Where: The Rose bowl, Southampton
When: Thursday, 3rd of September 11:00pm Aus time, 2pm local time
Where to watch: Free to air – GEM (Aus), Sky Sports (UK)
AFTER an abnormal Ashes series which saw England and Australia play out on the shortest five test series in cricket history, the two combatants actually get to play a shortened form of the game by design.
The Australians will be looking to atone after an ordinary showing in the Ashes.
The visitors are currently the number one-ranked team in the world in the One Day International format of the game, winning the World Cup in their own backyard with consummate ease six months ago.
The home side has not been convincing in the ODI format for a long time.
This was typified by their embarrassing failure to progress past the group stage at the ODI World Cup earlier in the year in Australia.
The English have struggled with the shorter form of the game in recent times against their arch rivals, winning just two series since 2006 and only registering one win in the last ten matches between the two.
England is currently ranked sixth in the world in the ICC ODI rankings.
Match betting
Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
England: $2.46
Highest opening partnership: Australia – $1.79
Top wicket taker – Australia: Mitchell Starc – $3.75
Top wicket taker – England: Steven Finn – $4.80
After an abysmal Ashes the Aussies have a chance to redeem themselves in the area they excel the most – the One Day Internationals.
The incumbent holders of the World Cup have experienced a dominance over their counterparts that is unprecedented, having lost just one ODI match against their old foes in the last 10 encounters.
Australia has been in incredible form in 2014/15 against all nations, losing just two matches out of the 22 that they have competed in across that time period; justifying their position atop the ICC ODI world rankings.
The England record is far less flattering with the sixth placed home side winning just three of their last nine ODI matches, including an embarrassing blunder against Bangladesh in the World Cup which saw the English unceremoniously bundled out at the group stage.
On paper Australia looks to have England’s measure but if the test series taught us anything it is that you should never underestimate the advantage of home soil in the game of cricket.
England has firepower in the form of Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali and explosive opener Alex Hales, while Ben Stokes is emerging as a genuine all-rounder in the shorter form of the game.
The Aussies have some of the best hitters in the world, with David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith amongst the top ODI batsmen the game has to offer.
Shane Watson on his day is also capable of producing a big score, while Queenslander Joe Burns’ recent form cannot be overlooked.
In the bowling department, Mitchell Starc is the stand out, with emerging Western Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile and injury-prone but supremely talented New South Welshman Patrick Cummins also more than capable with the white ball.
The Australians are the far more superior team in the ODI arena and should be able to start the five-match series with a win at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, continuing their recent domination of the home side with the white ball.
Suggested match bet: Australia to win – $1.55
Twenty20 warm up: England continue their dominance with a thrilling victory
England has secured another victory over the Australians, this time in the shortest form of the game with a terrific five-run win at Cardiff in Wales.
The match marked the return of England ODI and T20 skipper Eoin Morgan, who starred with the bat with a match-defining 74. He put on a 135-run stand with Moeen Ali that came off just 75 balls, setting up the victory.
Morgan is joint favourite with Alex Hales at Sportsbet to score the most runs in the first ODI against the Aussies at $5.00.
Ben Stokes was dynamic in the field and with the ball, taking a wonderful catch to dismiss the dangerous Glenn Maxwell in the deep, but his best work came in the final over of the match, taking a key wicket and conceding just six runs.
Stokes’ captain was glowing of his efforts with the ball following the win.
“It was impressive the way Ben Stokes bowled that final over and delivered his skills after just finishing a five-game Test series.” Morgan said.
Steve Smith was the top scorer for the match with a magnificent 90 run innings, but the Aussies ultimately fell short in the one and only Twenty20 match before the one day series begins in Southampton.
Steve Smith is at $3.75 with Sportsbet to be Australia’s top run scorer in the first ODI match of the series.
Both teams will be thankful for the run, with several key players getting their first taste of international cricket for some time after a long layoff following the ODI World Cup.
Changing of the guard – both sides forced to make changes
After an arduous battle in the test arena, both sides have been forced to make changes to the regular eleven that they would ordinarily select.
England have chosen to rest number one ranked test batsman Joe Root, citing burnout from a hectic schedule while there are clouds over the immediate and long-term future of both Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson in the shorter format of the game.
The retirement of Michael Clarke is the obvious omission for the Aussies, but injured opener Aaron Finch, World Cup wicket keeper Brad Haddin and left-armed duo Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson all to be rested.
Superstar all-rounder James Faulkner will also be unavailable due to his drink driving transgression in Manchester, with Cricket Australia declaring the Tasmanian will not be selected due to committing “conduct that is unbecoming of a representative”.
Newly appointed captain Steve Smith will still have a multitude of options at his disposal, with six players currently ranked inside the top-25 ICC ODI batsman rankings as well as possessing the number one ODI bowler in the world – Mitchell Starc.
