[themaclad]

Bangladesh on the verge of a terrific win just lost their fifth wicket nine short after a partnership of well over 200 by Shahkib and Mahmadullah

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

The triumph of the underdogs continues! Bangladesh knock New Zealand out with a five-wicket win, and will now have to cheer England on tomorrow at Edgbaston if they hope to make it to the semis. This is shaping up to be a terrific tournament.

[themaclad]

Forecast very poor for tomorrow

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Group A

England vs Australia

Edgbaston, Birmingham

ENGLAND squad: Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jake Ball, Sam Billings (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan (capt), Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

AUSTRALIA squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa


The last Group A game takes place tomorrow in Birmingham.  For England it's a formality; for Australia, it's the beginning and the possible end of their tournament.

The hosts are already through to the semi-finals, having triumphed impressively over Bangladesh and New Zealand, but the visitors have been labouring under the curse of the rain gods ever since their warm-up games, and have suffered two no results so far.  The good news for them is that the latest forecasts suggest tomorrow's rain will steer clear of the West Midlands until around 6pm, which should be long enough to give us a game and a result.  The bad news is that nothing but a win will do for them, and England are not going to roll over against the old enemy, especially with an Ashes tour on the horizon.

Neither team has any particular reason to change their line-up; England because theirs is working, Australia because theirs hasn't been tried yet.  The pitch will be new, and there should be plenty of runs on offer, especially for Australia's much-fancied batsmen; they'll be up against the likes of Liam Plunkett, who is the world's top ODI wicket-taker over the last twelve months, and Jake Ball, who proved himself a real threat with the new ball against New Zealand.

Australia's record ODI score is 434-4, set against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006.  Their highest successful chase was 334 in a two-wicket win over England in 2011. Against England overall, their best showing is 342-9 in the 2015 World Cup, while on English soil they've yet to better 315-7 at Old Trafford in September 2013.  Shane Watson holds the triple distinction of being their highest run-scorer in any ODI innings with 185* against Bangladesh in 2011, their highest in an ODI against England with 161* (also in 2011), and their highest on English soil with 143 at Southampton in 2013.

It'd be a great boost to England hopes both for the tournament and for 2017 as a whole to send the Aussies packing.  They've got a pay dispute to sort out; if anything, we'd be doing them a favour.  Make a sacrifice to the sun god on top of the Mailbox, and let's have a full day's cricket at Edgbaston tomorrow.

Play commences at 1030, 10th June 2017

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

England win the toss and put Australia in to bat on a cloudy, chilly morning at Edgbaston. Forecast suggests rain will arrive at 5pm rather than 6, but a game of one kind or another is still likely.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Warner edged one behind from Mark Wood, but Australia still going well. 56-1 after ten overs.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Second wicket down, and it's the fiftieth for Ben Stokes in ODI cricket. Finch skies one, and after haring around the covers like Benny Hill, Eoin Morgan finally positions himself underneath it and takes it safely. Aussies still have a platform for a big score, but that's a big wicket at a crucial time. Halfway through the innings, Australia 147-2.

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Third wicket down! Moises Henriques tries to whack Deirdre out of the ground, but only toe-ends it to Plunkett at mid-on. Travis Head at the crease, England finally in business.

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Fourth wicket down! That's a huge one for England as Smith gets himself out in near-identical fashion to Henriques. Wood the bowler this time, but Plunkett once again the safe pair of hands at mid-off as Smith balloons it to him. Australia 181-4 after thirty-three overs, Maxwell at the crease, England turning the screw.

[Lord Snooty]

Wizzard of a wicket

Maxwell c Roy b Wood

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Fifth wicket down! What a catch! Glenn Maxwell goes big, but Jason Roy is right on the deep midwicket boundary to greet it: he does a tightrope walking act to keep his feet off the rope, tosses the ball back up in the air as he loses his balance and steps over, and then hops infield again to take it safely. Australia 242-5 after forty-three overs. They should still look for 300+, but it's getting harder and harder for them. Wade the new man in.

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And the sixth! Wade caught and bowled by Rashid! Australia in danger of falling apart here.

---

Ha ha ha, there goes the seventh! Rashid again, dismisses Mitchell Starc for a duck as he top-edges a simple catch to Joe Root.

You're going home, lads, you're going home

[Lord Snooty]

Rasheeeeeeeeeed