Fantasy: David Warner, Tom Latham to come good in low-scoring encounter?

After a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe, Australia take on New Zealand in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series in Cairns with the first game set to be played on Tuesday (September 6). The Blackcaps too go into the fixture at the back of a 2-1 series win over West Indies in the Caribbean last month.

New Zealand have not won an ODI against Australia in Australia since 2009. New Zealand have also won just three of the last 10 games against the Aussies.

Ground details

Only two ODIs have been played at the Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns – between Australia and Bangladesh back in 2003. However, there have been a handful of List A matches played at this venue since 2020 and they have been quite low-scoring. The average score batting first at this venue has been 147 while the average winning score batting first is 154.

We can expect this series to go on similar lines as well. Toss could be crucial as the side winning it would want to be chasing here.

As we are not sure how the track would behave, we recommend a good balance of pacers and spinners and both teams have plenty of options at their disposal.

Suggested team

While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.

Captain and vice-captain suggestions

For small leagues: David Warner (c), Michael Bracewell (vc)

For grand leagues: Tom Latham (c), Glenn Maxwell (vc) 

Stats that matter

Only England (6.7) have scored at a higher run-rate than New Zealand (5.8) in ODIs this year.

New Zealand have been clinical with the ball as well. They have struck once every 29.6 deliveries in ODIs in 2022, making them the best among all Test playing nations.

David Warner has a couple of 90s to his name in ODIs this year. In fact, he scored a 97-ball 94 in his previous innings against Zimbabwe, scoring nearly 67% of his team’s total. He has scored 319 runs at a strike-rate close to 90 this year, which includes three fifties from eight innings. Australia will hope he cashes in once again.

Michael Bracewell has had a memorable year in international cricket thus far, making his debut across formats and acing all of them. Speaking of his ODI numbers, he has hit 245 runs at 61.25 to go with a strike-rate of 117.8, this year, which includes a match-winning unbeaten 127 against Ireland to take his side over the line. He has also chipped in with 10 wickets at an economy rate of five with his off-spinners.

Grand League punts

Among New Zealand batters, only Martin Guptill (411) has scored more runs that Tom Latham (360) in ODIs this year. However, Latham has been far superior when it comes to average (51.43) and strike-rate (96.8). He has hit two tons and a fifty in his nine innings so far and is also safe as house behind the wickets – an added incentive to have him in your team.

While Glenn Maxwell is known for his batting prowess – and rightly so – he could be a handy option with his part-time off-spinners as well. With Maxwell at seven, Australia possess an enviable depth in the batting line-up. He has 211 runs this year at a strike-rate over 145 and has five wickets at an economy rate of five to further boost his all-round credentials. 

Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections:

Probable XIs:

Australia: Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.