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Aston Villa could seal two more signings at Villa Park before the window closes on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Birmingham Mail reporter Ashley Preece, who delivered an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim to supporters during an online Q&A session, having arrived in Australia for their pre-season training camp.

“I believe Johan Lange is back at base in the UK drawing up a shortlist. I’m not expecting any transfer activity this week. SG [Steven Gerrard] wants to further strengthen the engine room so I fully expect one midfielder to come in. Transfer window still has more than six weeks left to run,” he said before adding:

“I’d say two more; midfielder and possibly one more…”

Villa not done yet

It’s clear that the Midlands outfit are by no means finished with their transfer business just yet, having already signed Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Ludwig Augustinsson, on top of the permanent arrivals of Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

Despite adding the Marseille powerhouse to Gerrard’s squad, it is interesting to see that another midfielder is among the priorities as he also has John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey at his disposal.

However, the Brazilian star has been linked with an exit in recent weeks, with Serie A champions AC Milan thought to be keen on his signature.

It’s also believed that Gerrard is after a new striker to rival Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, having been mooted with moves for Jonathan David and Mauro Icardi, among others.

With less than a month to go until the start of the new Premier League season, Lange will need to act quick to get the players in before it’s too late for them to adapt to Gerrard’s system and training.

But it is rather exciting to see that Preece is banking on the Midlands side making two more additions, so his latest claim should leave the Vila Park faithful absolutely buzzing.

It’s certainly a thrilling time to be a Villa fan right now.

AND in other news, Preece delivers Keinan Davis update…

West Ham are one of several Premier League clubs said to be interested in signing former Liverpool and Newcastle United midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, West Ham, Wolves, Leicester City and Everton are all keen on the Dutch midfielder, who looks set to leave PSG this summer after a disappointing first season in the French capital.

Despite having a contract until 2024 and making 38 appearances in all competitions last season, Wijnaldum is reportedly surplus to requirements at the Parc des Princes, as the French champions are awaiting the imminent signing of Renato Sanches from Lille.

The report suggests that a loan move is more likely at this point due to his wages at PSG, but West Ham could be the ones to benefit from any temporary deal, and if he were to rediscover the form he showed at Anfield and St James’ Park, then he would surely be a quality addition.

Would Wijnaldum be a good signing?

Wijnaldum was an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad at Liverpool during his time at the club and more than played his part in their recent success, notably scoring a brace from the bench in their famous 4-0 win against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Even in the build-up to his departure from Anfield on a free transfer, Klopp was full of praise for the midfielder, saying:

“Gini’s character is out of the question: he is a sensational guy, completely committed to the team and the club until the last day, and we’ll see when it will be.”

He certainly sounds like the sort of character that Moyes would love to have both on and off the pitch at West Ham next season.

Although he is 31 now, his form with the Netherlands, for whom he has hit five goals in his last 13 starts, suggests that he is still more than capable of cutting it in the top flight.

 

Considering Tomas Soucek has been linked with a move away in recent days, Wijnaldum, who his PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino once described as the “complete player”, could be an ideal successor for the all-action Czech titan in Moyes’ midfield next season.

Therefore, GSB should definitely consider a move for the £16.2 million-rated maestro this summer.

And, in other news… West Ham in talks for “rapid” £40m star similar to Mane, it could be bye-bye Bowen

Aston Villa have shown aggression in their recruitment ideology ahead of the summer transfer window, and they can look to continue in the same vein with another of Steven Gerrard’s former team-mates after Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the word?

As per Football Insider, Villa have been urged to secure the capture of Luis Suarez by the club’s former midfielder Frank McAvennie.

Sharing his thoughts on the potential transfer, the 62-year-old said: “It would be good for the boys who are there, to train with him and have him around.

“For Watkins and Ings, having him around would be wonderful. It’s paying his wages, isn’t it? He’s at that age where you could probably get him on a reduced wage because he won’t play every game.

“Villa will still be able to give him a good wage. He won’t get that anywhere else so it’s whether he wants to come back and grind in the Premier League again.”

It was reported by The Athletic earlier this month that Gerrard and co were considering the 35-year-old, who is said to be in regular contact with the Villa manager, a former team-mate of his at Liverpool.

Suarez is available on a free transfer, with his contract at Atletico Madrid set to expire at the end of the month.

 Gerrard must pounce

The four signings which have been made thus far serve as a real statement of intent by Villa, with their ambition of breaking into the top six of the Premier League possibly being realised in the foreseeable future, given the calibre of signings they have made.

The acquisition of the £263k-per-week Suarez would serve as the cherry on top for Gerrard, and as intimated by McAvennie, his presence alone would be a massive boost for the squad.

Suarez, who has been dubbed a “stallion” by NBC Sports’ Justin Karp, is far from finished, even at the age of 35. He has proven that he still has penalty box potency, having notched 11 goals for Atletico in 35 La Liga appearances this season and 13 goals in total, making him the club’s joint-highest scorer for the campaign.

He would not only be the ideal mentor for Ings and Watkins, he could also help to inject a winning mentality within the squad, along with offering some quality depth in attack. That is something that Villa supporters will surely love to see in the Midlands.

Gerrard should seek to wrap up this prospective deal as quickly as possible.

In other news: Villa now keen on signing £60m “destroyer”, it would be an “immense” statement by Lange 

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes the Whites will make numerous new signings this summer, following a quiet January window.

The Lowdown: Big summer at Leeds

The Whites managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League by the skin of their teeth, beating Brentford away on the final day of the season.

It was a huge moment for the club, not only in terms of their top-flight survival but also in a financial sense and the ability to make signings moving forward.

It is going to be a key summer at Elland Road, as Jesse Marsch looks to thrive in his first transfer window as manager and surely wants to bring in players to reflect his system and vision.

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The Latest: Mills predicts plenty of signings

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports News pundit Mills claimed that a busy summer lies ahead for Leeds, following comments he heard from Whites legend Eddie Gray:

“I was listening to Eddie Gray on talkSPORT. He’s obviously very close to the club. He was effectively saying that Leeds United wanted to make signings in January, but Bielsa said no.

“He obviously felt his coaching was enough to see them through. However, we saw that towards the end of his time – that just wasn’t the case.

“I think we’ll see a lot of those signings this summer that were in the pipeline then.”

The Verdict: Have to get it right

The hope is that this proves to be true and that Leeds are able to splash the cash this summer, in order to pull away from those threatened by relegation.

It is a vital summer, in that respect, with Marsch having to nail his transfer business and make the Whites an established Premier League club rather than one scrapping at the bottom, as looked to be the case after 2020/21.

Shrewd signings are required in various areas of the pitch, especially if influential heroes such as Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha end up moving on.

In other news, Jesse Marsch is intent on signing one type of player for Leeds. Read more here.

Real Madrid have reportedly named their price for midfielder Dani Ceballos, amid interest from Crystal Palace.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish outlet AS, the La Liga giants are set to demand just £10m for the 25-year-old, with the player having only a year remaining on his existing deal at the Bernabeu.

The Spaniard’s former side Real Betis – whom he left on a €17m (£14.5m) deal back in 2017 – are credited with an interest, although the report suggests that Manuel Pellegrini’s side are unwilling to stump up the fee required to recapture the player.

The report goes on to add that there is interest from clubs in Serie A and the Premier League, with previous links earlier this season suggesting that Palace are one of those sides believed to be eyeing a move.

Gallagher replacement

The £13.5m-rated man would seemingly be available at a relative bargain price, while he also offers previous top-flight experience in English football having spent two seasons on loan at Arsenal between 2019 and 2021.

Although the £128k-per-week playmaker came in for criticism during his time at the Emirates, notably from pundit Tim Sherwood, he offers genuine quality to Patrick Vieira’s side, having been dubbed a “very clever” player by Robin van Persie while in north London.

A route out of the Spanish capital is seemingly needed for the 11-cap international having made just two league starts this season, although even in his brief outings he has shown flickering of quality, notably recording an impressive 7.5 match rating in the 4-0 win over Espanyol at the end of April.

Palace appear in need of a new midfield addition with current loan star Conor Gallagher set to return to parent club Chelsea next season, the 22-year-old having chipped in with eight goals and three assists during his stellar stint at Selhurst Park thus far.

The young Englishman – who has been dubbed “like N’Golo Kante with goals” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino – has shown his quality as an all-action presence in the centre of the park, averaging 0.8 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and o.7 clearances per game in the top-flight this term.

In comparison, however, Ceballos has proven he can match or even better that dynamic quality, averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 0.6 clearances per 90 while with the Gunners during the 2020/21 campaign, as well as winning 51% of his total duels.

Although he failed to net a single league goal in 49 appearances during his previous stint in English football, he did register five assists in that time, showcasing he can make the difference in the final third if required.

There’s no doubting Gallagher’s absence next term will be a huge blow, although in Ceballos the club can secure an affordable and experienced addition with similar traits and attributes.

AND in other news: Lost the ball every 2.4 touches: Palace flop who lost 63% duels let Vieira down again

As T20 cricket continues to evolve, scoring rates are higher than ever before, and the 2018 Vitality Blast is no different

Gaurav Sundararaman20-Aug-2018Over the last couple of years, the T20 format has been undergoing its next revolution, with more runs, more sixes, and more hundreds. The run rates in IPL 2017 (8.41) and 2018 (8.64) were the highest in the tournament’s history while the ongoing CPL has been a run-fest as well. The Vitality Blast this season has also been at the forefront of this change. At the end of the league stage, this year’s tournament has witnessed an overall run rate of 8.88, which is not only the best scoring rate in the history of the competition but also in the history of any T20 league that has taken place.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland’s flat pitches and small grounds have made it a lot easier for the batsmen. This year’s edition has witnessed 1392 sixes – 11.6 sixes per game, which is the most in the history of the league. Fifteen centuries have been scored – the second-highest since the league started – with seven matches left. There have been three centuries in this year’s edition that are among the 20 fastest centuries in all T20s. Northamptonshire have been at the receiving end of two such scores – Daniel Christian walked into bat at 9.4 overs and scored 113 runs from just 40 balls , while Martin Guptill scored 102 runs from 38 balls to help Worcestershire chase down 187 in just 13.1 overs. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Northamptonshire, as they managed to end their streak of 13 matches without a victory, the longest such streak in the Blast.In last year’s tournament, there were 27 scores in excess of 200 – a record at the time – but 2018 has already witnessed 31 such scores at the end of the league phase. Teams have also realized the need to maximise their returns from the Powerplay overs: 12 of the top 13 highest Powerplay scores in the tournament have come in the last two editions, with ten instances of teams scoring in excess of 90 in the first six overs. The average Powerplay run-rate of 8.87 is the best across all T20 leagues.Smart Stats Earlier this year, ESPNcricinfo launched Smart Stats to measure a player’s performance in T20s based on match context and situation. Here is what those numbers say about the top performers in the Blast this season.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe top batsmen at the BlastAaron Finch has been in great form in the T20 format since his poor IPL campaign. Finch tops the run charts in this year’s Blast scoring 589 runs from nine innings at an average of 147.25 and a strike rate of 182.35. Not surprisingly, Finch is among the top names in the Smart Stats batting metrics as well. His 589 runs have come off only 323 balls. When match strike rate and runs scored at the other end are considered, his Smart Strike Rate goes up to 214.96, which means he has contributed 105.32 extra runs in the balls he has faced. This Smart Contribution is the highest among all batsmen this season; Colin Ingram is not too far behind with a Smart Contribution of 101.08. Incidentally, both Finch and Ingram won’t play any further part in the tournament, as their teams have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals. Daniel Christian, Corey Anderson and Philip Salt complete the top five with Smart Contributions of 86.68, 78.23 and 75.72. The teams they represent have qualified for the playoffs. From this top-five list, Finch is the only one who is also among the top five run-getters in the tournament.Wrist spinners continue to dominate the formatWristspinners have ruled the T20 format recently, and the Blast has not disappointed in that regard. The top five wicket-takers among spinners are legbreak bowlers, and three of the top five bowlers with the best Smart Economy Rates are wristspinners. The encouraging sign for England is that the top two wicket-takers are domestic recruits Matt Parkinson and Joe Denly, while the other three are seasoned overseas T20 bowlers in Ish Sodhi, Rashid Khan and Imran Tahir. Wristspinners struck once every 18 balls and conceded a rate of 7.77 while fingerspinners struck once every 24 balls and conceded 8.36 runs per over.

Bowler Type

Bowler Type	Econ	Wkt	Ave	SR
Wrist Spin	7.77	171	23.45	18.1
Finger spin	8.36	205	33.96	24.36

ESPNcricinfo LtdKent Spitfires were involved in seven matches that had scores in excess of 200, while their home venue has one of the worst economy rates this season, with bowlers going at 9.75. In such a venue, Adam Milne’s economy rate of 7.05 stands out. Taking into account the match economy rate and the specific overs that he has bowled, Milne’s Smart Economy Rate (SER) of 4.85 is the best in the tournament so far. The fact that he has bowled the difficult overs in the Powerplay and the Death speaks volume of his skills.In simple terms, taking into account the context of each match he has played so far, Milne has saved his team 83 runs in the overs he has bowled. Three legspinners in Max Waller from Somerset (SER 4.9), Imran Tahir (SER 5.16) and Rashid Khan (SER 5.37) occupy the next three positions in the Smart Economy Rate index. Milne’s New Zealand colleague, Lockie Fergusson, has also had a good season going at a SER of 5.43 and saving 58 runs for his team.

Stats highlights from the fourth day in Kanpur where India inched closer to victory against New Zealand as R Ashwin became the second-fastest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets

Bharath Seervi25-Sep-20161 Bowlers who reached 200 Test wickets in fewer matches than R Ashwin, who achieved it in his 37th Test. Clarrie Grimmett, the fastest, got there in 36 Tests. The previous quickest India bowler to achieve this was Harbhajan Singh in 46 Tests. Ashwin was also the fastest from India to reach the milestones of 50, 100 and 150 wickets.51.4 Ashwin’s strike rate, the best among all 19 spinners who have taken 200 or more Test wickets. The next best is Stuart MacGill who struck every 54 balls.21.03 Ashwin’s average in Tests in India, easily the best among the ten bowlers who have taken 100-plus wickets. Bishen Singh Bedi comes next with an average of 23.99.2 India players who have achieved the double of making a score of 50 or more and taking a five-wicket haul in the same Test against New Zealand. Before Ravindra Jadeja in this Test, who picked 5 for 73 in the first innings and then made an unbeaten 50 in the second innings, Javagal Srinath had done this in Auckland in 1999.1 Number of higher targets set by India against New Zealand, than the 434 in this match. They had set a target of 617 in Wellington in 2009 and New Zealand had managed to draw that with two wickets remaining.5.40 Run rate of the partnership between Rohit Sharma and Jadeja – second-highest for a century stand for India against New Zealand for any wicket (where ball-by-ball details are known). The pair added 50 runs in 56 balls and completed 100 runs in 111 balls before India declared.10 Wickets taken by the New Zealand spinners in this Test – third-most for them against India. Their spinners had taken 19 wickets in Nagpur in 1969 and 12 wickets in Ahmedabad in 2010.593 First-class runs accumulated by Cheteshwar Pujara this month, in just five innings. Before making 62 and 78 in this match, he had scored 166, 31 and 256* for India Blue in the Duleep Trophy.7 Innings without a fifty for Rohit before his unbeaten 68 in the second innings of this Test. He had scored only 111 runs in those innings at average of 15.85. His last fifty came against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year.6 Number of scores between 50 and 80 by the top three batsmen in this Test – joint-most in any Test. There were six such scores in Brisbane Ashes Test in 1962-63 and between India and Australia in Chennai in 1997-98.

Is cricket all about records and glory or is it about the dream of being given a chance to be the best one can be?

Ninad Sakhadev15-May-2015Cricket is about big runs. Cricket is about records. Cricket is about glory. Cricket is about becoming Sachin Tendulkar.Everyday there is a kid in India who picks up a cricket bat or a ball in the quest to become the best cricketer on the planet. Everyday there is a star born in dusty lanes, crowded grounds and in unfavourable conditions.Everyday there is someone falling out of love with the game simply because the game isn’t loving back. Everyday there is someone heartbroken because cricket is not enough to make ends meet. Everyday someone is giving up cricket knowing fully well that their time may never come.Cricket can throw up a lot of inspiring stories but there also exists another side to cricket that is depressing, demoralising and maybe even devastating. For every inspirational story, there are hundreds of others that make you think twice about taking up the game.And so for all the Rohit Sharmas, Virat Kohlis and Suresh Rainas, Indian cricket needed a Pravin Tambe.Rajasthan Royals have had their fair share of legal trouble. For all that, they still represent a platform – a chance for a number of fringe players to showcase their talent and as in the case of Tambe, a last chance to make a name in cricket. It is the place you want to be as an aspiring cricketer. It is a place where opportunity is given to someone considered worthy of it. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Royals handed a cap to a 41-year-old who hadn’t played a first-class match.Bowling legspin is an art and a legspinner is an artist. This form of art is defined by the grip of your fingers, the flexibility of your wrists and the limits of your imagination. You can be made to look stupid if you get your line or length fractionally wrong, even though you have not been bad. Like all artists, Tambe too was just waiting for a stage to perform in front of a big audience and be recognised for it. Age is just a number. Age is whatever you think it is. Life begins at 40. I had heard it all before and now I saw what it meant.He doesn’t have the advantage of bounce or trajectory that Anil Kumble or Shane Warne enjoyed but a low bending action means he always gives the ball a lot of air. His action, which must have been refined over years of playing club cricket, easily allows him to bowl faster if he needs to without compromising line or length. Smaller grounds and unhelpful pitches in club cricket have also helped him develop the attitude of a legspinner: giving each ball more flight, especially when batsmen are attempting big shots.His golden period was most definitely the Champions League T20 in 2013. He got plenty of wickets without going for many runs. He flummoxed batsmen with flight, spin and cunning variations. Some of the overseas batsmen had no answer. The big question was always how would he fare against the big hitters and international superstars in the IPL. In IPL 2014, he proved that he was good enough there too. He had plenty of variations to make the batsmen unsure of his next delivery. He had the presence of mind to read batsmen’s movements and change his deliveries accordingly. He even got a hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders. He broke the back of the cruising Knight Riders with the wickets of quality top-order batsmen. I have never seen Gautam Gambhir more upset than that day.This year he has been bowling as beautifully and skillfully as ever. The way he dismissed Brendon McCullum was particularly heart-warming. In the previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, McCullum had smashed a morale-destroying century. It took Tambe two balls to get him out. The first one was flighted. McCullum mishit it but the ball fell short of the fielder. The next one, just a tad fuller and a tad faster, was simply too quick for him to go back and pull. He holed out at mid-on. When a bowler gets a batsman like this, you know he has defeated him in his own game. You know he has played with his ego and has got the better of him.However, this year he hasn’t been as successful as 2014. He has been taken for runs on a few occasions. In a game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli got stuck into him. It was just too much for Tambe. You feared this all along. You knew this was coming. But like all good dreams, you wished that it lasted just a little bit longer, that you see the flight and dip once more, that you see the man weave a web of spin one more time.This might be his last IPL. At his age there are no guarantees. And if he is done, we can all cherish a run that may not have shattered records but won many hearts with effort, passion and dedication.Perhaps cricket is about effort and not runs. Perhaps cricket is about passion and not records. Perhaps cricket is about love and not glory. Perhaps cricket is about becoming the best cricketer you can be and not about becoming Sachin Tendulkar.

The Sydney Test could be viewed as a fresh start for England at the beginning of a new year, but the build up has not inspired confidence and it will take a colossal turnaround to end with a victory

George Dobell in Sydney02-Jan-20140:00

ZaltZone: I’m waiting by the phone, call me

Paul Downton could be forgiven for wondering what he had walked into as he started his new job on Thursday.Downton has just assumed the role of managing director of England cricket and made his first appearance at an England net session at the Sydney Cricket Ground the day before the fifth Test. Observing from the back, talking to head selector James Whitaker, Downton kept his thoughts to himself, but cannot have been overly impressed by what he saw.He might interpret recent events in a positive manner. He might conclude that, unlike David Moyes a few months ago, he is not inheriting a team in which there are unrealistic hopes or expectations. He might conclude that the only way is up. But he will also have seen how much work he has in front of him.He would have seen Jonny Bairstow, who will retain his place as England wicketkeeper for this game, kicking the stumps after dropping yet another chance in practice. He would have seen a listless warm-up, a long team talk and a joyless net session from which smiles and laughs were absent. England look as if they cannot wait to go home.Downton would also have seen Monty Panesar, who is said to be an injury doubt with a strained calf muscle, bowling without obvious discomfort. If Panesar does not play – and it seems highly likely he will not – it will have little to do with his fitness.Scott Borthwick is expected to make his Test debut in Sydney•Getty ImagesEngland still have a tough decision to make on selection. The Sydney pitch traditionally offers a little assistance to the spinners, though less in recent years, but this one is unusually green. If they go into this game without Panesar or James Tredwell, they will be reliant for spin upon Joe Root and Scott Borthwick. Both are talented young cricketers with many positive qualities, but neither is yet a specialist Test spinner.Among the other decisions England have to make is whether to include Gary Ballance and Boyd Rankin. The evidence of the training session suggests both will play with Ballance likely to displace Michael Carberry and Rankin likely to displace Tim Bresnan. Three debutants doesn’t just speak of a new era; it speaks of desperation. It has happened only once since the chaotic 1990s, at Nagpur in 2006.It would be tough to drop Carberry. He is currently England’s second highest run-scorer in the series – only Kevin Pietersen has scored more – and, though his strike-rate (38.20) has attracted much attention, it is higher than Root’s (33.27).But in desperate times, players are afforded less patience. Carberry could well be a victim of the management’s need to find some positives from such a disappointing tour. In the longer-term, his omission should be cause of reflection for the selectors. No-one should be surprised if an unproven opener, thrust into an away Ashes series, struggles.Root and Pietersen hit the ball beautifully in the nets on Thursday, but Root, in particular, needs to start justifying the faith expressed in him by the England management. In retrospect, it was a mistake to move him from No. 6 ahead of the last Ashes series – a decision that also saw Nick Compton dropped – and, in an ideal world, he would still be able to continue his development against the softer ball in the middle-order.As it is, though, Root looks set to move to the top of the order with Ian Bell moving to No. 3. Some might say that is how it should have been since Jonathan Trott went home; others that England are in chaos and might as well pick the batting order out of a hat. Root has passed 30 just three times in 16 innings when batting in the top three.And that’s the problem for England. For if you claim an attention to detail that includes the publication of a cookbook, that requires more than £20 million of investment each year, that requires an army of support staff so vast that it may as well include a lumberjack and horse whisperer, then you have to show more for it than a team that changes each game, a random batting order and a collection of out of form players who look as if they’ve rather be stacking shelves. Somewhere, somehow, this England environment has started turning fine players into mediocre ones.Cricket would not be the beautiful, beguiling sport we love if it was predictable. But England require a miracle of Biblical proportions to earn a ‘consolation’ victory in this game. And it’s hard to see how even a plague of locusts can help them now.

Australia have outclassed England in nearly every series played in the last decade but will be challenged by an England team in top form in home ODIs

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan28-Jun-2012History strongly favours Australia
After struggling for more than a decade, England turned the tables on Australia in Tests in recent years by dominating the last two Ashes series and winning three of the last four Test series between the two teams. However, England have never quite been able to lift themselves similarly in ODIs against Australia. In both the ODI series following the Ashes (2009 and 2011), Australia trounced England by a 6-1 margin. The solitary series success for England against Australia in recent years was in the home series in 2010 when they edged Australia 3-2. England, however, have not lost a single home series since the loss against Australia in 2009 and are on a six-match winning streak. Australia, on the other hand, have been unable to maintain their lofty standards in the last two years. They failed to reach the semi-final stage in the World Cup for the first time since 1992. However, they regrouped and went on to win ODI series in Sri Lanka and South Africa before triumphing in the Australian tri-series. In their last series against West Indies, which ended 2-2, their form was patchy as the batsmen struggled on the slow pitches.Overall, Australia lead England comfortably in the head-to-head contests, winning 57 and losing 42 matches. While England have been outclassed in Australia (20 wins and 36 losses), they have been more competitive in home matches (20 wins and 25 losses). In neutral venues, Australia have once again been the dominant team, winning six out of eight matches. Australia have by far been the better team in global tournaments, winning three consecutive World Cups and the last two editions of the Champions Trophy. In contrast, England have made just one major final (Champions Trophy in 2004) in the same time period and have lost to Australia in three of the last four global tournaments. Considering Australia’s world-beating run between 1999 and 2007, it is hardly surprising that the contests against England have been thoroughly one-sided. Since 2000, Australia have a win-loss ratio of 3.00 (33 wins and 11 losses) in head-to-head contests against England. The ratio drops only slightly (2.37) in ODIs played since 2007.

Australia’s record v England in ODIs

MatchesWinsLossesW/L ratioOverall11357421.35In Australia5736201.80In England4825201.25Neutral venues8623.00Global Tournaments9632.00Since 20004633113.00Since 2007271982.37Recent home form boosts England
In 2005, England pulled off a remarkable upset in the Ashes by winning their first series against Australia in 19 years. They threatened to win the ODI tri-series before the Ashes but Australia fought back in the final to ensure that the game ended in a tie. Following a 5-0 Test drubbing in Australia the following year, England stunned Australia by winning the CB series. Since then, however, England have almost always been on the receiving end in head-to-head contests. Australia comfortably beat England in the 2007 World Cup and crushed them 6-1 in the ODI series in England in 2009. In the semi-final of the Champions Trophy in 2009, Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting scored centuries as Australia completed a nine-wicket win.The batting and bowling stats in these series clearly reflect Australia’s dominance. In 2005 (tri-series and NatWest Challenge in England), Australia had the better batting average and run-rate. Although they lost the CB series in 2006-07, the average difference (difference between batting averages of Australia and England) and run-rate difference (difference between run-rates of Australia and England) were in Australia’s favour. In the 2009 series in England, which Australia won 6-1, the average difference was 14.40 in favour of Australia. England have clearly struggled in global tournaments and lag behind by a huge margin on the average and run-rate front (average difference of 62.07 and run-rate difference of 0.64). Considering their vastly inferior head-to-head record, England’s only hope has to be their excellent run in home ODIs since the beginning of 2010. In the same period, the average difference and run-rate difference for England are 5.30 and 0.38 respectively.

Stats of the two teams in series since 2005 (head-to-head matches only)

SeriesYearMatchesWins/Losses (Australia)Bat avg (Australia)Bat avg (Eng)Avg diffRR (Aus)RR(Eng)RR diffTri-series/Natwest Challenge in England200573/236.6032.544.065.024.560.46CB series in Australia2006-0763/331.0226.484.545.014.700.31Natwest series in England200976/139.4025.0014.405.154.860.29Natwest series in England201052/335.6928.587.115.225.100.12ODI series in Australia2010-1176/136.1927.258.945.495.250.24World Cup/Champions Trophy matches2007/2006 and 200933/084.5022.4362.075.364.720.64Australia light on batting
Ponting, no longer a part of Australia’s ODI team, is likely to be missed in the upcoming series. He jointly held the record for the most ODI centuries (five) against England and also averaged 48.42. In the absence of the highly consistent Michael Hussey, the pressure will be enormous on Shane Watson. Watson has been in top form in ODIs in the last few years and has set himself apart in chases. Among batsmen with 1000 runs in chases, Watson is the only batsman to average over 50 and have a strike rate over 90. He holds the record for the top three scores by Australian batsmen in ODI chases, including 161 and 136 against England in Melbourne and Centurion respectively. David Warner, who will partner Watson at the top of the order, has established himself as a dangerous player in the shorter form. Warner made two consecutive centuries in the finals of the CB series and will be the key to providing Australia with a strong start. Michael Clarke has enjoyed his best batting form since taking over as Australia’s captain. With Hussey missing out, Clarke will need to prop up middle order for an Australian team that is thin on batting.England’s worries about the absence of Kevin Pietersen have been assuaged to an extent by the form of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. Cook, a slow starter in ODIs, has reinvented himself in the last two years. Not only has he averaged an excellent 54.13, he has also scored at superb strike rate of 91.47. With Bell running into form against West Indies, England’s openers (including Pietersen) have scored a century in each of the last six innings. The presence of the highly reliable Jonathan Trott (average 49.25) and the dangerous Eoin Morgan gives the England batting line-up a more settled look before the five-match series.

Batsmen from both teams since 2009

BatsmanInningsRunsAverageSR100/50Shane Watson77319444.9891.915/20David Warner2787633.6985.792/4Michael Clarke70287651.3577.624/21Alastair Cook24119154.1391.474/8Ian Bell3093034.4480.101/5Jonathan Trott44192149.2576.993/15Lee leads excellent pace attack
Despite an injury-ridden career, Brett Lee has managed to retain his pace and aggression. His display in the rain-affected ODI against Ireland will undoubtedly give him confidence ahead of the England series. Lee, just two wickets away from surpassing Glenn McGrath as the leading wicket-taker in ODIs for Australia, is by far the most successful bowler against England. Lee has 64 wickets in 34 matches at an excellent average of 22.0 with three five-wicket hauls. His stats are equally good in ODIs played since the start of 2009 (76 wickets at 23.61). Mitchell Johnson, who was left out of the squad after an ordinary display in South Africa, is back in the reckoning again. Johnson, one of only four bowlers with 100-plus wickets since 2009, provides Australia with a useful all-round option given his batting ability. Along with the in-form Clint McKay (52 wickets at 21.84), Watson also strengthens Australia’s bowling department.In conditions that aid swing and movement, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are among the most dangerous bowlers. Although both bowlers have an economy rate higher than five, their wicket-taking ability in the opening overs has proved crucial for England. Steve Finn, who picked up two consecutive four-wicket hauls in the ODIs against Pakistan, is an excellent back-up pace option. England are also likely to play Tim Bresnan, who can contribute on the batting front. Graeme Swann, who bowled England to their solitary win against Australia in the home ODI series in 2009, provides England with the much-needed variety in the bowling attack. Swann has not only demonstrated a knack of picking up important wickets but has also proved to be extremely economical (economy rate of 4.41).

Bowler stats for the teams since 2009

BowlerMatchesWicketsAverageER4WI/5WIBrett Lee457623.614.893/1Mitchell Johnson6510326.334.934/1Clint McKay285221.844.802/2Shane Watson798325.534.751/0James Anderson558529.215.162/1Stuart Broad478326.515.417/0Graeme Swann547725.244.412/1Teams batting first have enjoyed a slight advantage (5-4) at Lord’s and The Oval, which are the venues for the first two matches. In Edgbaston, where the third ODI is to be played, teams chasing have failed to win even a single game. At both Lord’s and The Oval, the first-innings average and run-rate is significantly better than the corresponding numbers in the second innings. The contrast is even more pronounced in Edgbaston where the average difference and run-rate difference (12.58 and 1.15) are strongly in favour of teams batting first. At Old Trafford, where the averages are significantly lower than those at the other grounds, chasing teams have found the going better. Spinners have a better average than pace bowlers at Lord’s but have struggled at The Oval and Edgbaston. However, at Chester-le-Street, spinners have comfortably outperformed the fast bowlers both in terms of the average and economy rate.

Venue stats in England since 2007

GroundMatchesWins/losses (batting first)1st inns (avg/RR)2nd inns (avg/RR)Pace (avg,ER)Spin (avg,ER)Lord’s105/431.97/5.0329.54/4.9732.93/4.9529.91/4.48The Oval95/435.05/5.4426.98/5.0634.25/5.1737.56/5.07Edgbaston54/037.72/6.2325.14/5.0829.01/5.5270.62/5.59Chester-le-Street42/136.82/5.5123.96/4.9339.90/5.3022.40/4.84Old Trafford31/223.86/4.7526.11/4.6625.32/4.8326.72/4.25