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Though we may be suspicious of what these matches are all about, our excitement – and trepidation – reflects not that, rather the brilliance of Jofra Archer and how much we’ve missed him and it in the time we’ve been bereft of them. But finally, after 18 months away, England’s best bowler is back, likewise the exhilaration of somehow being shocked by pace and lift we know are coming.
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Australia, though, are as good as ever, reigning world champions with their own superstar bowler in Adam Zampa, playing his hundredth ODI. They’ll be ready for whatever Archer can throw at them and, in Travis Head, have one of cricket’s most destructive batters in terrific nick.
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Which is to say that, while we may have misgivings about what we’re shortly to enjoy, its essentials could not be more compelling: England are playing Australia and Archer is back. This is going to be good.
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Play: 12.30pm BST
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Main Events
Cricinfo reported that Phil Salt presented Bethel with his England cap. He's making his debut today, which is nice.
If I remember correctly, the call was from Adam Collins of the Guardian. Imagine the fury Worrall will cause at the Gabba if, in the process of switching from Australia to England, he is selected for the Ashes tour (as seems likely).
Dan Worrall is a magical man! 🪄
Count 5⃣1⃣ Follow 😮💨
He is currently averaging just under 16 points in the tournament! 🤯
🤎 | #SurreyCricket https://t.co/ErwS6FsUsW pic.twitter.com/WvzC0llxHN
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 19, 2024
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Of course, there's a lot more going on. England, captained by Harry Brook, are in a period of transition with Jacob Bethel being a particularly attractive addition, Australia also have new faces and rookies in their squad, most notably Marli Beardman, and there are old rivalries, particularly Archer v Smith, and there are plenty of distractions that take our focus away from the other things we need to do.
preamble
Sports sometimes offer personal stories that go beyond the primary aspects of who wins and who loses. Some cynics might say, “That's not hard,” given the particularly specialized nature of this sport, but bear with me.
You might wonder what these matches are all about, but our excitement and anxiety reflects not that, but rather the greatness of Jofra Archer and how much we have missed him and his matches while we were away. But finally, after 18 months away, England's best bowler is back, as well as the excitement of being somehow shocked by the speed and force we know is coming.
But Australia remain in good form, with the reigning world champions and superstar bowler Adam Zampa playing his 100th ODI match, Archer will be able to handle whatever pitch is thrown at him and Travis Head, one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket, is in top form.
So, while there are fears about the match we're about to enjoy, the essence of the game couldn't be more fascinating: England are playing Australia, Archer is back, this is going to be a good one.
Play time: 12:30pm BST
