England v Australia T20 & ODI 2020

1st ODI England Won the toss & elected to field
Steve Smith out for Australia, after taking a blow to the head in practice. Jason Roy is fit again & Root, Buttler, Woakes returns. Sam Billings is also included.

Australia 294-9 (50 overs) Maxwell 77 M Marsh 73 Archer 3-57 Wood 3-52 Rashid 2-54

Australia won by 19 runs
England 275-9 Billings118 Bairstow 84 Zampa 4-55 Hazlewood 3-26

The game was lost in Australia's middle overs when Maxwell and Marsh did so much damage. What has happened to Plunkett, his bowling during the middle overs was one reason why England used to keep the oppostion scores low.

And when will the England batsmen take Zampa seriously. They keep trying to hit him out of the park and keep finding the fielders.

^^ England have moved on from Plunkett, not something that I totally agree with, but your spot on, it was crying out for his partnership breaking skills. It's no surprise that Zampa had success, but after the start to England's innings with the 3 quicks which is basically Australia's Test Match attack, bowling economically, Zampa & the 5th bowling options had to be attacked. Truth is the got to many runs on a wicket that gave the bowlers enough help. This would have been a record ODI run chase on this ground. Maybe England need a rethink & set a target if they win the toss.

2nd ODI England won the toss & elected to bat
A used pitch so the right choice. Australia unchanged. Wood is out, rested or not quite fit. Ali out as it was thought in the previous match that in didn't turn as much as expected. Both Currans come in.

England 231-9 (50 overs) Morgan 42 Root 39 T Curran 37 Rashid 35 no Zampa 3-36 Starc 2-38

England won by 24 runs
Australia 207 all out (48.4 overs) Finch 73 Labuschagne 48 Carey 36 Woakes 3-32 Archer 3-34 S Curran 3-35

England were dead & buried at 148-8 until T Curran & Adil Rashid added 76 runs. Then Australia looked set for victory at 144-2 with Finch & Labuschagne in control. Morgan had to gamble by bowling out Woakes & Archer early. he was repaid with 4 wickets for 3 runs. With both in batsmen gone Sam Curran had to bowl 6 overs from one end & took 3-10 in the process. Carey added 31 with Hazlewood, before Rashid got him out stumped going for a big shot with 25 required from 9 balls.

That was thrilling.
It's the 2nd game on the trot where the team that's lost had the two highest scorers.

There were a couple of positives for England. Roy was begining to look his old self (including gettiing himself run out) and that David Warner can't handle Archers genuine pace.

But the England team still have problems hitting a spin bowlers.