CT 2017: Australia v England, Game 10 – Match Result Predictions

The final match of the Group A will feature England taking on Australia at Edgbaston, Birmingham. It will be an important match in the context of the tournament. The whole qualification scenario of the group depends on this match. England have already qualified for the semi-finals and are awaiting another team. If Australia win, they’ll go through and if they lose, Bangladesh qualifiy. If the match is washed out or tied, then Bangladesh will make it.

The World Champions Australia have been denied by rain in both their matches. In the first match against Australia, they were in a spot of bother when the rain gods came to their rescue. But in the next match against Bangladesh, they were set to cruise to victory and this time, the rain worked against them. They have 2 points from 2 matches and would want to win the last match to qualify. If they lose, it will be the second time in a row that they miss out of a semi-final spot in the Champions Trophy.

The hosts, on the other hand, have put in 2 consecutive clinical performances. First, they got the better of Bangladesh and then dominated New Zealand to become the first side to qualify for the semi-finals. Before the tournament, they were rated by several experts as the prime favorites to win the trophy and they have certainly lived up to the expectations. They won’t be any lenient on the Aussies and would want to finish unbeaten going into the semis.

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:

Scenario 1: Australia wins the toss

Toss prediction: Australia will choose to bowl first

First innings score prediction: 310-320

Result prediction: Australia will win the match by 4 wickets

Scenario 2: England wins the toss

Toss prediction: England will choose to bowl first

First innings score prediction: 290-300

Result prediction: Australia will win the match by 10-15 runs

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches – 140, Australia Won – 80, England Won – 51, No Result/Tied – 9

Matches in England: Total Matches – 64, Australia Won – 30, England Won – 28, No Result/Tied – 6

Historically, Australia have dominated England in the ODI format but the equation is completely different at present. The hosts are a changed side in the past couple of years. Australia are in danger of being knocked out for the second time in a row. But considering the aggressive brand of the Kangaroos, they will not go down without a fight and will do whatever it takes to survive.

Playing Combinations

Australia:

The Australians have hardly batted in the tournament so far. They have played just 25 overs in 2 matches in which they scored 133 runs and lost 4 wickets. Aaron Finch suffered 2 low scores but David Warner had a decent score against Bangladesh. A lot will depend on him and the skipper Steven Smith. The other batsmen Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade can’t afford any lapses as it will be a do or die match for them.

The bowlers did a fabulous job in the last game versus Bangladesh. Especially Mitchell Starc with his 4 wickets, was instrumental in halting the opposition to a paltry score. Every frontline bowler chipped in with wickets and now, they would need a repeat of that performance against the in-form batting line-up of England. The bowling unit is expected to more or less the same that took the field in the last game.

Predicted XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smtih(c), Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade(wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

England:

Jason Roy’s form continues to be a worry for England but Alex Hales and Joe Root have filled in for him big time. Especially, Root has played splendidly well and has scores of 133 and 64 in 2 innings. They have the assurance of the skipper Eoin Morgan at number 4. Ben Stokes will remain the player to watch out for in the match and Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler will do the finishers’ duties once more. It will be a great contest between this batting line-up and Australia’s pace battery.

In the bowling department, Liam Plunkett has been holding the fort firmly with 2 back to back 4 wicket hauls. The other seamers Jake Ball, Mark Wood, and Ben Stokes have done well too. The leg-spinner Adil Rashid was brought into the line-up for the first time in the last game and he made an immediate impact. Against the Aussies, he will once again play a crucial role.

Predicted XI: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(wk), Jake Ball, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood

There has never been an incident before in the league when two teams equally balanced faced off against each other. There is very little to choose between the two sides. We might witness a close game but the World Champions are too good to be ruled out like this and hence our bet will go for Australia.

The prediction goes in the favor of the World Champions Australia and they would qualify for the semi-finals.

You can follow the live scores of the match here

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below.