SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

England craving chance to knock Aus out

England will go all out to end Australia's Champions Trophy tournament early, says wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

England's Jos Buttler
England will go all out to end Australia's Champions Trophy tournament early, says Jos Buttler. (AAP)

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Jos Buttler is hoping England can deliver a knockout blow to Australia in the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston.

The Ashes rivals will square up for the second successive edition of the tournament, with England in the enviable position of knowing after their two Group A wins that they have already booked a semi-final berth in Cardiff next Wednesday.

Before then, Australia will almost certainly need to beat Eoin Morgan's hosts in Birmingham on Saturday to sneak a return to the same venue in the last four after their two washouts to date.

The tie is a repeat of the 2013 fixture, comfortably won by England on the way to that year's final in a match better remembered for a vexed aftermath in which Australia opener David Warner ended up aiming a punch at Joe Root in a city-centre bar after a late-night misunderstanding between the two players.

Buttler, one of three survivors alongside Root and Morgan from England's victory almost exactly four years ago, knows England can land a metaphorical but terminal shot this time.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We won't think too much about it ... but it is always nice to know that would be the outcome if we did win," Buttler said of the chance to end Australia's tournament.

"We now know we have qualified for the semi-finals, but we want to be going into a semi-final on the back of a win - and we'll be desperate to do that on Saturday."

Whatever the consequences, Buttler confirmed the stakes always rise against Australia.

"Of course they do - any England-Australia game is a huge game," he said.

"Both sides are very aggressive, attacking teams. We will not change our style of cricket. We'll keep trying to take them on.

"They've got some good pace bowlers, but we'll try and be aggressive with the bat as well."

It was also in Birmingham that Morgan's England first unveiled their new ODI template of all-out attack at the first attempt after their miserable 2015 World Cup campaign, with centuries from Buttler and Root in a 210-run win over New Zealand.

"We've got some good memories of playing there. It's a ground we like playing at - which is one of the advantages of being at home, isn't it?

"We have to make the most of that."


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world