Australia won their previous encounter against England in Lord’s by 64 runs.Rain is expected to play a part in the semi-final between Australia and England.England has not beaten Australia in World Cups since 1992. For all the Latest Sports News News, ICC World Cup News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A semi-final loss in 1979. A loss in 1987 final. Heartbreak in 2003 and a loss at the home of cricket in Lord’s. When one looks at England’s World Cup story against Australia, it is the stuff of nightmares. For 27 years, England has been haunted by the Australia bogey. Heading into the semi-final, all these thoughts will play a major factor in determining how Eoin Morgan goes about in a tournament where they were dubbed the favourites. Before the semi-final, Joe Root had said that if England beat Australia and win the final, the atmosphere for cricket would be reminiscent of the atmosphere which was created in the 2005 Ashes when England won the Ashes after 16 years.Ever since the debacle of 2015 when England was routed and humiliated, they have made giant strides in ODI cricket. New England have regularly displayed their aggression and flair against every opposition. Four years of planning, execution and building have all boiled down to this. A semi-final against the old enemy. A win against Australia will put them in a magnificent position to shed their tag of perennial underachievers and come one step closer to the grand title. For the nation that invented the sport, July 11 is one step in the step of World Cup glory and possibly Ashes glory.Team CombinationAustralia is ravaged by injuries with Usman Khawaja ruled out. With Shaun Marsh’s injury, Australia has had to call-up reinforcements. For England, they look more settled and they would be desperate to put up a solid performance as compared to Lord’s. There is plenty of firepower in the batting for both teams, with David Warner in prime form and Aaron Finch also in prime form. Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Ben Stokes will hold the key but the impetus will be given by the opening duo of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy.IndiaAustralia Probable XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan LyonEngland Probable XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark WoodWho will win?England is desperate to break their 27-year jinx against Australia. After losing their league game at Lord’s, the hosts will be desperate to avenge years of pain against their old rivals and hurt them before the Ashes.Weather and PitchLike in Manchester, the weather for Birmingham is also not looking too promising. There are 40 per cent chances of rain and scattered showers are forecast for the day.Stadium and TimingsThe encounter will take place at Edgbaston, Birmingham at 15:00 pm IST local.
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Ghanaian midfielder Adjoa Bayor has returned to the American top-flight league by signing for her former club FC Indiana.Currently a member of FF USV Jena in Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, Bayor was the 2003 African Women’s Football Player of the Year.Bayor previously played for FC Indiana in 2006 and 2007.In 2007, FC Indiana won the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Championship.So FC Indiana Head Coach Shek Borkowski is familiar with Bayor’s abilities.”We will have a young team, so it will be on Adjoa’s shoulders to provide experience and leadership,” Borkowski said. ”She is a creative player who can set up players as well as score herself. She is a set piece master.”Bayor captained Ghana in the 2007 Women’s World Cup in China, where she scored a goal in the final group stage match against Norway.Bayor is eligible to play with FC Indiana’s WPSL or WLS team.Source: Ghanasoccernet
Kupcho, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, had a back-nine surge comparable to any Masters champion.She trailed by two strokes with six holes to play against close friend and Arkansas Razorback Maria Fassi. Kupcho aimed for the green on the par-5 13th and eventually eagled the hole. She carded consecutive birdies on 15 and 16, while Fassi bogeyed 16, to take a two-stroke lead.Kupcho finished her round with a long birdie putt on the 18th hole to close out a round of 5-under 67 and a four-shot victory.She was five under through the final six holes.“It was a lot of fun to play out there with Maria Fassi. We’re definitely great friends and it was a great time,” Kupcho said, via Golfweek.com. “There’s no other person I’d like to walk 18 holes at Augusta with than Maria.”Incredible finish! Jennifer Kupcho goes five under through the final six holes to win the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur.#ANWAgolf pic.twitter.com/Eztbs59tZT— Augusta National Women’s Amateur (@anwagolf) April 6, 2019The event, which had crowds similar to Sunday at a major, was announced a year ago at a course that has famously shut out women, and people of color, for the better part of its existence. Augusta National didn’t have a female member until 2012 and now, seven years later, held its first-ever event for women.University of Virginia senior Anna Redding also made history over the weekend by hitting the first shot in competition by a woman in the 85-year history of the club. “I was shaking, I can tell you that,” Redding said, via Golf.com. “I’ve never seen this many people out on a golf course. I haven’t been to the Masters, so this is as many people as there’s ever been. This is way more that’s ever watched me hit a golf shot. … My goodness, there was a lot of pressure but it was so fun, just to have this opportunity to hit a golf shot at Augusta, in competition, was enough. And to be the first, it means a lot.”Kupcho and Fassi were the only two players in the field to have already qualified for the LPGA Tour. They deferred their LPGA cards until after the NCAA Championship. Jennifer Kupcho made history Saturday.The Wake Forest senior won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur and became the first woman to hoist a trophy at the Augusta National Golf Club.