ENGLAND CLASH WITH AUSSIES CAN GIVE WORLD CUP X-FACTOR

England against australia has rarely required an excuse to set the pulse racing, but today’s clash between two of the early pace-setters could act as the defibrillator this World Cup badly needs.

While England have so far demolished West Indies and Bangladesh, the australians have put some dismal pre-tournament form behind them to see off south africa and sri lanka. The only other 100-per-cent record belongs to Pakistan, who made it three super 12 wins out of three against afghanistan.

Victory for either australia or England will put them within touching distance of the semis, as well as provide the earliest of bragging rights ahead of the first ashes Test on december 8. not a trick will be missed between now and then.

above all, perhaps, the ICC will be hoping for an occasion to bring the World Cup to life. Ten of the 12 matches so far have been won by the team batting second, placing too much of a premium on the toss, while only three sides have made more than 160 and just three games have been settled in the last over.

scotland’s qualification from the first round provided an early feelgood story, and Pakistan’s ten-wicket hammering of India a stirring slice of history.

Yesterday, West Indies and Bangladesh went down to the last ball. But the tournament needs more X-factor than that, and today can provide it.

neither side will want to cede an inch. australia did not enjoy their last World Cup meeting with England — an eight-wicket defeat in the semi-final of the 50-over version at Edgbaston two years ago — and are in no mood for a repeat. The fact that both teams fear one another means each will be eager to land the first blow.

‘It’s probably going to be one of our most difficult games in this group stage,’ said England captain Eoin Morgan. ‘australia are a very strong side. Coming into the tournament, they would probably be considered joint-second favourites, along with us.’

That was overstating the case: England are top of the rankings, while australia are sixth, and recently lost 4-1 to both West Indies and Bangladesh. But it conveyed a respect that is mutual. australian fast bowler Pat Cummins agreed.

‘They’ve been the form team the last few years in white-ball cricket,’ he said. ‘We know it’s such a big game in the context of making the semi-finals.’

England possess the more explosive, and deeper, batting line-up, but will have noted a long overdue half-century for australian opener david Warner in Thursday’s win against sri

lanka — even if he did profit from the drop of the tournament by wicketkeeper kusal Perera.

Then there are the maverick qualities of glenn Maxwell, who helped steal a one-day series at Old Trafford in 2020 with a 90-ball 108 that included seven sixes, several off adil Rashid’s leg-breaks.

But it’s australia’s bowlers who are more likely to have given England a sleepless night. a front line trio of Mitchell starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cummins are formidable in any format, while leg-spinner adam Zampa took two for 12 off four match-changing overs against the sri lankans.

If there is a weakness for England to exploit, it will be australia’s fifth bowler — usually some combination of Maxwell’s off-spin and the medium-pace of Marcus stoinis and Mitchell Marsh.

But it takes plenty to faze Morgan, who is preparing for his 71st white-ball game against the aussies and has seen most of it before. ‘If we don’t manage to gain that momentum, we have guys that can wrestle it back or counter-punch,’ he said. ‘We always have a hand or a trick to play.’

He even sounded relaxed about the prospect of losing the toss, which would leave his bowlers at the mercy of dubai’s evening dew: ‘There’s always an advantage in chasing, statistically, regardless of the country you’re playing in.’

Before yesterday’s two games, there had been no advantage either way: of the 1,318 Twenty20 internationals not to have finished as a tie or a no-result, 659 had been won by the side batting first and 659 by the side batting second.

and there is little doubt what either Morgan or his australian counterpart aaron Finch will do if they call correctly. so far, the only team who have chosen to bat are afghanistan. lasHlEY MallETT, one of australia’s greatest spin bowlers, has died at the age of 76 in adelaide after fighting cancer.