Key battles

Morgan v Finch

Eoin Morgan assured home fans and pundits that England would not buckle under pressure after wobbling in the league stage.

Morgan stayed true to his word, masterminding victories over India and New Zealand and is now two wins away from making history.

Aaron Finch has let his bat do the talking, taking Australia to their sixth semi-final in seven tournaments.

The opener amassed 507 runs, with two hundreds and three fifties, as the five-time champions won seven of their nine league games to finish second in the 10-team group table.

Bairstow v Warner

England’s Jonny Bairstow was the key man in England’s revival at the end of the group phase, hitting two dominant centuries to haul the hosts into the semi-finals.

The opener hit 111 in the match against India and then smashed another century against New Zealand. Reunited with opening partner Jason Roy, Bairstow threatens to be a thorn in Australia’s side at Edgbaston.

Left-handed David Warner was Bairstow’s teammate for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 Indian Premier League and the pair were prolific.

Since then, Warner has returned to international cricket in triumph following a ball-tampering incident that saw him banned for 12 months.

He has hit three hundreds and three fifties at the World Cup to stack up 638 runs in nine matches, leading Australia’s charge.

Starc v Archer

Need for speed Mitchell Starc has been a lethal weapon for Australia at the World Cup, claiming 26 wickets with a strike rate of 19.2.

The left-armer’s ability to strike early and stem the flow of runs will be crucial against an English top-order that has returned to top form.

Jofra Archer, 24, has combined with senior paceman Chris Woakes to give the home side a lethal new-ball pair that Australia will be wary of.

Archer remains the go-to man in England’s search for an early wicket -- the Barbados-born paceman has claimed 17 wickets in nine matches.