T20 World Cup: Australia v England picks, odds & value bets

Two cricket heavyweights clash at the MCG this Friday night when Australia tackle England in a T20 World Cup blockbuster with wider tournament implications.

The Australian World Cup campaign got off to a disastrous start against the Kiwis when the home side was never in the hunt. New Zealand batted first, came out slogging, posted 200 runs, and that was the end of the contest. There were worrying signs for the Aussies all over the park. The bowlers, Josh Hazlewood excluded, failed to take wickets or halt the Kiwi run charge. The top order then capitulated and the side was knocked over for a paltry 111 runs in the 17th over. Glenn Maxwell top scored with 28 from 20 balls, and that was the highlight of a poor innings.

The Aussies bounced back against Sri Lanka in game two to keep their World Cup hopes alive. They restricted the Lankans to 6/157 with some tight bowling and reeled in the total during the 16th over. Aaron Finch took his time in compiling 31 runs from 42 balls, Maxwell grabbed 23 from 12 balls, and Marcus Stoinis blasted 59 runs from 18 balls to get the Aussies over the line.

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This is a must-win contest but comes after the Poms easily overran Australia in two warm-up games before bad weather caused the third match to be abandoned. A third consecutive loss to the old enemy will not sit well with the boys in green and gold.

England started their World Cup campaign with an easy win over Afghanistan and will be looking to keep that momentum rolling. They held the Afghanis to 112 runs in an impressive display of tight T20 bowling, before overhauling the total in the 18th over. Liam Livingstone top scored with 29 from 21 balls, with Captain Jos Buttler contributing 18 from 18 balls.

England are set to face Ireland in their second game, and this might not be the easy victory it looks on paper. The Irish knocked the West Indies out of the tournament in the first round, before succumbing to Sri Lanka in game two. England will not be taking the result for granted despite their short betting quote.

We are tipping England here based on their superior consistency. The Aussies have the talent to beat any side on the right day, but patchy recent form is a disincentive to invest in their chances. England have not lost in their last seven games, and internal confidence is riding high.

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