England's faltering World Cup campaign veered further off track as old rivals Australia booked their place in the semi-finals with a 64-run victory at Lord's.
After misadventures against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, England ran aground when chasing for the third time in the tournament, dismissed for an error-strewn 221.
With India and New Zealand still to play, there is now minimal leeway if the world's number one side are to reach the semi-finals of their own competition.
Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's Cricket World Cup action, a crunch match between rivals England and Australia that could have a big say on how the top four finished up to determine the semi-finals.
The match is due to get underway at 10.30am weather-permitting, with the toss coming up in around 45 minutes.
However, there is already a concern for England with fast bowler Jofra Archer undergoing a fitness test out on the Lord's ground after suffering a side injury.
We'll bring you news on his condition plus the rest of the teams as soon as they're confirmed.
The World Cup has really come to life in the last week or so, a couple of shock results and a couple of last over thrillers quieting the critics who predicted little more a string of dead-rubbers and jostling at the top for the tournament's final couple of weeks.
England are very much in a battle for one of the four semi-final spots, defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka leaving them vulnerable to that pair as well as Bangladesh, victorious over Afghanistan at the Hampshire Bowl yesterday to keep themselves very much in touch with the chasing pack.
One win might do it, two wins almost certainly would, but Eoin Morgan's side have been the best team in the world for four years and they'll be targeting three wins to close the group phase in perfect fashion. It will be tough, though, with India and New Zealand still to come, and a rather big fish to fry today.
England against Australia is a fixture that needs little in the way of teeing up, so let's get to it...
Lord's made its 2019 World Cup bow on Sunday as Pakistan beat South Africa and you could not ask for a better venue than the Home of Cricket. Short square of the wicket but longer down the ground, the pitch was green like a snooker table yesterday but a final mow and roll and it looks a good'un. Enough there for the bowlers to be interested, certainly.
News on Jofra Archer: word from the ground suggests the England quick has come through his fitness test and should be fit to play.
Half-an-hour until the toss when the team news will be confirmed, but that would be a boost for Trevor Bayliss and Eoin Morgan. It sounds like England may go a spinner light today with Liam Plunkett in line for a return in the place of Moeen Ali, assuming Archer is fit.
It's muggy, it's overcast, but it is most importantly dry at Lord's an hour out from the scheduled first ball.
Morning drizzle widely forecast has failed to materialise, pleasingly, and though it's darker than dark overhead, it sounds like it might well stay away through the morning and afternoon and we should get a full 100 overs in.
The outfield looks a touch damp after overnight rain, but Lord's has quite magnificent drainage, so an on-time start sounds probable.
Jofra Archer is FIT.
England have confirmed the fast bowler will be fit to play after a precautionary fitness test this morning. He didn't bowl or field at training yesterday after feeling some tightness in his side, but he's come through a trundle or two this morning and is ready to go.
Jason Roy was back amongst things at training yesterday - a pleasing sight for England supporters. His hamstring is still not fully healed (and it's exact condition is rather shrouded in secrecy with England unwilling to confirm the severity of his injury) but it sounds like he may well be fit for England's next game with India on Sunday.
James Vince will once again deputise in his absence today. The Hampshire batter could do with a score.
News news news.
A couple of rumblings on the makeup of the Australia side this morning - Nathan Lyon has marked his run-up and should make his first appearance of the tournament as the lead spinner, while Justin Langer and co. also seem to have punted for Jason Behrendorff's left-arm new ball proficiency ahead of Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Ten minutes until toss time.
Plenty of the pre-match chatter has focused on how the crowd might treat David Warner and Steve Smith, who face England for the first time since their DIY misadventures in Cape Town.
For what it's worth, Cameron Bancroft hit a century at Hove yesterday for Durham. Lord's typically attracts a slightly more civilised cricket audience, but I'm sure they'll make themselves known to Warner and Smith today.
Right - the toss is right around the corner.
It looks a bowl first pitch and a bowl first morning, and we know Eoin Morgan and England's preferred strategy is to chase.
Out to the middle the affable Irishman wanders with opposite number Aaron Finch...
ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND ELECT TO BOWL FIRST!
England are unchanged.
No Liam Plunkett, then, with Moeen Ali retaining his place.
Eoin Morgan: "It's not a no-brainer, but we've haven't seen much sun down south so it might do a bit this morning."
Aaron Finch confirms there are two changes for Australia. Nathan Lyon and Jason Behrendorff play, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile do not.
Team News
England: Jonny Bairstow, James Vince, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jason Behrendorff
This is Nathan Lyon's World Cup debut, by the way. No leg-spinner for Aaron Finch to call upon in the middle overs, but Lyon should keep things relatively tight and Adam Zampa hasn't had the tournament he'd have hoped for.
Jason Behrendorff may well take the new ball later on. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins' proficiency means his job will be more of a supporting role. Expect England to target his overs.
England's new ball pair have bowled really nicely so far in the tournament, and you'd imagine they'll relish what seem to be favourable conditions this morning. Australia have great strength in their top order and early breakthroughs will be key.
Jofra Archer is certainly a man of many talents...
Perhaps England's best bowler so far in the tournament has been Mark Wood. For all the talk of Archer's pace, it has been lost in the shuffle that Wood has been consistently faster than the Barbados-born quick, and his ability to skid the ball has challenged batsmen throughout, particularly at the death.
Four quick bowlers capable of topping 90mph with regularity on show today, on a surface that should offer some nip and bounce - this should be fun.
