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Women’s Ashes 2019: ENGW vs AUSW 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Prediction. England Women vs Australia Women 1st T20I Preview Dream11

Written by Aaron Murphy

Flying high after retaining the Ashes once again, Australia play their first 20-over fixture since winning the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean late last year. They defeated England in the final of that tournament – a match described by Australian captain Meg Lanning as “the most satisfying win I’ve been involved in”.

That statement may still ring true after the Test that sealed the series fizzled out to a bore draw and condemning the three T20I series to little more than match practice for the two teams. Nonetheless, a whitewash of the T20Is in favour of Australia would see them come out with the largest winning scoreline (14-2) in a points-based Ashes series and thus offers the girls in yellow plenty of incentive.

England’s best recent form comes in this shortest format: since Australia shattered their dreams in the T20 World Cup Final, they have gone on to win seven straight T20Is, and with huge margins too: three by five or more wickets and three by over 40 runs.

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Key to an England win

Early wickets and their fielding! It might seem easier said than done, even blindingly obvious, but dismissing Australia’s openers cheaply should pay big dividends. Of the five occasions in which both Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney have failed to reach 20, Australia have won just once. On the only occasion in the last T20 WC when Australia were restricted to under 140, they were defeated resoundingly by India – whose bowlers managed to keep all but Ellyse Perry to 20 runs or fewer.

In all but one of their seven straight wins since the last T20 WC, England have dismantled the opening partnership for under 25 runs, so they should freshly remember how it is done – albeit against weaker batting opposition. Their game in the field has been substandard so far in this series, and with misfields and dropped catches more costly than ever in 20-over cricket, sharp improvement is vital.

Key to an Australia win

Ellyse Perry’s performance with the ball. Arguably more important as a bowler due to Australia’s enviably deep batting lineup, Perry’s bowling performance plummeted dramatically in the Test: other than her first spell, she lacked consistency, incision and intelligence. When she fails to take a wicket, Australia’s T20I win rate is under 49% (17 of 35).

Not that, of course, she is the be-all and end-all of Australia’s bowling hopes, as demonstrated most recently in the T20 WC final when Gardner and Schutt combined for five of ten wickets. In this series, including tour matches, Australia have bagged an incredible 75 of 80 possible wickets!

Possible Playing 11

Essex’s Mady Villiers earned herself a call-up after a resolute half-century for England’s Academy side in a tour match and, given the “dead rubber” nature of the series, is likely to receive her cap at some point during the series if not immediately. A lack of drive and vigour from England’s top order may also see the return of power hitter Danielle Wyatt. Aussie T20 specialist Elyse Villani looks set for her first stint of the series.

England: 1. Danielle Wyatt, 2. Tammy Beaumont, 3. Amy Jones (wk), 4. Heather Knight (c), 5. Nat Sciver, 6. Leah Winfield, 7. Georgia Elwiss, 8. Anya Shrubsole, 9. Mady Villiers/Laura Marsh, 10. Sophie Ecclestone, 11. Katherine Brunt

Australia: 1. Alyssa Healy (wk), 2. Beth Mooney, 3. Nicole Bolton, 4. Meg Lanning (c), 5. Ellyse Perry, 6. Elyse Villani, 7. Rachael Haynes/Jess Jonassen, 8. Ashleigh Gardner, 9. Delissa Kimmince, 10. Georgia Wareham, 11. Megan Schutt

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Stats and Facts

• Danielle Wyatt’s 307 runs from seven innings (avg 51.17, SR 128.99) since the last T20 WC is the most of any player from an elite nation.
• Laura Marsh is conceding just 4.89 runs per over in T20Is since the last WC.
• The average first innings score from eight T20Is at Chelmsford is 126 (155 when the team batting first wins).

Match Prediction

How on earth do England fight their way back into some form against this red-hot opposition? Australia have benefited greatly from an Australia A tour being run concurrently with The Ashes, with some depth players such as Villani hitting ideal form outside of the ODIs and Test. England certainly have the capability of winning any or all of these fixtures, but their fielding needs to be switched on and their mental game sharp.

Written by Aaron Murphy

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