Head to lead as ill Marsh misses second T20I

Match Facts

Who: England v Australia, second T20I

When: Saturday, September 14. Coin toss at 3am AEST, first ball at 3.30am AEST (Friday, September 12, 6.30pm local time)

Where: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

How to watch: Foxtel and Kayo Sports

Officials: Mike Burns and Alex Wharf (standing), Russell Warren (third), Martin Saggers (fourth), Andy Pycroft (match referee)

Live scores: England v Australia match centre

Teams

Australia XI: Travis Head (c), Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa

Australia have a new skipper for the second T20 with Mitch Marsh missing due to illness. Jake Fraser-McGurk come back into the side to bat at No.3 and Travis Head will captain Australia for the first time.

Experienced quick Josh Hazlewood also misses the match due to a planned rotation, while Xavier Bartlett sustained a side injury in the first T20I. Aaron Hardie comes in and will likely take the new ball in their place, with young gun Cooper Connolly the other addition, meaning it's again a lengthy batting order for the Australians.

England XI: Phil Salt (c) (wk), Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley

Just the one change for England with fast bowler Brydon Carse replacing Jofra Archer, who misses due to workload management.

Squads

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Plenty of injury concerns for the Aussie squad as they head to Cardiff for the second T20I. Xavier Bartlett is awaiting results on the extent of a side injury suffered in the series opener while speedster Riley Meredith has been ruled out after failing to recover from the side soreness he experienced in Scotland. Sydney Sixers left-armer Ben Dwarshuis has been added as a reserve should the visitors need another pace option.

England: Phil Salt (c), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, John Turner

England blooded three debutants in the series opener – Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox and Jamie Overton. They still have recent 20-year-old Test debutant Josh Hull, Dan Mousley and John Turner (both 23) as uncapped players in their squad who they'll be eager to give an opportunity to in next two matches.

Series fixtures (Australia leads 1-0)

September 11: Australia beat England by 28 runs

 

September 13: Second T20 v England, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 3.30am Sept 14 AEST

 

September 15: Third T20 v England, Old Trafford Manchester, 11.30pm AEST

How to recap

Everything you could need will be right here on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.

We'll have interviews, highlights and wicket replays in our match centre, while the Unplayable Podcast will keep you informed on the latest developments from Australia's UK tour.

Local knowledge

Players to watch

Matt Short grabbed his first chance as opener in the post-David Warner era with 41 off 26 in the first T20I. The race is wide open to replace the retired great after Jake Fraser-McGurk missed out in Scotland.

With three wickets and a team-high score of 37, Liam Livingstone was one of the few shining lights for the hosts in the series opener. After spending the T20 World Cup batting at numbers six and seven, the allrounder is back up at his favoured No.4 spot where he's enjoyed success at international and domestic level.

Recent form

Past 10 T20 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, N: no result

Australia: WWWWLLWWWW

Australia made it two straight wins against their Ashes rivals in the first T20, the first time they've managed back-to-back wins against them since 2018. With 14 victories from 17 matches in 2024, the tourists are one of the form international sides in this format despite bombing out of the World Cup in June at the Super Eight stage.

England: LLWLWWWLNW

It's very much a transition phase for this England side, with three debutants picked in the series opener. Regardless, they'll still be hoping to avoid their first bilateral men's T20 series loss to Australia since 2014 by pushing the contest to a decider in Manchester on Sunday.

Last time they met

Travis Head (59 off 23) and Matt Short (41 off 26) set the tone for Australia in the first T20 as they put on 86 in the Powerplay after being sent in. England pulled them back through the middle overs to bowl the visitors out for 179, but it still proved too much for their young side as they fell 28 runs short.

Head-to-head

Overall: England (11 wins), Australia (12 wins), no result (2)

 

At Sophia Gardens: England (1 win), Australia (0 wins)

 

Most runs: Aaron Finch (619), Jos Buttler (584), Glenn Maxwell (343), David Warner (334), Alex Hales (311)

 

Most wickets: Adil Rashid (14), Chris Jordan (13), Mitchell Johnson (11), Josh Hazlewood (11), Adam Zampa (10)

Rapid stats

• Australia have won each of their last two men's T20Is against England, more than they won across their seven meetings prior in the format; a third consecutive win in this match would equal their longest winning run against them in the history of the format (won three from January to February in 2014).
• England have bowled first in eight of their last nine men's T20Is, including each of their last five; they have won five of the nine matches in that span.
• Australia have won 86 per cent of their men's T20Is away from home in 2024 (12 of 14 matches) – their best win rate in such fixtures in a calendar year in the history of the format (minimum 3 matches) and 19 percentage points higher than their next best (67 per cent in 2016, winning six of nine matches).
• England lost their most recent men's T20I at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff (to South Africa in 2022); they had won all eight of their matches at the venue in the format prior to that game, including a five-run victory in their only previous meeting there against Australia in 2015.
• Australia have a collective batting average of 48.6 during the Powerplay in men's T20Is in 2024, the best of any Test playing country this year; in addition, their batting strike rate during the powerplay (174.8) is the best of any team during this period.

• England have a bowling strike rate of 8.0 during the death overs (17th-20th) in men's T20Is in 2024, the second best of any Test playing country this year (India – 7.4); in addition, their bowling economy rate during this period (7.7) is the second best of any team (India – 7.2).
• Phil Salt (905) is 95 away from becoming the ninth player to score 1000 runs for England in men's T20Is; if he achieves the milestone in this innings (31*), he'd be the second fastest player to reach it for England (Dawid Malan – 24 innings).
• Travis Head (Australia) has recorded four scores of 50 or more in men's T20Is in 2024, including three in his last five innings; only Mitchell Marsh (six in 2021) has logged more in a calendar year for Australia in the history of the format.

• Adil Rashid (115) is one away from surpassing Eoin Morgan (115) for the outright second most appearances for England in men's T20Is (Jos Buttler – 124); he's taken at least one wicket in each of his last five T20I innings, recording six wickets in total across that span.
• Josh Inglis (Australia) has a batting dot ball rate of 27.3 per cent from 154 balls faced in men's T20Is in 2024, the third best rate of any player (minimum 40 balls faced) from a Test playing country this year (behind only Daryl Mitchell – 19.8 per cent from 116 balls faced for New Zealand and Harry Brook – 25.9 per cent from 108 balls faced for England).

Where to next?

The two sides head Manchester where Australia retained the Ashes last year for the series finale on Sunday afternoon (11.30pm AEST) at Old Trafford.

Qantas Tour of the UK 2024

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Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood (England games only), Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Riley Meredith, Matt Short (England games only), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

September 4: Australia beat Scotland by seven wickets

September 6: Australia beat Scotland by 70 runs

September 7: Australia beat Scotland by six wickets

September 11: Australia beat England by 28 runs

September 13: Second T20 v England, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 3.30am Sept 14 AEST

September 15: Third T20 v England, Old Trafford Manchester, 11.30pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

September 19: First ODI v England, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 10pm AEST

September 21: Second ODI v England, Headingley, Leeds, 10pm AEST

September 24: Third ODI v England, Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 10pm AEST

September 27: Fourth ODI v England, Lord's, London, 10pm AEST

September 29: Fifth ODI v England, County Ground, Bristol, 8pm AEST