this one going? England do have the wood over Australia in six of the last seven T20 meetings between the sides but this Australia unit have bags of experience and a happy knack of winning tournaments.
If you are tuning in then do not be afraid to slip a missive into the OBO mailbag – you can Email me with your thoughts or drop me a line on social meeeedja – @Jimbo_Cricket.
Moeen Ali is going to whirl away for the first over, Travis Head is on strike. Let’s play!
This is all very exciting. The weather is set fair in Barbados, white fluffy cloud and plenty of blue sky – more than enough to make a sailor’s pair of kecks. It looks to be a full house and crackling atmosphere at the Kensington Oval as the players emerge for the anthems.
England are the holders of course, and Australia are gunning for a third ICC gong to go with the World Test Championship and 50 over World Cup. We’ll have some fire and brimstone from Jofra Archer and Mark Wood very shortly, don’t go anywhere.
England win the toss and bowl!
Jos Buttler calls correctly and sticks Australia in. England are unchanged and Australia have made one change from their match against Oman – some guy called Pat? Pat Cummins is in for Nathan Ellis.
Teams:
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Matt Wade (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood
Preamble
Hello, g’day and welcome to the OBO of England v Australia in the T20 World Cup. The Kensington Oval is readying for what promises to be a decent old ding dong between the old enemies. It’s all to play for in Group B, especially for England who’s first game against Scotland was a points sharing washout. Australia are in a prettier position after polishing off a tricksy Oman but will be taking nothing for granted, a loss could be perilous for both.
Play gets underway in 3o minutes time – Ali Martin has got us covered for a curtain raiser:
If the vibe of the captain sets the tone of the team then the first of this weekend’s superclásicos in the T20 World Cup could be viewed as a slightly uptight England versus an Australia side that appears in tune with the rhythms of island life.
In the red corner for Saturday’s resumption of Ashes hostilities at Kensington Oval is Jos Buttler. He was a little bit prickly at the start of the week, irked by questions about how the approach to this title defence will differ to the blowout in the 50-over World Cup last winter, and has since seen the margin for error in Group B cut by Tuesday’s washout against Scotland. It probably reflected a suspicion that his job, and that of the head coach, Matthew Mott, are hugely contingent on a strong campaign.
And in the green corner – not canary yellow for this one – is Mitch Marsh, who, despite now being in his 30s, still carries a lovely air of wide-eyed wonder about being paid to do his hobby, not to mention the scruffy-haired look of a guy who woke up at 11am (and only then because mum was banging on the bedroom door). When he strolled from hotel to ground last Sunday for the captain’s pre-tournament press conference with his shirt off – coat-hanger shoulders and rig on show for those stuck in what passes for traffic here – he could easily have been mistaken for a travelling punter.
With Test and one-day international skipper Pat Cummins in the ranks for this one, Marsh seems a good fit as regards Australia’s outlook. They are 10,000 miles from home, where the winter football codes are typically dominating the sporting discourse, and are in a part of the world that they seldom have the good fortune to enjoy. The trophy cabinet is already well stocked, too, after last year’s World Test Championship win, Ashes retention, and that 50-over World Cup triumph in Ahmedabad. As such, they could almost be said to have a free hit at securing what has already been dubbed cricket’s “grand slam” by their media. Fail to do so and the blowback is unlikely to be fierce.”
