ICC T20 World Cup: Australia-England match abandoned due to rain
What's the story
The 26th match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup featuring reigning champions Australia and England has been called off without a ball being bowled. Both sides will garner a point each for this fixture. Rain played a spoilsport in each of Friday's affairs at the MCG, with the Ireland-Afghanistan clash too being a no-result. Here are further details.
Words
That's the wettest I've ever seen in this stadium: Finch
Aussie skipper Aaron Finch said: "The outfield has taken a drenching over the last couple of weeks. That's the wettest I've ever seen in this stadium. The run-ups were a real issue and around the inner circle, it was very wet. It's more about players' safety." England skipper Jos Buttler felt he was left disappointed in not being able to play against Australia.
H2H
England keep the lead over Australia in T20Is
England are narrowly ahead of the Aussies in terms of head-to-head in T20Is, which reads 11-10 (NR: 3). In T20 WC, England have two victories and a defeat against Australia. Notably, the two sides locked horns in a three-match T20I series in Australia earlier this month. While the Three Lions clinched the first two games, the third clash got washed out due to rain.
Standings
2022 T20 WC: A look at the Group 1 standings
New Zealand lead the Group 1 points table with three points (W1 NR1) and a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +4.450. England (+0.239), Ireland (-1.170), and Australia (-1.555) trail in order having tasted a win, a loss, and a no-result. With a win and a loss each, Sri Lanka (+0.450) are fifth. Afghanistan are at the bottom, with two points in three games (-0.620).
Information
MCG will host two more matches, including final
The MCG has hosted four matches in the 2022 T20 WC so far, including the nail-biting India-Pakistan clash. The iconic venue will play host to two more matches - November 6: India vs Zimbabwe, and November 13: Final.