A couple of days ago, England fans were gleefully looking forward to the chance to knock Australia out of the T20 World Cup on their own patch, but so quickly do the sands shift in this format that Friday’s meeting is now laced with equal amounts of jeopardy for both of the old rivals.
Yesterday’s results — Ireland’s rain-affected win over England and the lack of one in a washout between New Zealand and Afghanistan — have blown Group 1 of the Super 12 stage wide open, and with La Nina and net-run-rate each likely to play a part, the permutations are complex and plentiful. Still, suffice to say that the loser at the MCG will be left needing snookers and the victor well on course for the last-four.
