JASON ROY said today that England’s batsmen have “a bee in their bonnet” after two lacklustre outings against Australia.

The tourists go into tomorrow’s Twenty20 against New Zealand having been summarily dispatched by Australia in Hobart and Melbourne, where the bowlers were left defending slender scores of 155 and 137.

There is more at stake than pride or a point to prove, though, with the tri-series format lending a competitive edge often absent from international T20s — which frequently show up apologetically at the end of tours and sit in stark contrast to glitzy domestic tournaments.