Australia v England LIVE T20 World Cup cricket updates as match abandoned at MCG

England’s crucial T20 World Cup clash with Australia was abandoned due to rain and wet under foot conditions after a constant downpour throughout the day in Melbourne. The match always looked in doubt after Ireland’s game versus Afghanistan was also called off ealier in the day.

Both teams take a point each from the abandoned tie which keeps them in the battle for a spot in the semi-finals. Coming into the match England and Australia both had two points from two fixtures with one win and one loss apiece. Today’s encounter would have seen one of the sides probably knocked out of the competition but now both have the opportunity to finish in the top two spots in Group 1.

England next play New Zealand on Tuesday in Brisbane before meeting Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday 5 November. To reach the final four, they need to win both games and hope Australia do not overhaul their sizeable net run-rate advantage in games against Ireland and Afghanistan.

Australia vs England’s crucial T20 World Cup match is abandoned without play:

England vs Australia

• Match abandoned due to bad weather

• Both teams take a point from the game and keep their World Cup campaigns on track

• England lost by five runs to Ireland last time out

• Australia defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets

Australia vs England match abandoned after rain in Melbourne

11:48 , Michael Jones

England’s bid to get back on track at the T20 World Cup after their must-win match against Australia was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Melbourne.

Persistent showers at the MCG had washed out Friday’s earlier game between Ireland and Afghanistan and it seemed an identical fate would befall the Ashes rivals in their probable Super 12s eliminator.

While the rain abated just after a scheduled 7pm (9am UK) start time, the heavy downpours in Melbourne over the past couple of days had left the ground sodden and clear-up efforts proved to be in vain.

Australia vs England match abandoned after rain in Melbourne

Group 1 standings

11:18 , Michael Jones

England move up to second in Group 1 after their washout with Australia. They take on first placed New Zealand next in what is another must-win game for Jos Buttler’s side.

Match abandoned at the MCG

11:05 , Michael Jones

Rain has caused England’s highly anticipated clash with Australia to be called off at the MCG with a ball being bowled. It’s been a frustrating morning for all involved.

England’s route to semi-finals

11:02 , Michael Jones

England next play New Zealand on Tuesday in Brisbane before meeting Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday 5th November.

To reach the final four Jos Buttler’s men need to win both of these games and hope that Australia do not overhaul their sizeable net run-rate advantage in games against Ireland and Afghanistan.

Group 1 is still wide open and some more shock results may set up an interesting finish to the Super 12s.

Match abandoned

10:51 , Michael Jones

It’s now official. The match has been abandoned due to the weather and under foot conditions. Both England and Australia take a point away from the game.

Pakistan and Zimbabwe leaders trade barbs over Mr Bean impersonator

10:50 , Michael Jones

A man impersonating Rowan Atkinson’s famous character Mr Bean has become the focus of a hilarious online slinging match between the leaders of Pakistan and Zimbabwe after the former’s shock defeat in a T20 World Cup cricket match at Perth.

Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa praised the country’s win against Pakistan and added a reference to “Pak Bean”, the impersonator of the popular British comic character in Pakistan.

“What a win for Zimbabwe! Congratulations to the Chevrons. Next time, send the real Mr Bean,” he wrote on Thursday.

Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif quoted Mr Mnangagwa’s tweet and wrote: “We may not have the real Mr Bean, but we have real cricketing spirit... and we Pakistanis have a funny habit of bouncing back.”

Pakistan and Zimbabwe leaders trade barbs over Mr Bean impersonator

England vs Australia

10:44 , Michael Jones

If it starts raining again at the MCG then that will be that. There’s no way the umpires will let play start with rain in the air.

World’s richest cricket body announces equal pay for men and women cricketers

10:37 , Michael Jones

India’s women cricket players will be paid at par with men to represent the country at the international level, the country’s governing body for the sport has declared.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday that women players at the international level will receive the same match fees as men across all formats under the agreement.

This includes Rs 1.5m (£15,700) for tests, Rs 600,000 for one-day internationals and Rs 300,000 for T20 internationals.

Jay Shah, the secretary of one the world’s richest cricket bodies, called the move the “first step towards tackling discrimination”.

Pay parity has been a point of discussion in Indian cricket for a long time.

World’s richest cricket body announces equal pay for men and women cricketers

England vs Australia

10:27 , Michael Jones

The latest time that play can start is 11.46am UK time. That’s an hour and 20 minutes away and there’s going to be a further inspection - of the outfield mainly - in 20 minutes time.

A very frustrating morning for all involved.

England vs Australia

10:23 , Michael Jones

There’s a lot of waiting around for the umpires to make their decision. Aleem Dar, the senior umpire, seems very concerned with large swathes of the outfield.

No one really knows what is going to happen at the minute. If this wasn’t a crucial World Cup match the game would probably have been called off by now in all honesty.

‘Fearless’ Ireland look for consistency after England heroics

10:19 , Michael Jones

Head coach Heinrich Malan believes consistency is now the next hurdle for Ireland after suggesting a key to their recent success has been understanding how to be “fearless”.

Ireland have been the surprise package at the T20 World Cup, eliminating two-time champions the West Indies to get beyond the first round of this tournament for the first time since 2009.

The second-lowest ranked team remaining in the competition have now blown their Super 12s group wide open, bouncing back from their Sri Lanka defeat to beat England in a rain-affected game on Wednesday.

Ireland are used to causing upsets on the global stage but Malan hopes facing top-tier teams on a more regular basis can lead to these results becoming more frequent and less of a shock.

‘Fearless’ Ireland look for consistency after England heroics

England vs Australia

10:09 , Michael Jones

There’s quite a bit of action near the square as sawdust has been piled up at either end of the bowler’s run ups. The roller is going over the pitch and the water clearing methods continue in full force.

The umpires are asking the ground staff to clear up certain areas and the signs seem good that some play will happen.

England vs Australia

10:02 , Michael Jones

What are the thoughts of England’s captain and coach? This match looks as though it will be a shortened game and in a five overs per side contest anything can happen.

England look to resurrect World Cup campaign after ‘timid’ defeat to Ireland

09:56 , Michael Jones

Head coach Matthew Mott struggled to explain England’s “timid” approach in losing to Ireland but thinks channelling the uninhibited spirit of the boys in green can resurrect their T20 World Cup campaign.

England now need to win their remaining three Super 12s fixtures to guarantee a place in the semi-finals, starting against tournament hosts and defending champions Australia at the MCG on Friday.

They have been left little room for manoeuvre in their group and morale is low after a largely dismal display with ball and bat in a shock five-run defeat to Ireland under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

While England will again have to keep a close watch on the Melbourne skies with rain forecast, Mott has urged his side to concentrate on what they can control and take a leaf out of Ireland’s playbook.

England look to resurrect World Cup campaign after ‘timid’ defeat to Ireland

England vs Australia

09:49 , Michael Jones

The fans seem to be having a good time despite the weather but they’ll all be hoping that play gets underway soon. Around 60,000 people were expected at the MCG to watch Australia take on England.

No play yet

09:43 , Michael Jones

The first inspection has come and gone with little movement towards the start of the game. There is going to be another one at 10.15am.

The umpires spoke to both captains, Aaron Finch and Jos Buttler, with the main gist of the conversation seemingly about the wet outfield.

Hopefully it dries out over the next 30 minutes.

Inspection taking place

09:38 , Michael Jones

Here are the umpires taking a look at the conditions on the field. No word yet on whether this game will go ahead or not.

Jos Buttler urges England to ‘feel’ disappointment of shock defeat to Ireland

09:34 , Michael Jones

Jos Buttler believes England “should let it hurt” after a shock defeat by Ireland and urged his side to take inspiration from their 2019 World Cup triumph ahead of a potential eliminator against Australia.

Ireland, England’s conquerors at the 2011 50-over World Cup at Bangalore, claimed another memorable win over their rivals in the T20 edition as rain brought a premature end to a gripping contest at the MCG on Wednesday.

England were on 105 for five midway through the 15th over chasing 158 when the heavens opened, which was ultimately decisive as Ireland won by five runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The result blows the Super 12s group wide open and England almost certainly need to win their three remaining fixtures to progress, starting against old enemy Australia at the same venue on Friday.

Jos Buttler urges England to ‘feel’ disappointment of shock defeat to Ireland

England vs Australia

09:26 , Michael Jones

Encouraging signs at the MCG. We’ll know more about the state of the game after the umpires have made their inspection at 9.30am.

‘They outplayed us’: Jos Buttler refuses to blame rain after shock Ireland defeat

09:20 , Michael Jones

Jos Buttler refused to blame the Melbourne rain for England’s shock defeat by Ireland, accepting “the better team won” in Melbourne.

England were loose with the ball after putting their opponents in to bat at the MCG, but dragged things back well as the boys in green slipped from 103 for one to 157 all out.

But with the constant threat of rain, England’s reply never really found its feet. Buttler, Alex Hales and Ben Stokes all fell cheaply and, with the constant threat of a downpour in the air, they never got above the DLS par score.

They were still short when the weather turned, leaving the Irish to celebrate a memorable five-run win.

Asked if he had any qualms about the early finish, Buttler told Sky Sports: “Not really, it was only going to get heavier. They outplayed us in all three facets of the game. The better team won today.”

Jos Buttler refuses to blame rain after shock Ireland defeat

England vs Australia

09:14 , Michael Jones

There are a few players dotted about the outfield now, going through a few small warm ups. All the signs look good that some play will take place this morning.

The covers are coming off

09:08 , Michael Jones

There’s a little bit of hope that a game can go ahead today as the covers are being removed from the square ahead of the inspection in about 20-25 minutes time.

There is no further rain due but the main cause of concern will be the under foot conditions especially around the bowlers run ups. The ground still looks absolutely soaked so keep the excitement levels at a minimum for now.

Chris Woakes confident he can play full part in England’s T20 World Cup campaign

09:02 , Michael Jones

Chris Woakes is confident of playing a full part at the T20 World Cup after taking a “risk” to be involved in England’s tournament-opening victory over Afghanistan.

Woakes returned to the England set-up last month for the first time since the spring after an operation on his left knee but was doubtful to feature at Perth on Saturday with soreness in his right quad.

He passed a fitness test to convince England he was ready and then collected a respectable one for 24 after bowling the penultimate over and three in the powerplay in his side’s five-wicket win.

England might shuffle their bowling options against Ireland at the MCG on Wednesday, with Australia to come 48 hours later, but Woakes claimed he is fit and does not need to be shielded going forwards.

Chris Woakes confident he can play full part in England’s T20 World Cup campaign

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets

08:56 , Michael Jones

Sri Lanka almost caused an upset when they took on Australia on Tuesday.

The Aussies won the toss and bowled first but couldn’t really restrict Sri Lanka throughout the innings. That said the visitors didn’t take off until the final two and a half overs where they scored 37 runs and finished with a total of 157.

Australia felt confident about chasing the total down but Aaron Finch was in terrible nick and scrambled his way to 31* from 42 balls leaving his partners to do the bulk of the hitting at the other end. David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell all chipped in with a few runs but it was Marcus Stoinis who won the game.

He came in in the 13th over with just 89 runs on the board. 18 balls later Stoinis had 59* and Australia won the game with 21 balls left to play. It was an incredible display of hitting and what could have been an embarrassing defeat for the Aussies turned into an easy victory.

Matthew Wade tests positive for Covid on eve of Australia vs England

08:50 , Michael Jones

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade has tested positive for Covid the day before his side’s crucial T20 World Cup clash against England at the MCG.

Wade is experiencing light symptoms according to Cricket Australia but, unless his condition worsens, he is still expected to feature on Friday in a showdown where the loser will be all-but eliminated.

International Cricket Council regulations state the Biosafety Advisory Group “will be the final arbiter as to the Covid status of any player and his consequential availability to participate in a match”.

Wade must travel to the match separately and change and train away from his team-mates after becoming the second Australian case this week, with Adam Zampa testing positive ahead of the Sri Lanka game.

The leg-spinner did not feature on that occasion after experiencing minor symptoms but Ireland’s George Dockrell has played against both Sri Lanka and England despite his positive Covid test.

Matthew Wade tests positive for Covid on eve of Australia vs England

Inspection due at 9.30am

08:45 , Michael Jones

There is a pitch inspection due in about 45 minutes time at 9.30am. Even if the game goes ahead it’ll be a shortened match with the minimum requirement being five overs a side.

England vs Australia

08:38 , Michael Jones

A quick note about today’s match. The toss has been delayed due to the conditions on the field. The rain has come down all day - forcing Ireland vs Afghanistan to get abandoned - but the ground staff are doing their best to get the playing surface fit for purpose.

It already looks to be a shortened match as the ground is that wet. Play was due to start at 9am but that is almost certain to get pushed back too.

Ireland beat England by 5 runs via DLS

08:34 , Michael Jones

England got a shock last time out when then took on Ireland at the MCG. Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bowl first but a lack of discipline from the seamers, especially Chris Woakes who struggled to find his rhythm, allowed Ireland to get off to a flyer. T

hey stormed to 103-1 from 11 overs but then failed to keep up that momentum.

Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone restricted them in the back part of the innings and kept the score down to 157 with Ben Stokes taking the last wicket in the final over.

What should have been a comfortable chase for England became anything but. Buttler was out on the second ball of the innings with Alex Hales and Ben Stokes quickly following.

Dawid Malan and Harry Brook tried to rebuild but did do slowly and England fell behind the rate needed for a win on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

When Brook and Malan both departed, the rain started to fall and Moeen Ali began to rain sixes of his own but he couldn’t get England ahead of the par score. They came off at 105-5 just five runs short of the desired DLS target.

Time ran out to restart the game and Ireland secured a historic World Cup victory.

England vs Australia

08:25 , Michael Jones

It’s a huge day for England and Australia but only one team can take the two points of offer from today’s match.

England have played four T20I games at the MCG and have never won here, including the game against Ireland on Wednesday, will they end that poor run this morning?

England ready for ‘massive challenge’ against Australia with World Cup on the line

08:21 , Michael Jones

Liam Livingstone believes a probable eliminator against Australia at the MCG is what could galvanise England cricket to reboot their stuttering T20 World Cup campaign.

After beating Afghanistan, England came a cropper in a shock rain-affected loss against Ireland and now must win their three remaining Super 12s fixtures to guarantee a semi-final place.

Defeat against the hosts and defending champions would almost certainly spell a group-stage elimination, although England go into the showdown having beaten their Ashes rivals in a T20 series this month.

England were 2-0 winners and were on course for a series clean sweep only for rain to force a no-result in the final match – and showers have been forecast for Friday evening’s fixture between the teams.

England ready for ‘massive challenge’ against Australia with World Cup on the line

England vs Australia early team news and predicted line-ups

08:17 , Michael Jones

England may mull changes to a bowling attack that didn’t quite get it right in the first ten overs against Ireland. Chris Woakes was lacking in his usual accuracy and new ball nip and could therefore be vulnerable - David Willey would be the likeliest option as a new ball specialist to replace him, though Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills are also in the squad.

Aaron Finch’s form will be a concern for Australia, though there is little to suggest that the captain will be excluded for this encounter. Several prominent voices, including Mark Waugh, have called for Pat Cummins to drop out of the side after back-to-back off nights in the defending champions’ opening two group fixtures. Adam Zampa should return in the place of Ashton Agar if he has overcome Covid.

Predicted line-ups

England XI: Jos Buttler (capt. & wk), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

Australia XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (capt.), Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

England vs Australia

08:13 , Michael Jones

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the T20 World Cup from Australia.

England need to bounce back from a shock defeat to Ireland on Wednesday if they have any hopes of reaching the semi-final stage. They have two points from their first two Super 12 fixtures and will likely need to win their final three matches in order to get to the next round.

Today’s opponents are the tournament hosts and England’s oldest enemy in World cricket. Australia are in a similar predicament to England having lost their opening game to New Zealand by 89 runs. They then went on to defeat Sri Lanka earlier this week to get back on track but now it seems as though the loser of today’s game will, eventually, get knocked out of the competition.

This morning’s encounter is being played at the MCG but the weather may come into play. The early match between Ireland and Afghanistan has been abandoned without a ball being bowled but hopefully this crucial clash between England and Australia will get underway on time.

Play is scheduled to start at 9am.