England vs Australia World Cup score: England chase down 224 to win
Follow LIVE reaction as England beat Australia in the Cricket World Cup semi-finals at Edgbaston to set up a meeting with New Zealand in Sunday's final
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Your support makes all the difference.England swaggered into their first World Cup final in 27 years, blowing away rivals Australia by eight wickets in a magnificent display of attacking cricket that sets up a winner-takes-all date with New Zealand at Lord's.
The three-times runners-up are now firm favourites to land the trophy for the first time on Sunday, having thrashed the Black Caps by 119 runs in the group stage, and head to the home of cricket on the back of a sensational performance at Edgbaston. Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid performed wonders with the ball after Australia chose to bat first, reducing the visitors to 14 for three in a frenzied opening burst and ultimately restricting them to a lacklustre 223 all out.
England would have been mindful that they were bowled out for 221 and beaten by the same attack last month, but Jason Roy missed that game with a torn hamstring and his brilliant 85 put the game beyond a shellshocked Australia, who went down with 107 balls remaining.
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Having already thrashed nine fours and five sixes, he would surely have gone on to a career-best hundred had he not been robbed in messy circumstances. Given caught behind despite making no contact with the ball, he instantly called for a review only to belatedly realise Jonny Bairstow had already used it up.
Roy lost his cool, remonstrating on the pitch and on his reluctant walk off, and needed soothing words from umpire Marais Erasmus to stop things getting worse.
The sour tone of his dismissal cannot detract from his outstanding efforts, which almost single-handedly banished England's concerns about chasing, nor from the raucous celebrations which followed on the back of a decisive stand of 79 between Joe Root (49no) and Eoin Morgan (45no).
Archer and Woakes also excelled, taking two for 32 and three for 20, while Rashid bagged three scalps in his best display to date.
The first innings could be crucial, England will need to keep it tight and their fielding needs to be as close to perfect as it can be.
Runs can be saved in the outfield but more importantly chances need to be taken.
Andrew Strauss picks England to win, Shane Warne goes Australia, the deciding vote goes to Rob Key who chooses England.
No surprises there then.
The oldest of rivalries, the World Cup semi-final, England vs Australia.
Warner and Finch stride out to the pitch, boos echo around Edgbaston for David Warner. As always Chris Woakes will open the bowling for England.
0.1 Aus 4-0, Warner (4*)
Woakes over pitches the first ball and Warner punches it through the covers for four. Australia are away.
1.0 - Aus 4-0, D Warner 4, A Finch 0, C Woakes 0-4 (1)
Woakes pulls back his length for the rest of the over and finishes with five dot balls. Archer to open at the other end.
1.1 - Aus 4-0, D Warner 4, A Finch 0, J Archer 0-0 (0.1)
Archer hits Finch on the pad, England appeal and it's given! Finch reviews it.
1.1 - Aus 4-1, D Warner 4, A Finch 0, J Archer 1-0 (0.1)
He's gone! LBW first ball.
Archer nipped it back to the Australian captain and Finch was caught by the pace, three reds on hawkeye and England have the first wicket!
1.4 - Aus 5-1, D Warner 4, S Smith 1, J Archer 1-1 (0.4)
Archer greets Smith with a quick bouncer that Smith ducks under. Smith dabs the ball into mid-wicket and scrambles through for a single to get off the mark.
The crowd will have some fun now with both Warner and Smith at the crease.
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