Limited time at crease no worry for Aussies

Win or go home - it's the no uncertain task Australia face when they take on a an in-form England at Edgbaston on Saturday.

The hosts will be full of confidence after two dominant wins in the tournament to date, while Australia will be coming off back-to-back wash outs and with limited time spent at the crease.

Only Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith and Moises Henriques have had the opportunity to bat in Australia's first two matches due to the weather - batting for a combined total of 25 overs across the two matches.

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But skipper Smith is unconcerned and believes the pressure of needing a result will suit his players.

"I'm sure they'll be okay," Smith said.

"Most of the guys have been playing a lot of cricket, anyway, having been at the IPL and things like that.

"I think once they get out in the middle, things will just click into place, and yeah, hopefully we can play well on the 10th in Birmingham.

"It makes the equation pretty simple for us. We have to beat England."

Eoin Morgan's side booked their Champions Trophy semi-final spot on Tuesday with an impressive 87-run win over New Zealand in Cardiff to secure top spot in Group A.

While the weather gods have conspired against Australia, they were shining down on the hosts in the Welsh capital.

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With torrential rain hitting the city all day Monday, more was predicted to follow 24 hours later with the significant prospect of another wash-out.

However, it never materialised and England cruised to victory after bowling out New Zealand for 223 inside 45 overs having posted 310 having been put in to bat.

The result means Australia, Bangladesh and New Zealand all have a chance of reaching the semi-finals on Saturday.

Victory for Australia over England, in what's essentially a quarter-final match, will keep their tournament alive by virtue of having four points.

New Zealand and Bangladesh each have a point due to their washouts against Australia and should Smith's side lose, the winner of their match on Friday in Cardiff will advance to the last four.

Should Australia win, it will extend their stay in Birmingham where they would play in the second semi-final against the winner of Group B - which is likely to be South Africa or India - on June 15.

One bonus for Smith in Monday's wash-out at The Oval was the improved performance of his quicks, with Mitchell Starc particularly impressive alongside the consistent Josh Hazlewood.

It was a much-improved showing on what was served up against New Zealand last Friday and Smith said he was relishing the opportunity to unleash them on England's powerful batting line-up.

"I thought all our bowlers were a lot better,"

"We hit some good areas early on and challenged the defence of Bangladeshi batsmen.

"Everyone that bowled did a pretty good job and it was nice that we were able to turn things around."

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India beat Pakistan by 124 runs

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, No Result

6 June – England beat New Zealand by 87 runs

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)