England vs Australia T20 predictions: Aussie skipper could make hay
- England's Sophie Ecclestone has taken at least two wickets in seven of last 11 T20s
- Australia Women have won 23 of their last 24 T20 internationals
- Recommended bet: Alyssa Healy To Score 50+
England Women need to win all five remaining white-ball matches against Australia Women if they are to regain the Ashes, starting with Wednesday's second T20 at The Oval.
That task looks virtually impossible, given that Australia are the reigning 20-over and 50-over world champions, but England ran them close in the first T20 at Edgbaston, where the Aussies sealed a four-wicket win with just one ball to spare.
Heather Knight's hosts are 2/1 outsiders with LiveScore Bet for Wednesday's match, which is followed by another T20 game at Lord's on Saturday and three ODIs.
However, England have shown plenty of quality during the Test and first T20 defeats so 1/3 favourites Australia cannot afford to be complacent.
Team news
England all-rounder Danielle Gibson made her T20 international debut at Edgbaston and will hope to retain her place.
Fast bowler Issy Wong is pushing for a recall but Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Filer, who impressed in the Test match, are not in the T20 squad.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy was passed fit to keep wicket and open the batting on Saturday despite suffering two fractured fingers.
Grace Harris and Annabel Sutherland should keep their places in the middle-order as Meg Lanning, who led Australia to T20 World Cup glory in February, is unavailable for the Ashes tour.
The stats
Amy Jones scored 29 runs off the last two overs of England's innings in the first T20.
Spinner Sophie Ecclestone has taken two or more wickets in seven of her last 11 T20 internationals for England.
In the last four T20 Blast matches at The Oval, the team batting first has scored 195-6, 208-5, 252-7 and 238-5
Australia's Beth Mooney has reached 50 in four of her last five T20 internationals .
Australia have won 23 of their last 24 Twenty20 internationals.
Alyssa Healy has made 25 or more runs in seven of her last 10 T20 innings for Australia.
Prediction
Beth Mooney was Australia's batting hero in the first Ashes T20 at Edgbaston, scoring an unbeaten 61 to seal a gripping run-chase, but her opening partner Alyssa Healy looks a big price to make a half-century in the second game.
Healy has a huge role to play for the tourists, captaining the side in Meg Lanning's absence as well as keeping wicket and opening the batting in T20s.
She was dismissed for five on Saturday but had made at least 25 in seven of her previous nine T20 innings for Australia and should enjoy conditions at The Oval, where Surrey have been involved in some high-scoring T20 Blast games this season.
Healy scored two half-centuries in five matches at the T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year and showcased her attacking strokeplay in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, cracking 50 off just 62 balls in the second innings.
