England crushed West Indies in the three-match ODI series. A total of 400 at Edgbaston last Thursday set the tone.
Joe Root’s masterclass in Cardiff covered up for some failings in the top order to secure the series, and a blistering half-century from Jamie Smith set up a rapid run chase in a run-shortened match on Tuesday.
The Harry Brook era has got off to the most positive of starts. There are some notable personnel changes for the T20 leg of West Indies’ tour – the absence of Root and Smith being the most significant – but the cricket betting markets are again expecting the hosts to dominate.
England have won six of their last eight completed T20s against West Indies. Jos Buttler’s final series was a 4-1 loss to India, however, and they were a long way off the pace at the most recent T20 World Cup. Having scraped into the knockout rounds, England were humiliated by India in the semi-final.
Slumping Teams
World rankings for T20 cricket should be taken with a pinch of salt, such is the sporadic nature of games and the inconsistent availability of the top players. England and West Indies might be third and fifth in the world, respectively, but that doesn’t reflect the standing of either team.
West Indies have only won two of their last 10 matches after a three-match sweep at the hands of Bangladesh. A lot has changed since then, though, with Shai Hope taking over as captain. Jason Holder and Andre Russell also return to the squad for this series, while Nicholas Pooran is resting following the IPL. Justin Greaves, Shamar Springer or Terrance Hinds were all left out.
England’s Bowling Conundrum
With Buttler, Brook, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, and Tom Banton, England are spoilt for choice in their batting lineup. Any of them could open and thrive. All are in good to great form.
The bowling is a trickier balancing act. Aside from Adil Rashid, this squad isn’t blessed with a great deal of international experience.
Brydon Carse wasn’t particularly effective in the ODI series and still looks to be getting back to his best after a gruelling winter. Saqib Mahmood took wickets in the ODIs, but he doesn’t have the electric pace of Jofra Archer or Mark Wood. It remains to be seen if Matthew Potts is an international white-ball cricketer. Luke Wood has played a grand total of seven international matches.
It would be great to see Rehan Ahmed and/or Liam Dawson given an opportunity. The damper weather we are experiencing means the conditions aren’t likely to be as spin friendly as they were a few weeks ago, but the all-rounders provide batting depth and project as stellar second spinners behind Rashid.
Rehan, in particular, needs opportunities with England. He’s not played that many matches despite being a regular in squads. It’s a matter of time before England are looking to him as an all-format player. Dawson’s return to the international setup could make him a viable alternative to Shoaib Bashir for the Ashes.
For those following the live betting markets, England’s batting is bound to deliver entertainment. When it comes to evaluating white-ball markets going forward, the bowling is where there’s the most to be learned.
This series is far more even than the ODIs. West Indies have been at their best in the shortest format in recent years, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see them take two out of three.
T20 Series Schedule
- First T20I – 6th June, 6:30pm, Chester-le-Street
- Second T20I – 8th June, 2:30pm, Bristol
- Third T20I – 10th June, 6:30pm, Southampton
England Squad
- Harry Brook (Captain)
- Rehan Ahmed
- Tom Banton
- Jacob Bethell
- Jos Buttler
- Brydon Carse
- Liam Dawson
- Ben Duckett
- Will Jacks
- Saqib Mahmood
- Matthew Potts
- Adil Rashid
- Phil Salt
- Luke Wood
West Indies Squad
- Shai Hope (Captain)
- Johnson Charles
- Roston Chase
- Matthew Forde
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Jason Holder
- Akeal Hosein
- Alzarri Joseph
- Brandon King (Vice Captain)
- Evin Lewis
- Gudakesh Motie
- Rovman Powell
- Andre Russell
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Romario Shepherd
