England Cricket

With such a dearth of international fixtures during the month, it was tough to find world cricket’s batsman of the month for September, but England’s Jason Roy takes the prize.

Opening the innings for England during their home one-day international series against Australia, Roy looked in impressive touch as he passed 50 twice and 30 on four occasions.

He made his runs at a brisk pace and gave his side just the start they wanted in the opening stages of the innings, which was particularly useful given Alex Hales’ lack of form alongside him.

The away side may have taken an overall victory in the series by a 3-2 margin, but Roy assured himself of his place in England’s ODI side for at least the time being.

They have long lacked an opener capable of taking the attack to the opposition bowlers, but in Roy they seem to have unearthed such a player.

And, with their lineup in Tests far from certain, if he can put together some strong performances in future series, he may well force his way in to the team in the longest form.

September Performance Summary

Runs	Opponent	Match Type	Venue	Date
67	Australia	ODI	Southampton	Sept. 3
31	Australia	ODI	Lord's	Sept. 5
63	Australia	ODI	Old Trafford	Sept. 8
36	Australia	ODI	Headingley	Sept. 11
4	Australia	ODI	Old Trafford	Sept. 13

Standout Performance

Roy’s best performance of September came in the first ODI in Southampton, as he made 67 from 64 balls, albeit as England lost by 59 runs.

Chasing 306, the opener blazed along at better than a run a ball, and his 11 boundary fours show he was willing to play his shots and put pressure on the bowlers.

For a time, it looked as though he and James Taylor would take England to victory, but it is telling how important his knock was as the hosts fell apart after he was out.

Roy skewed one off Glenn Maxwell and was caught with ease by David Warner at point, leaving England 112 for two in just 17.5 overs.

However, they could not capitalise and were left to lament a wasted opportunity to go 1-0 up in the series.

For Roy, it was an impressive contribution and the start of a strong month.

The Next Few Months

Roy is not involved in the Tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, but he will expect to be heavily involved in the subsequent ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals, which follow in November.

Afterwards, he will most likely travel to South Africa for the five ODIs and two Twenty20Is against the Proteas in February before the World T20 in India.

Then, just a short while later will be the start of another international summer in England, so there will be plenty to occupy Roy with in limited-overs international cricket.

Stephen Finn, wow what a catch #EngvAus pic.twitter.com/DKKI8jIzvL

— Scot Munroe (@ScotM87) September 8, 2015

If you had to guess which England cricketer was going to take a stunning one-handed diving catch, it probably wouldn't be Steven Finn.

But that's exactly what the lanky fast bowler did, flying to his right to take a brilliant catch off the bowling of Adil Rashid in the 3rd one-day international at Old Trafford.

What's more, Finn's catch dismissed Australia's captain and star batsman Steve Smith, leaving the tourists on 75-2 chasing 301 to win.

Go on, have another angle to enjoy the catch in all its glory...

What a catch from Steven Finn! https://t.co/3hQeieDPFq

— Marathonbet (@marathonbet)

But England weren't done there, Jason Roy doing his best to out-do Finn with his own brilliant catch, back-peddling frantically before grabbing the ball one-handed at the second attempt.

What a catch!! @JasonRoy20 pic.twitter.com/5NkYXJ4wUV

— GripGrip Cricket (@GripGripCricket) September 8, 2015

With Australia 2-0 up, England need to win to keep their chances of a series win alive.

[Twitter]

Australia can wrap up the one-day series against hosts England with victory in the third match on Tuesday.

The tourists have bounced back from their Ashes disappointment with ODI wins over their fierce rivals at the Ageas Bowl and Lord's, leaving them on the brink of claiming an unassailable lead in the series.

But, although Australia have been hurt by injuries, potentially opening the door for their opponents to turn things around, England find themselves in a must-win situation heading to Old Trafford, Manchester. 

Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Time: 2 p.m. (local) / 9 a.m. (ET)

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Nine Network (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)

Weather: Per BBC Weather, the forecast suggests it will be overcast but dry. Temperatures will dip in the evening, too, and the afternoon start time will make for an interesting decision at the toss.

Overview

Australia's performance in the second ODI was impressive.

They responded to being put in under heavy skies in the morning by making 309 for seven, a sizeable score in 49 overs (early rain had led to a delayed start) regardless of the conditions.

Their bowlers backed up the batsmen's efforts by dismissing the home team for 245, though the 64-run triumph was overshadowed by the controversial dismissal of England's Ben Stokes.

Having driven a full delivery back to the bowler, Mitchell Starc, Stokes reacted to the ball being thrown toward the stumps by blocking it away with his hand as he turned to make his ground.

The third umpire ruled that the all-rounder be given out for obstructing the field, even though the footage did not make it clear whether the throw was on target to hit the stumps.

England captain Eoin Morgan felt it was the wrong call, not just by the officials but also Australia, who upheld their initial appeal to see Stokes dismissed for 10.

He said of the incident, per BBC Sport, "You don't have time to think. It was a natural reaction to avoid the ball. Mitchell Starc was about five yards away from Ben Stokes. The decision was made. It would have been a lot different if we were fielding."

Opposite number Steve Smith, though, did not agree, according to Sky Sports on Twitter, "The umpires are there to make a decision. The fourth umpire saw it the same way we did."

Both sides need to move on quickly from the incident.

Smith will have some new faces to welcome into his XI for the day-nighter in Manchester.

David Warner suffered a fractured left thumb when struck by the second ball of the match on Saturday at Lord's, not only ruling him out for the rest of the current series, but also possibly the Test tour to Bangladesh in October, per Daniel Brettig of ESPN Cricinfo.

Shane Watson, who announced his retirement from Test cricket on Sunday, and Nathan Coulter-Nile are also now out with respective calf and hamstring injuries.

Australia called up opening batsman Aaron Finch, wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Handscomb and seamer John Hastings as replacements for the sidelined trio, according to BBC Sport.

England will make at least one alteration to their side, too.

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on their website on Sunday that wicketkeeper Jos Buttler will be rested for the remainder of the summer, with Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow called up in his place.

The home team have been bowled out twice so far in the series, though the bigger issue is their failure to take early wickets with the ball.

As Andrew McGlashan pointed out for ESPN Cricinfo, "In the seven ODIs against New Zealand and Australia so far this season, on only one occasion have England had the opposition more than two wickets down at the 25-over mark."

To help solve the problem, they could opt to shuffle their seamers around.

Steve Finn—who sent down the delivery that ended Warner's tour prematurely—and Chris Woakes have yet to take a wicket in the series.

Having sat out the defeat at Lord's, Mark Wood could come back into contention. David Willey, a left-armer who would offer a little variation to the bowling attack, is another option available to England.

Key players

England

Stokes will find himself in the spotlight when he gets to the crease in the third one-dayer.

His method of dismissal last time out will still be a topic of conversation by the time he takes his guard, but the Durham all-rounder needs to forget about it and contribute with both bat and ball. 

He has managed 23 runs so far in the series, dropping his career average in the 50-over format to 18.62. That is far too low for someone of his talent.

Australia

Finch has been given an unexpected opportunity to play in the series due to the injury to Warner.

Finch, who was left out of Australia's initial squad as he was recovering from a broken bone in his foot, has been playing county cricket for Yorkshire during the course of the English summer.

The right-hander has not featured for his country since the Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand back in March. 

Squads

England

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Sam Billings, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Australia

Steve Smith (captain), Ashton Agar, George Bailey, Joe Burns, Patrick Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper)

All stats used in the preview are from ESPN Cricinfo

Ben Stokes was given out after obstructing the field! #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/B80r4CnyeI

— BeanBagSports (@BeanBagSports) September 5, 2015

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was given out in controversial fashion during the second one-day international against Australia at Lords.

The bizarre dismissal occurred when Stokes used his hand to block a Mitchell Starc throw from hitting the stumps, with the England batsman out of his ground having driven the ball straight back to the bowler.

After discussions between the on-field and third umpires, Stokes was given out obstructing the field, only the sixth man to be given out by such means in ODI history.

It's the 6th time in ODIs, first time for an England player, apparently. https://t.co/cXZTDkhozQ

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) September 5, 2015

However, not all agreed with the decision, with many arguing that Stokes was simply taking evasive action.

Common sense would tell you @benstokes38 was taking evasive action & was not obstructing the field. Smith should have withdrawn the appeal

— Alec Stewart (@StewieCricket) September 5, 2015

"Very harsh decision... IMO Stokes was just protecting himself from the throw... ..." http://t.co/ADE6yUMPwh

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) September 5, 2015

Stokes was clearly trying to defend his face from the ball not try and stop the ball hitting the wicket.

— Jonathan Norman (@FulhamJon) September 5, 2015

Australia went on to bowl England out for 245, securing a 64-run win and a 2-0 series lead.

[Twitter]

England will want to bounce straight back from an opening defeat in the ODI series against Australia when the two sides meet in the second of five matches on Saturday.

Australia drew first blood with a 59-run victory at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday, though they have little time to bask in the glory of their success.

Less than 24 hours after completing the day-nighter down on the south coast, the Ashes rivals will be back in action at Lord's, London.

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2015

Time: 10:30 a.m. (local), 5:30 a.m. (ET)

Venue: Lord's, London

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Nine Network (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)

Weather: Per BBC Weather, Lord's could be hit by showers on Saturday morning. However, conditions will improve in the afternoon with temperatures reaching up to 16 degrees Celsius.

Overview

The first one-dayer had more twists than a roller-coaster at a theme park.

Both teams enjoyed excellent starts with the bat, only to lose a clatter of wickets. The difference in the end was Australia—without the added pressure of a required run rate—were able to recover.

The tourists slipped from 164 for two to 193 for six after choosing to bat first, but wicketkeeper Matthew Wade combined with Mitchell Marsh to put on a crucial unbroken stand worth 112.

Their alliance carried Australia to a final total of 305 for six, with Wade finishing up unbeaten on 71 from 50 deliveries.

Still, it seemed England were going to overhaul their opponents' score when openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy put on 70 in a hurry.

Even after they had both departed, the hosts were in control at 152 for two in the 27th over.

However, they proceeded to lose five wickets for 42 runs—three of them with the score stuck on 194—to leave the tail with too much to do in the closing stages.

Captain Eoin Morgan was disappointed at the way England's chase fell away, per Sky Sports, "I thought Australia defended the score pretty well and put us under the pump, but I think we are a better side than that."

The wicket at the Ageas Bowl was excellent for batting, but conditions could be tougher at Lord's.

While the pitch won't be a problem at the home of cricket, the early morning start in the month of September could work out to be an advantage for the seam bowlers.

Australia opted not to pick a front-line spinner in the first game, instead using batsman Glenn Maxwell's right-arm off-spinners to add a little variety to their seam-heavy attack.

England, in contrast, included both leg-spinner Adil Rashid and off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali in their lineup.

Yorkshireman Rashid picked up four for 59 in his 10-over spell, the best ODI figures recorded by a slow bowler at the venue, according to Shiva Jayaraman of ESPN Cricinfo.

However, his impressive personal performance wasn't enough to help England record just their second win in their last 11 meetings with Australia in the 50-over format.

They did at least triumph the last time the sides faced each other in a one-dayer at Lord's, with Morgan making an unbeaten 89 in a 15-run victory in July 2012.

The only other Englishman likely to be on duty this year at the same venue is the England skipper's Middlesex colleague, seamer Steve Finn.

Key players

England

Finn took two for 47 in the win over Australia at Lord's three years ago. However, the bowler has picked up just four wickets in his last five one-day outings, including drawing a blank in Southampton.

England cannot rely on Australia's middle order collapsing throughout the rest of the current series to help them out. Therefore, early wickets are crucial to put the skids on a powerful batting unit.

Playing at his home ground, Finn needs to fire up front. His career numbers, though, are impressive—he's picked up 93 wickets in 64 appearances at an average of 29.15.

Australia

Maxwell's most important contribution in the game on Thursday came with the ball. His part-time spin accounted for Roy, who sliced a drive straight to David Warner at point to depart for 67. 

However, Maxwell will want to make a bigger impact during the series when he's got a bat in his hand.

The 26-year-old—who has been playing county cricket for Yorkshire during the summer—eased his way to 15 on Thursday, only to feather a catch down the leg side off the bowling of Mark Wood. 

Squads

England

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Australia

Steve Smith (captain), Ashton Agar, George Bailey, Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), David Warner, Shane Watson

All stats used in the preview are from ESPN Cricinfo

England and Australia kick off their ODI series with a day-night fixture at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday.

The game at Southampton, England, is the first of five 50-over contests in the space of 11 days between the two Ashes rivals.

Eoin Morgan's England side secured a victory in the one-off Twenty20 fixture on Monday, but the tourists are ranked as the best one-day team by the ICC, having lifted the Cricket World Cup earlier this year.

Date: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015

Time: 2 p.m. (local), 9 a.m. (EST)

Venue: The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, England

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Nine Network (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)

Weather: According to BBC Weather, Thursday will be bright but breezy down on the south coast. There is a chance of some scattered showers, but it should stay dry long enough to get a game in.

Overview

The ODI matches may be tagged on at the end of the Ashes, but that doesn't mean they are an afterthought following the main event.

Having been named as England's new director of cricket, Andrew Strauss made clear at his first press conference that the one-day team was an area of priority, per Sky Sports, "My job is to provide a medium and a long-term plan to take England from where we are to a sustainable world-class team in all formats.”

The early signs are promising. Under the leadership of stand-in coach Paul Farbrace, England defeated New Zealand 3-2 earlier in the summer.

Having beaten the side that were runners up in this year's World Cup final, now they go up against the reigning champions.

England's recent record against their oldest rivals does not make for pretty reading—Eoin Morgan has beaten them only once in the seven completed fixtures during his time in charge, while Australia have won more games (27) than they've lost (26) on English soil. 

They thrashed England by 111 runs during the World Cup, though they will field a much-changed lineup in Southampton. For starters, Steve Smith is now captain in all formats.

Opening batsman Aaron Finch is ruled out through injury, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has not been selected and Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood have returned home after the Ashes.

James Faulkner was due to be involved, but the all-rounder was suspended by Cricket Australia following a drink-driving offence, per Kim Pilling of the Press Association (h/t the Mail).

With Finch sidelined, the tourists need to find a replacement at the top of the order. Shane Watson opened in the T20 game, but Joe Burns batted there in the one-dayer against Ireland on Aug. 27.

England also have a decision to make over who opens alongside Alex Hales. Jason Roy did the job against New Zealand but made just 98 runs in the series.

Moeen Ali was not picked to face the Black Caps, instead being allowed to remain in county cricket to work on his spin bowling ahead of the Ashes.

However, he has been recalled to the squad and was last used by England in 50-over action as an opening batsman, hitting a century in the role against Scotland at the World Cup.

The hosts could instead use Ali at three in the order, as they did in the T20 encounter in Cardiff, Wales. The player himself is happy to bat anywhere, per Andrew McGlashan of ESPN Cricinfo, "I love opening the batting but wherever the team wants me to bat, I will bat, and if that's three then so be it."  

James Taylor is another option to bat at the fall of the first wicket. Joe Root would normally bat there, but he has been rested for what looks set to be an intriguing series, weather permitting. 

The last ODI between England and Australia at the Ageas Bowl was in September 2013, with the latter winning by 49 runs to clinch a 2-1 series victory after two games had been lost to rain.

Key players

England

Hales has yet to fully translate his T20 success at the highest level into the 50-over arena.

After 15 ODI appearances, the Nottinghamshire batsman averages 25.35 with two half-centuries. It has been steady stuff but not quite what either he or England would have hoped for.

But Hales, who has scored over 1,000 first-class runs this summer, has been mentioned as a candidate to partner Alastair Cook in the Test XI. Big runs against Australia would only enhance his case for a first cap.

Australia

Pat Cummins was not selected during the Ashes, having been drafted into Australia's Test squad to replace the injured Ryan Harris.

Fitness issues have held back Cummins' career since he burst onto the international scene with six for 79 on his Test debut against South Africa in 2011.

However, the paceman bowled seriously quick in the T20 in Wales, regularly going beyond 90 miles per hour. The 22-year-old dismissed both Hales and Roy during an impressive four-over spell.

Squads

England

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Australia

Steve Smith (captain), Ashton Agar, George Bailey, Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), David Warner, Shane Watson