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The highly-anticipated Group 1 match between Australia and England in Super 12 of the Men’s T20 World Cup was washed out due to rain without a ball being bowled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), on Friday.
This was the second match of the day in MCG which was abandoned due to rain after a Group 1 match between Ireland and Afghanistan already abandoned without a single ball being bowled. England and Australia will now share one point each as they move ahead in the tournament.
The toss was originally scheduled to take place at 6:30 pm local time and was delayed ahead of an inspection at 7:30 pm local time. As the covers were taken off, there were hopes that the teams could take the field in a truncated match.
Umpires Chris Brown, Joel Wilson and Aleem Dar decided to have another inspection at 8:15 pm due to the outfield being visibly damp and keeping players safety a priority. Later on, a third inspection was scheduled as the conditions did not change much.
But just 20 minutes before the scheduled inspection, the rain returned and eventually led to the match being called off as captains Aaron Finch and Jos Buttler shook hands. Australia and England were awarded one point which now has massive implications for Group 1.
New Zealand remains at the top of the table with 3 points because of a solid net run rate. They are then followed by second-placed England (3 points), Ireland (3 points), Australia (3 points), Sri Lanka (2 points) and Afghanistan (2 points).
“The outfield was drenched, it was as wet as I have ever seen it. I think the run-ups were an issue and the inner circle. It’s about player safety. We saw one of the Zimbabweans (Richard Ngarava) go down the other day. If you’re trying to run out there it’s going to be a real issue,” said Aaron Finch.
Speaking about Matthew Wade, who tested positive for Covid-19, Finch said “He was going to play. Tucked away in the changing room by himself. Probably inevitable it was going to happen. He had a few symptoms but was good to go.”
“Yeah, due to be a massive occasion. Very disappointed. Would have been a great place to do it (100 caps) but full focus on our next match and keeping our tournament alive. We’ve been playing some good cricket leading into the tournament. Really disappointing performance the other night. But we’ve retained full faith in the group and have confidence in the players for the rest of the tournament,” said Jos Butler.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will play the next match from Group 1 on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), with the winner of the clash having a chance to top the table.
Australia will face Ireland in their next match on Monday at the Gabba in Brisbane, while England will face the table toppers New Zealand at the same venue on Tuesday.
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