Michael Vaughan: Powerful New Zealand value to win first T20

Eoin Morgan captains a young England T20 side

England are straight back into action just two days after the heartbreaking Champions Trophy defeat to India and Michael Vaughan believes New Zealand can overpower an inexperienced home side

The defeat to India will hurt those England players for a long time, I can assure you of that. As captain, I lost a Champions Trophy final that we should have won in 2004 (against the West Indies at the Oval) and it still bites at me now.

Those players will have woken up this morning with a horrible feeling; it was such a disappointment for the whole set-up.

You only get opportunities to win global trophies every few years and it was all set up for them. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara had worked out the situation nicely and with 20 runs needed off 15 balls with six in hand, you'd back yourself every time. 

Jos Buttler played a stupid shot and Tim Bresnan got himself in a muddle, but it was up to those that got in to see it through. 

Hopefully this England team will get another chance in 2015, but it's not going to get any easier. This India side are only going to get better for starters, so Alastair Cook and his men will have to knuckle down and go again.

A number of the players who appeared in the final, including Morgan, Bopara and Buttler, won't have any time to wallow, of course, with a two-match T20 series against New Zealand starting on Tuesday night at the Oval.

It's pretty ridiculous scheduling, to be honest, in between the two main events of the summer. It will be as low key as international cricket gets but it's an opportunity for some of the younger players to shine and without any real pressure, we'll hopefully see an entertaining game.

Given the inexperience of the England team (none of the frontline bowling attack; no Pietersen until the second game) and the fact New Zealand have had a few days' rest, I was surprised to see that the hosts are trading as favourites at 1.845/6 with the Kiwis at 2.166/5.

The value is definitely with the tourists; they're a powerful team who are very dangerous in this format and they can easily take the game away in a few overs.

When New Zealand do well, Brendon McCullum is often the key man and I'll back him to tee off and top score for the Kiwis. He is currently trading at 4.03/1. For England, I'll go for captain Eoin Morgan to bounceback from the Edgbaston disappointment and top score. He is available at 5.59/2.

Recommended Bet
Back New Zealand to win at 2.166/5

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There has been talk of 'panic' in the ranks after Cricket Australia sacked Mickey Arthur and replaced him with Darren Lehmann a couple of weeks before the start of the Ashes, but it was a decision they had to give the team half a chance.

Darren is an Aussie through and through and you'll see a 20% rise in performance levels with him in charge. That's not to say Arthur is a bad coach or a bad man, but there were clearly issues in the camp and this was the only way to clear the slate. England will need to be on their guard, as Australia will be a more competitive outfit going in to the series.