Australia vs England in Second Semi-finals Match.
England had four years to make sure that they prepared well for this world cup. That will be put to the test when they face Australia in the second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday. Their early exit in the previous world cup forced them to change their approach to one-day internationals since they had placed Test success above all else.
Trevor Bayliss, former Australian coach, was drafted to help guide them to their first world title. The transformation has been noticeable with England climbing to the top spot in ODI rankings under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan, with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow helping accomplish such a feat.
However, stakes are higher for England. They not only are looking to advance to the finals and win the tournament, but their match could be broadcasted on free-to-air television - assuming that they do make it to the finals. It would be the first time since 2005 that a major England men’s home match was to be aired for everyone to watch, and cricket having a chance to (re-)gain its former glory and audience.
Australia, on the other hand, has never lost a semi-finals appearance although they tied with South Africa 20 years ago but still advanced thanks to the final thanks to their superior net run-rate. They also beat their Ashes rival in the group stage, which weighed heavily on the Brits. It is important to note that Australia has not won in any format in Edgbaston since the 2001 Ashes Test.
The Australia-England semi-final match looks to be living up to the hype. Odds for the teams are +122 and -143 for Australia and England, respectively. To find out more about cricket odds, visit Betwala’s page.
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