AUS vs ENG 1st T20 Match Prediction

AUS vs ENG Team Previews

Australia

It’s never a dull moment when Australia faces England in any cricket format, as here’s a rivalry that has lasted centuries.

After the Aussies defeated the West Indies in two T20 matches at home, there will be a few minor changes to the squad for the first battle against the English. Australian selectors have decided to rest the frontline bowling assault for only the first T20 match in Perth.

This is mainly to allow the bowlers time to recover from the West Indies contest, and to limit the capacity before the World Cup. This means that Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, and Glenn Maxwell will all be rested for the initial matchup.

As a result, Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Mitchell Swepson, and Nathan Ellis will play as substitutes. This will be a huge chance for Swepson and Stoinis, in particular, as both have struggled with inconsistency but are definitely worthy of inclusion to the squad.

Stoinis is recovering from a side strain, and does appear to be fit for the matchup. Still, the recent great performances by Cameron Green will make it tough for Stoinis to be included in the World Cup starting 11, but you never know.

England

England is bolstered by the return of captain Jos Buttler, who is simply Mr T20 when it comes to reliable and fantastic batting. Buttler has a solid average of 32.75 and has picked up 2,227 runs in 94 matches.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the inclusion of Harry Brooks, as here is a young and skilled batter that England will hope to rely on in the future. Brooks’ 81 runs, not out, against Pakistan in the third T20 match displayed his prowess with the bat and made English cricket refreshing once more.

All-rounder Moeen Ali is by far the X-Factor of this current English squad. He’s had nights of stunning batting and bowling, so if he can give his country the best of both worlds in three matches, then England has a massive chance to win.

We’re not sure what to make of Ben Stokes, as he’s great one day and poor the next, but he’s nevertheless a must-have in any cricket format for England due to his talent and experience.