Aussies descend on UK for T20 Blast

No less than 15 Australians will descend on the United Kingdom for the T20 Blast competition, which was set to get underway on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST).

After Australia's limited-overs sides suffered 5-0 ODI and 1-0 T20 International series defeats last month, seven players who featured in squads for that Qantas Tour will return for the UK's domestic T20 competition.

The tournament will see the 18 county sides separated into two groups and play 14 matches each before the quarter-finals in late August and then a finals weekend on September 15 and 16 at Edgbaston.

Fresh off his record-breaking knock of 172 against Zimbabwe in Harare, Aaron Finch will return to London to link up with Surrey alongside fellow Australia T20I squad member Nic Maddinson following Sunday's T20 tri-series final in Harare.

Reigning champions Nottinghamshire will again be captained by journeyman allrounder Dan Christian, who has remained in England after leading Australia's Aboriginal men's team on their commemorative tour through June.

"We played really well last year. We’re looking forward to defending our title, but we also know that everyone will be out to get us," Christian said.

"We know it is going to be hard. All the other teams will be keen to come out and stop us and I’m sure they have watched how we played our cricket and have tried to strategise how to get on top of us."

Glamorgan will be hoping their two Australian recruits Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh will be able to transfer their strong recent first-class form into the shortest format. 

After Marsh stroked 111 on debut for the Welsh county in April, his replacement Khawaja slotted in seamlessly with knocks of 125, 126 and 103 in June to become the first Glamorgan player to hit three tons in his first three matches.

James Faulkner is set to play his first domestic game in nearly six months when he lines up alongside fellow Aussie Joe Mennie for Lanashire's T20 team.

"A bit of freshening up and the body is feeling good. My knee is as good as it has ever been," Faulkner, who had an injury-plagued 2017-18 summer, told Indian media recently. 

"I am reinvigorated and ready to go again."

With both Travis Head and Callum Ferguson signed up for their Blast campaign, Worcestershire could also feature two Australians in their XI.

As could Gloucestershire, who have both Andrew Tye and Michael Klinger on board, as well as Essex, who recently extended 62-Test quick Peter Siddle's contract for the T20 competition having already signed leg-spinner Adam Zampa for the duration of the tournament. 

"It was nice to get through last season's Big Bash and trial a few new tricks, come up with a few and succeed in the heat of the battle," Siddle, who helped the Adelaide Strikers to last summer's BBL title, told cricket.com.au last month.

"I've always wanted to play overseas and try different things with T20 but concentrating on Test cricket has been a bit restrictive. 

"Hopefully I can go out there and take off where I finished in the BBL last year and see where it takes me."

Australia limited-overs allrounders Marcus Stoinis (Kent) and Ashton Agar (Middlesex) will join their county sides at the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE T20 BLAST

Essex: Peter Siddle, Adam Zampa

Glamorgan: Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja

Gloucestershire: Andrew Tye, Michael Klinger

Kent: Marcus Stoinis

Middlesex: Ashton Agar

Surrey: Aaron Finch, Nic Maddinson

Lancashire: Joe Mennie, James Faulkner

Nottinghamshire: Dan Christian

Worcestershire: Travis Head, Callum Ferguson