Key events
1st over: Australia 15-0 (Short 14, Head 0) Reece Topley’s first over disappears for 15. It started promisingly for England, with Short surviving a huge LBW appeal when an inswinger pitched just outside leg. Then, after a leg-side wide, he got stuck into Topley. Short pulled six out of the ground, edged four over the head of short third man and punched another boundary through mid-off. It could have been worse for England; Topley finished the over with consecutive dot balls.
It’s a lovely, sunny evening in Cardiff. Travis Head, captaining Australia for the first time, is about to smash England to all parts (possibly).
“I guess this is all just a bit of end-of-season fun/shameless money spinner (delete as applicable) so we just take it as that,” says Guy Hornsby. “But it seems very odd persisting with Jamie Overton as a batting only No.7. He’s a really talent but if the top 3 fail we look at least a better short, and that hurt us in the first game. Penny for other No.6/7s going around’s thoughts. Who would you have in there? But then what the hell do I know!”
I quite like Overton in there, as it’s such a specialist position and England have really struggled to find somebody. I think he’s worth a look.
Team news: Carse in for Archer
England bring Brydon Carse for Jofra Archer, whose workload is being managed. Australia bring in Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie for Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and the injured Xavier Bartlett.
England Salt (c/wk), Jacks, Cox, Livingstone, Bethell, S Curran, C Overton, Carse, Rashid, Mahmood, Topley.
Australia Short, Head (c), Fraser-McGurk, Inglis (wk), Stoinis, David, Green, Hardie, Connolly, Abbott, Zampa.
England win the toss and bowl
Travis Head, who is deputising for the unwell Mitch Marsh, calls incorrectly and is invited to bat first by Phil Salt. He’s a brave man.
There was one silver lining for England in the first T20 international, a fine allround performance from Liam Livingstone. Here’s what he made of it all.
Preamble
And so to Cardiff, where England need to win to keep the T20 series against Australia alive. Not that this little slice bilateral goodness is about winning and losing; it’s about… well, whatever you want it to be.
For many the most interesting aspect is the inclusion of young players on both sides: Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Xavier Bartlett and maybe Cooper Connolly.
It’s also another chance to watch the astonishing Travis Head, whose riotous 23-ball 59 settled Wednesday’s game inside the first six overs. And even if it is diluted, it’s still England v Australia. There are and will always be worse ways to spend a Friday night.
