- England have won six of the last eight completed T20Is with Australia
- Phil Salt is ranked the third best T20I batter in the world
- Recommended bet: Phil Salt top England runscorer

There is nothing like a match between England and Australia to whet the appetite of cricket fans.

Cricket's oldest rivalry continues this month as three T20Is and five one-day internationals bring the curtain down on the cricketing summer, beginning with a 20-over meeting at Southampton's Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

Team news

England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler has withdrawn from the three-match T20I series due to a calf injury and Phil Salt will skipper the side in his absence, while also taking over behind the stumps.

Test stars Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Matthew Potts are rested for the 20-over action, but are part of England's squad for the following ODI series.

Jacob Bethell and Jordan Cox have been handed international debuts, Jamie Overton will feature in his first T20I and Saqib Mahmood is selected after overcoming long-standing injury problems.

Mitchell Marsh leads a strong Australian line-up, although seamers Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson have been forced to pull out through injury.

Test captain Pat Cummins and left-armer Mitchell Starc have both been rested.

The stats

England have won six of their last eight completed T20 internationals against Australia, but overall it is 11 wins apiece.

The pair have met in five 20-over matches at Southampton's Rose Bowl previously. England have won three times, including a 2-1 series win at the ground in September 2020, Australia twice.

Baggy Greens leg-spinner Adam Zampa has been a particular thorn in England's side in T20Is, claiming 26 wickets in 12 matches at an average of only 21.57.

Stand-in skipper Salt is the only England player to have scored more than one century in T20 internationals, having hit back-to-back tons in last season's tour of the West Indies.

Prediction

Eight white-ball encounters is not quite the Ashes, but England and Australia should still provide some high-quality cricket over the next few weeks.

Both sides have named slightly experimental sides, although there is slightly more experience in the Australian side which could prove decisive.

From a betting perspective a punt on England's stand-in skipper Salt to be the hosts' top runscorer could be the way to go.

Salt, who is ranked the third best T20 batter on the ICC's list, has steadily established himself at the top of the order for England in both white-ball formats and enjoyed an excellent campaign with the Manchester Originals in The Hundred this summer, when he again deputised as captain in Buttler's absence.

The 28-year-old plundered back-to-back T20 centuries on last year's tour to the West Indies and has shown his qualities in various franchise leagues, including the IPL, over the last couple of years.

Salt scored a brisk 37 from 23 balls when England and Australia met at this summer's T20 World Cup, so he should not fear a weaker Aussie bowling unit at Southampton, therefore England's captain could lead from the front at the Rose Bowl.

Back Phil Salt to be top England runscorer at 11/4 with LiveScore Bet