Birmingham Weather Report: Rain Likely To Spoil Australia vs England Semi-Final

England's bid to reach the World Cup 2019 final at home might get affected by rain during their semi-final match against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Thursday. While the sky is expected to remain cloudy at the time of toss, the weather forecast says it might rain after 1 PM local time (5:30 PM IST). The first semi-final between India and New Zealand was played over two days as the rain washed out the first day after 46.1 overs of New Zealand innings.

The match was moved to the reserve day on Wednesday and India managed to restrict New Zealand to a below-par total of 239/8 in 50 overs.

However, India's chase derailed quickly after they came out to bat. They lost four of their batsmen for paltry 24 runs inside first 10 overs. They were bowled out for 221, 18 runs short of New Zealand's total.

According to the weather forecast, the rain threat looms large over the blockbuster semi-final at Edgbaston.

The showers are expected throughout the day after 5:30 PM IST with clear sky expected only after 11:30 PM IST.

In case of a wash-out, the match will be deferred to the reserve day on Friday. The result of the toss will also be carried forward.

England have never won a World Cup title. Australia, on the other hand, currently hold the record of five World Cup titles and would like to extend their domination in the 50-over format further with another crown at England's own backyard.

When the two sides clashed in the league stage, Australia thrashed the hosts by 64 runs at Lord's.

Topics mentioned in this article

England Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Edgbaston, Birmingham World Cup 2019 Cricket Australia vs England, 2nd Semi Final