Tri-Nation T20 Series, Match 2, Australia Women vs England Women: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

Australia Women will host England Women for the second match of the Tri-Nation T20. While England are coming off a defeat against India (after having won 4 matches in a row), Australia will be taking field for the first time in this year. They had won the World T20 in November 2018, and all but one of their matches in 2019 – and even the defeat had come in a dead-rubber match, to England at Bristol.

Before that defeat, however, Australia had beaten England 5 times in a row. Their batting order – one that boasts of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes, and Ellyse Perry – is, without a doubt, the most destructive in the format, while Perry, Megan Schutt, and Jess Jonassen are among the three finest bowlers in the world.

One must remember that they are the defending champions, will play at home, and have been in decent touch: all their frontline cricketers had done well in the WBBL.

England need to recover from their defeat against India, a match where they struggled against both spin and pace despite Pooja Vastrakar pulling a hamstring after bowling just one over. Heather Knight’s all-round show kept them in the match till the end (and won her a Player of the Match award despite defeat), but her teammates need to step up.

All in all, everything points towards Australia at this point.

Head to head

England hold an 18-16 lead here, but the count reads 4-7 over the past four years. England also lead 7-5 on Australian soil.

Key players

Heather Knight (England): Knight’s 44-ball 67, figures of 3-0-20-1, and usual astute handling of troops were England’s only positives from the India match. Knight will have to lead from the front again if England want to win here.

Meg Lanning (Australia): At Chelmsford last July against England, Lanning had slammed 133 not out in just 63 balls to set a new world record in the format – one that has subsequently been usurped by Healy. Lanning will want to reclaim that.

Likely XIs

Australia Women: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck.

England Women: Amy Jones (wk), Danni Wyatt, Nat Sciver, Heather Knight (c), Fran Wilson, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Lauren Winfield, Anya Shrubsole, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn.

Prediction

Australia Women to win comfortably.