Who: Australia vs England
What: ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Group B Match
When: Saturday, June 8, 1pm local time (5pm GMT)
Where: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
How to follow: Al Jazeera will have live text coverage of the match from 2pm GMT.
After rain ruined the opening match of the T20 World Cup, defending champions England will be under pressure to seek a victory against rivals Australia when they face off in the all-important Group B match at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
England and Scotland shared a point each after their match at the same venue was scrapped on Tuesday. Jos Buttler’s side, who were aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy, looked below their best, allowing the Scots to race to 90-0 inside 10 overs.
England are fourth in Group B with one point, while Australia are second with two points after beating Oman in their opener. The group is led by Scotland, who have three points from two games, while Namibia are third with two points from two games and Oman are in last place after losing two games.
A defeat to ODI world champions Australia on Saturday could leave England’s Super Eight qualification in jeopardy but batsman Jonny Bairstow doesn’t want the permutations to affect him.
“It doesn’t hinder us anyway,” Bairstow told reporters on Friday. “We know we need to win more games than we lose in cricket tournaments, that’s just part and parcel.
“A win puts you in position in the group, but ultimately the other two games [against Oman and Nambia] they are games you must win no matter what.
“It will be good for momentum and confidence [to beat Australia],” he added.
Bairstow described the contest between the Ashes rivals as “a great spectacle”.
“The guys have been playing against each other for a long time, which in many ways is really exciting because you know each other’s games,” he said. “I hope it’s a fantastic atmosphere like it always is in Barbados.”
Australia ‘pumped’ for clash with England
Australia made a shaky start to their match against Oman before all-rounder Marcus Stoinis shone with bat and ball to record a comfortable 39-run victory.
Captain Mitchell Marsh said his team were a little nervous in that game but were happy with the win and looking forward to Saturday’s clash against England.
Marsh expects English fans to outnumber the Australians at the match in Barbados, jokingly adding that the atmosphere would be the same as at Headingley in Leeds.
“I dare say it will be packed and the majority will be English fans, so it will be like playing at Headingly anywhere in England where you get sprayed,” said Marsh. “But just the atmosphere, the vibe of the game, there’s always a lot at stake. And I think as a team we always want to challenge ourselves against the best.
“England have been exceptional in this format for a long time so there will certainly be a lot at stake and we are excited.”
Head to head
Australia and England have played 23 T20 international matches, with England winning 11 games, Australia 10 and two matches ending in no result.
Form guide
Australia started their campaign with a victory over Oman. Before the tournament, they played two series in February, celebrating a 3–0 series victory over trans-Tasman neighbors New Zealand and a 2–1 series victory over the West Indies.
England’s first World Cup match against Scotland ended without a result after rain hampered the contest. Before the tournament, England won 2–0 in a rain-affected four-match series against Pakistan.
Australia: WWWWL
England: WWLWW
Field and climatic conditions
Kensington Oval has hosted four matches, all producing varying results. The first match was a low-scoring match, the second was a shutout, while the third and fourth matches had goals in the region of 155-165.
Saturday’s match, which starts in the afternoon, will be played on a new surface. The forecast is for rain in the morning and around game time.
Australian national team news
Pat Cummins will return for this match after being rested against Oman. The expectation is that Mitchell Starc, who left the field in the last game with cramps, is in good shape.
Both players had a long spell in the Indian Premier League and played in the final on May 26th.
Squad: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (captain), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis.
England national team news
England have no injury problems.
Squad: Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
