Australia v England First T20 Tips: Perth pitch points to big runs

Australia v England
Sunday 9 October, 09.10
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Team news

Australia waltzed to a 2-0 win over West Indies. If they were paying attention they will have noted that Steve Smith is not worth persisting with.

He was dropped for game one and then in game two made a tortured 17 from 16, the sort of knock which could cost a loss against a better outfit. Cameron Green retained his opener's slot with Aaron Finch at No 3.

Green's run may have to come to an end, though. Marcus Stoinis is fit again and given he is in the World Cup squad and Green isn't, it would be a major surprse if he played. If Smith is to lose his spot again, Mitchell Marsh would come in.

With Glenn Maxwell rested, Josh Inglis might get the chance to open. Australia will rest their first-choice bowling attack for the first match.

Probable XI: Warner, Inglis, Finch, M Marsh, Stoinis, David, Wade, Agar, Sams, Richardson, Ellis

England should be able to pick from a full-strength squad. That means skip Jos Buttler returns to the team and Ben Stokes parachutes in to No 4.

Who opens with Buttler remains to be seen but it should be Phil Salt. Salt was in the original World Cup squad but Alex Hales was not. Salt also found form before the end of the Pakistan series win.

England will look to manage the workloads of Mark Wood so he may not play straight off. Chris Jordan should come back into the XI, though.

Possible XI: Buttler, Salt, Malan, Stokes, Brook, Moeen, S Curran, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid, Topley

Pitch report

Ten of the last 13 at Perth Stadium have been won by the side batting first. That's some trend. Not surprisingly there have been decent runs up front. Eight of those matches saw the side batting first notch 170 or more. We should be able to go long of either side for 170 on the innings runs at around even money or 2.111/10.

How to play

Australia are 2.1411/10 and England are 1.855/6. During the last World Cup there was a huge gulf between these teams and we'd have been all over those odds on the tourists.

However, times change. England lost confidence when Eoin Morgan retired and suffered an alarming dip in form. They lost three consecutive series before defeating a one-dimensional Pakistan.

Australia have found their feet in this format, embracing aggression with the bat with the vital inclusion of Tim David. They won the World Cup thanks to a toss bias and if they get to bat first here, they're worthy of a follow. Bet the match odds here.

Tops value

Buttler averages a shade under 40 against Australia with a strike rate of 143. Sportsbook have boosted him to 3/1 for top England bat. Mitchell Marsh has an excellent record on his home ground. No one has scored more runs there so the 7/2 may have appeal. Warner has been boosted to 13/5.