The oldest rivalry in the game comes alive at the Mecca of cricket today when England take on defending champions Australia in a match which will be viewed
by local fans as a prelude to the Ashes series after the World Cup.

However, for the hosts, this is more than just bitter rivalry as it is a crucial game for England, who are in a spot of bother after unexpectedly losing to two Asian rivals, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They cannot afford another slip-up, especially as their next two matches are against India and New Zealand. If England go on to lose all three, it will raise the prospects of the three teams behind them in the points table — Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan — to make it to the semi-finals.