Amy Jones hoping England strike early blow against Australia at World Cup

Amy Jones hopes England can strike a much-needed blow against Australia when they meet at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

Both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals after four wins and a no result each from their opening five games, with Australia leading the way on net run rate.

The game in Indore will be important in deciding the final standings, but it is also a chance for England to start redressing the balance after Australia’s Ashes whitewash at the start of the year.

England did manage a victory in a warm-up game ahead of the tournament, and wicket-keeper Jones said: “Every time we come up against Australia, it’s a huge game. Obviously you want to win every game you play for England but there’s a rivalry there and they’ve had the better of us a lot recently.

“I think the whole team will definitely be up for it and looking to get another win in the tournament.”

Jones insisted England have moved on from the Ashes, which led to a change of coaching and captaincy, saying: “It hasn’t been a topic of discussion. I think it’s fairly easy to look past it only because a lot of time has passed, a lot of changes have happened.

“It’s got a really different feel about it I think. Tournament cricket’s a bit different on the whole. They’ve obviously had a great tournament so far so we know they pose a huge challenge but we’re really excited for it.”

England will go into the contest buoyed by a narrow victory over hosts India in their last match, with former captain Heather Knight scoring a century.

While Charlotte Edwards’ side have performed strongly in the tournament so far, they have been dependent on Knight and current skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt for the bulk of their runs.

Opener Jones chipped in with a half-century against India, and she said: “The main thing is, our middle order, it’s not been long since they scored big runs.

“Everyone’s feeling like they’re in really good touch and it’s only a matter of time before they fire. But I think we’re very lucky with the depth that we’ve got and I think we’ve got a very strong batting order.”

Australia have suffered a major blow on the eve of the contest, meanwhile, with captain Alyssa Healy, the tournament’s top run scorer, ruled out by a calf strain.

Beth Mooney will keep wicket, with Tahlia McGrath skippering the side.

“Obviously it’s a shame for her, a massive player for Australia,” said Jones. “But we’ve seen the depth that they have so I don’t think it changes too much. With Australia, you know whoever comes in is going to be a very good player.”