The English cricketing summer concludes with the latest instalment of the sport's oldest rivalry, as England and Australia contest three T20s and five one-day internationals over the next three weeks.
It's 20-over cricket up first, beginning under the floodlights at Southampton's Rose Bowl on Wednesday, September 11th.
The teams last met at this year's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, where England progressed further than the Aussies but were comfortably seen off by their old foes in a group-stage meeting.
That was only Australia's second T20 win over England since February 2018, although it is 11 wins apiece in all in cricket's shortest format.
- AUSTRALIA TO WIN 3-MATCH SERIES
- JOSH INGLIS TOP AUSTRALIAN RUNSCORER IN 1ST T20
- JOFRA ARCHER TOP ENGLAND WICKET-TAKER IN IST T20
Aussies' Experience May Tell
In less than 12 months England have relinquished both of their limited-overs world titles.
An abject defence of the 50-over crown they won so memorably in 2019 was not in the script for England, who headed to India last year as one of the outstanding favourites to lift the trophy.
Expectations were not as lofty at this summer's T20 World Cup, but England, who won a second 20-over world title in Australia at the end of 2022, at least reached the semi-finals, albeit they were ultimately put in their place by champions India.
A run to the last four perhaps masked England's actual achievements, however, as they beat only one other Test-playing nation – the West Indies – at the tournament.
White-ball head coach Matthew Mott paid the price for those two failures as he stepped down at the end of July, and last week Test coach Brendon McCullum was announced as the Australian's successor.
McCullum won't be in charge against Australia – he is taking over at the start of next year – so Marcus Trescothick will be at the helm.
Trescothick has an experimental squad at his disposal which will be led by Phil Salt after regular skipper Jos Buttler pulled out with a calf injury.
England's squad is certainly not lacking in talent but there is certainly greater experience in Australia's.
The Aussies, especially their batters, also pitch up at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday in decent nick after three comprehensive T20 victories over Scotland last week.
The small boundaries of The Grange will have helped but Australia broke the world record for most runs in the powerplay in their first match in Edinburgh, plundering 113 in their opening six overs, while wicket-keeper Josh Inglis scored Australia's fastest T20 century in Friday's second rubber, reaching three figures from just 43 balls.
Scotland's bowlers may not be of the same calibre as England's but the three-match series will have been of great benefit to Australia's batters, who almost all played themselves into form.
There may not be much in it, but in the pressure moments Australia may just hold sway over the course of the three matches.
AUSTRALIA TO WIN THE SERIES
Inglis Can Show His Class
It is possible that Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis could have been an England international in a different life, having been born in Leeds before emigrating to Australia with his family as a teenager.
However, there will be no split loyalties for the 29-year-old, who was part of Yorkshire's academy growing up but is now Australia's number one gloveman in limited-overs cricket.
Inglis has had to bide his time to get to that stage and in time he will be hoping to usurp Alex Carey behind the stumps in Test matches, too.
The 29-year-old has a handy if unexceptional first-class record, but there have been some obvious hints of his ability, not least when smashing a maiden T20 international hundred against India in Visakhapatnam last November.
That century came off only 47 balls and he bettered that mark on Saturday when flogging Scotland's bowlers to all parts at The Grange to bring up three figures from only 43 deliveries.
Inglis batted at numbers four and three against the Scots, and while he could continue in that role against England, Jake Fraser-McGurk's struggles in last week's three-match series – the youngster was twice out for nought and managed just 16 in his other innings – could mean there is a spot at the top of the order for Inglis to lay claim to.
The continued excellence of Travis Head tempers enthusiasm to back Inglis to be Australia's leading runscorer in the series somewhat, but there is every chance that he can lead the way for the tourists in the first clash in Southampton if he replicates the form he showed against Scotland.
JOSH INGLIS TOP AUSTRALIA RUNSCORER IN FIRST T20
Archer To HIt The Target
The sight of Jofra Archer steaming in with ball in hand is a most welcome one for fans of English cricket.
Archer's career has been beset by injuries since exploding on to the international stage at the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where the fast bowler held his nerve under the greatest of pressure to ensure England were crowned world champions.
England have steadily brought Archer back into the fold following a series of injury setbacks and this month's series against Australia is the next step to hopefully having him available to spearhead England's Ashes charge down under at the end of 2025.
Archer had a steady T20 World Cup, taking 10 wickets in the Caribbean, but his overall 20-over international record of 31 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 22.35 shows how effective he can be.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a solid campaign with the Southern Brave in this year's edition of the Hundred and bowled well in Sussex's T20 Blast quarter-final success over Lancashire last week, taking two for 20 from 3.3 overs.
Archer will know the Rose Bowl surface well from his time with the Southern Brave and England's ace fast bowler could continue on his long road back to the top of international cricket by causing Australia's batsmen the most problems in Wednesday's opening clash.
JOFRA ARCHER TOP ENGLAND WICKET-TAKER IN FIRST T20
