England vs. Bangladesh
- What: match 12 of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup
- When: Saturday 8 June
- Where: Cardiff, Wales
- Start time: 10.30am (BST)
- TV channel: live on Sky Sports
England play Bangladesh in a game they can’t afford to lose after their 14-run defeat to Pakistan on Monday.
Bowler Liam Plunkett is braced for a belligerent approach from their opponents in Cardiff on Saturday, The Guardian reports.
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“Pakistan are pretty good like that – they can get niggly,” said Plunkett, who is expected to play having missed Monday’s game.
“Similarly Bangladesh, India, they’re good at doing that, [like] appealing quite a lot. It’s just the way they like to play their cricket.
“But we’ve played in big competitions, guys have played around the world – at the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in front of big crowds – so it shouldn’t be too much.”
Wood: let’s put on a real show
Mark Wood, who replaced Plunkett against Pakistan, has urged his team-mates to put on a “real show” and bounce back from the defeat.
“We have a huge target on our back because we are the favourites for the tournament, the home side, everyone wants to beat us,” the seamer bowler told Sky Sports.
“What we have done well over the years is bounce back well and I think we need that going into the next match regardless of what it was - Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, whoever.
“We need to bounce back with a bit of authority and say that we’re here to win it and put on a real show.”
Mind games
Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes - the only English international head coach at the World Cup - knows that his team are underdogs in Cardiff.
However, he is also aware that in the 2015 World Cup Bangladesh were responsible for eliminating England at the group stage and that may be in the back of the host nation’s minds.
“They’re playing some amazing cricket at the moment,” Rhodes said of England’s 2019 squad. “They’re rightfully world number one… but what comes with that is huge expectation and the favourites’ tag. It would be great if we can spoil the party at Cardiff.”
This week’s CWC fixtures
All matches are live on Sky Sports:
- Friday 7 June: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (10.30am)
- Saturday 8 June: England vs. Bangladesh (10.30am); Afghanistan vs. New Zealand (1.30pm)
- Sunday 9 June: India vs. Australia (10.30am)
- Monday 10 June: South Africa vs. West Indies (10.30am)
- Tuesday 11 June: Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka (10.30am)
- Wednesday 12 June: Australia vs. Pakistan (10.30am)
- Thursday 13 June: India vs. New Zealand (10.30am)
- Friday 14 June: England vs. West Indies (10.30am)
- Saturday 15 June: Sri Lanka vs. Australia (10.30am); South Africa vs. Afghanistan (1.30pm)
