England vs Australia prediction and T20 cricket betting tips

Where to watch England vs Australia

Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, 6.30pm Friday

Best bets

Adam Zampa over 20.5 performance points
3pts Evs bet365

Jordan Cox top England runscorer
1pt 9-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

England vs Australia prediction

Another brutal display of Powerplay batting from Australia set up their 28-run win over England in Wednesday's first T20 international at the Rose Bowl.

The Aussies are favourites to go 2-0 up in the three-match series in Cardiff, where England have won eight of their nine T20 internationals.

Their chances of extending that fine record will be boosted if they can get rid of Australia opener Travis Head early in the innings.

The left-hander smashed 80 off 25 deliveries in this month's first T20 against Scotland and took 30 runs off one Sam Curran over at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday evening.

England's spinners inspired an impressive fightback as Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone helped reduce Australia from 86-0 to 179 all out.

However, the tourists dismissed England's top three in the first six overs and ace leg-spinner Adam Zampa strangled the middle-order, finishing with figures of 2-20 from his four overs.

Zampa also scored five runs off three balls at number ten and took a catch to dismiss the dangerous Curran, giving him a performance-points make-up of 55.

He should be backed to bag 21 or more points in bet365's market on Friday, with one point awarded per run, ten per catch and 20 per wicket.

Zampa has picked up 18 wickets in his last ten short-format matches for Australia and The Hundred champions Oval Invincibles.

He has some experience of Sophia Gardens, having played for Welsh Fire in The Hundred in 2022, and picked up 13 wickets in seven T20 World Cup appearances in June, dismissing openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler in the Group B win over England.

Salt, deputising for injured captain Buttler in this series, was caught off a no-ball from the first delivery of the innings on Wednesday.

He was unable to capitalise on that reprieve, falling for 20 as Liam Livingstone top-scored with 37 off 27 balls.

Debutant Jordan Cox made 17 off 12 at number three, helped by a couple of streaky boundaries off Josh Hazlewood, and he merits a bet to top-score in his second appearance.

Cox has had an outstanding summer for Essex, averaging 65 in the County Championship and striking at a rate of 178 runs per 100 balls in the T20 Blast.

He helped the Invincibles retain their title in The Hundred, scoring 214 runs off 149 balls, and should relish the step up to international level.

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