Match: Australia v England
Group: Group A
Date: Saturday, June 10
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Head2Head in ODIs
Australia leads the overall tally against England 80 to 51. It has beaten England more times both at home and away.
Greatest ODI encounter
Australia’s first World Cup final win came when it defeated England by seven runs in the 1987 tournament. England was ahead for most part of the contest, with Neil Foster (1-38), Eddie Hemmings (2-48), Graham Gooch (1-42) and John Emburey (0-44) keeping Australia to 253 for 5 after Allan Border chose to bat. David Boon was the highest scorer, holding down one end for 75, while Mike Veletta pitched in at No. 6 with a 31-ball 45.
Graham Gooch (35) and a patient Bill Athey (58) put on 65 for the second wicket in the chase, before Athey and Mike Gatting (41) added another 69. Gatting fell attempting a reverse sweep, a risky shot then, the ball hitting his shoulder before being caught by Greg Dyer. With England having defeated hosts India in the final, the crowd in Kolkata was firmly behind Australia and rose up in a loud cheer.
Despite a fight by Allan Lamb, England lost its way after that. It lost regular wickets and could go no further than 246 for 8 in its fifty overs. Boon was declared the player of the match.
Previous Champions Trophy encounters
Edgbaston, Birmingham, June 8, 2013
England won by 48 runs
PoM: Ian Bell
After putting up 269 runs thanks to Ian Bell’s 91, England picked up regular wickets. After Australia fell to 190 for 9, James Faulkner gave his side a slight boost with an unbeaten 54, but it was never going to be enough as Australia managed just 221 for 9 in 50 overs.
SuperSport Park, Centurion, October 2, 2009
Australia won by nine wickets
PoM: Shane Watson
In the semifinal, a middle-order fightback led by Tim Bresnan (80) and Luke Wright (48) lifted England to 257 in 47.4 overs. Two centuries for Australia and an unbroken 252-run stand for the second wicket between Shane Watson (136) and Ricky Ponting (111) ensured the side a place in the final.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, October 21, 2006
Australia won by six wickets
PoM: Damien Martyn
Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson picked up three wickets each while Glenn McGrath had two as Australia bowled England out for 169 in 45 overs. Damien Martyn (78) then rescued his side from a top-order stutter as it completes the chase in 36.5 overs.
Edgbaston, Birmingham, September 21, 2004
England won by six wickets
PoM: Michael Vaughan
All of Australia’s batsmen pitch in as the side puts up 259 for 9 having been asked to bat in the semifinal. But England’s batsmen are better on the day, with all of Marcus Trescothick (81), Michael Vaughan (86) and Andrew Strauss (52) bringing up fifties to complete the chase with 21 balls to spare.
Key players for each side
One of the primary reasons for Australia’s recent success in ODIs has been its ability to find a balanced XI. A player who has contributed a lot to that is James Faulkner. He’s a versatile bowler, who has a lot of variations up his sleeve, and is Australia’s go-to man when it needs a wicket. With the bat, he has been labelled as Australia’s ‘finisher’. If Faulkner fires in either department, any match could quickly turn into a one-sided affair.
Eoin Morgan, England’s limited overs captain, stands out with his versatility adding a new dimension to England’s line-up. He can gobble up deliveries and stay in for as long as he needs before quickly switching gears and accelerating. The fact that he is a left-hander helps his case.
Key facts
- Australia has faced England four times in the Champions Trophy, with the tally level at 2-2. England has won both the games played at Edgbaston.
- Australia’s lowest ODI total, 70, came against England at Edgbaston in 1977. England’s lowest ODI total of 86 also came against Australia in Manchester in 2001.
- Eoin Morgan averages 43.47 against Australia, with three centuries and 10 half-centuries against it.
- England played its first ever ODI against Australia on January 5, 1971, at the MCG.
Best performances at Champions Trophy
Australia Winners 2006, 2009
England Runners up 2004, 2013
