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Seven English lessons from the T20 Tri-series won by Australia

D'Arcy Short tees off in the final for Australia - AFP
D'Arcy Short tees off in the final for Australia - AFP

1. In it to win it

Australia have always been outstandingly good at winning finals: three in the World Cup and three in the Under-19 or Youth World Cup, not to mention this tri-series. England have always been outstandingly bad at winning finals: only one victory in seven World Cup finals at senior level, and one at junior level. Australia have always had their state U-19 championships as the pillar of their cricket. England have never had a U-19 county tournament - not even North v South, as there is now at senior level - to sort the sheep from the goats at an early stage.

2. Dig in and defend every run

Even though New Zealand batted dreadfully in the final, they hung in by fielding their socks off and gave themselves a sniff. It came after Australia’s openers had got out and Ashton Agar had batted with infinitely less sense than on his Test debut at Trent Bridge in 2013 when he had made 98 at No11. Chris Lynn had dislocated his right shoulder while fielding so Australia were effectively four wickets down with not yet 100 on the board when Glenn Maxwell played an intemperate swipe at Mitchell Santner and was dropped by Ross Taylor running back at cover. New Zealand’s doggedness almost made a game of it.

3. Olympic legacy?

Eden Park, mainly a rugby stadium, is an excellent venue for T20 internationals - whether the match is very high-scoring or, like the final, low-scoring - because the crowd feel so close to the action.The Olympic stadium in east London could have been an even bigger and better venue for T20 internationals.

London Stadium - Credit: Steven Pond/Getty Images
Why didn't cricket push for access to London's Olympic Stadium? Credit: Steven Pond/Getty Images

The All-Party Parliamentary Cricket Group, which has not met since 2015 according to its website, should ask the ECB to explain why it never expressed an interest in the design of the Olympic stadium so it could accommodate T20 cricket after the 2012 Games. Was it because the ECB wanted to keep official cricket inside existing grounds with a capacity below 30,000, in order to keep ticket prices high, to the exclusion of the sport’s long-term interests? And provided the All-Party Group are not too busy, they should publish their findings.

4. Slow burn 

Baseball was taken to Australia by the Spalding Baseball Tour of 1888-89. Ever since, one could well argue, Australia’s pace bowlers have been better than England’s at slower balls.

Australia's Kane Richardson (L) bowls during the Twenty20 International Tri-Series cricket match between England and Australia at the MCG  - Credit: CON CHRONIS/AFP
Kane Richardson is a slower ball supremo Credit: CON CHRONIS/AFP

Kane Richardson, in particular, and Andrew Tye are virtuosos.

5. Shaky starts

Starts are vital in every form of cricket. Australia’s David Warner and D’Arcy Short settled the outcome of the final with their stand of 72, and in the tri-series scored three fifties between them. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and Colin Munro scored four fifties between them. England’s Jason Roy and Alex Hales had a highest opening stand of 22 and did not score a 50 between them.

6. Catch a flyer

In this tri-series NZ$50,000 proved a highly attractive prize for any spectator who caught a six one-handed. Hamilton’s Seddon Park was as quiet as a bowls club when England played New Zealand last Sunday - until a six was caught. If a sponsor comes up with the equivalent (about £30,000) for every such catch in the ECB’s new T20 franchise competition in 2020, this will do much to promote it.

But let safe areas, protected by unbreakable glass or netting, be provided for those less active. Easier to prevent a spectator’s fatal injury than cure one.

7. Two too many 

Eight T20 franchises, to be launched in England and Wales in 2020, are too many. With only three overseas players per franchise, and the England players otherwise engaged, approximately 100 county players will be taken by the franchises - leaving the county cricket going on simultaneously to be played by virtual Second XIs. Initially there should be six franchises, plus one overseas team invited and based at the Ageas Bowl - excellent facilities for touring teams - but not playing there, only at the other franchises. The overseas team would be the winner of a T20 franchise like the Big Bash or Caribbean Premier League or Pakistan Super League, designed so there would be no clash between them and the touring team ie if Pakistan were touring, the visiting franchise would be the BBL or CPL winners. The IPL might one day want to be invited, so at last their Indian players are seen abroad.