Amy Jones hopes England strikes an early blow against Australia at the World Cup

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

Both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals after four wins and no results in their first five matches, with Australia leading the way in terms of net run rate.

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

England secured a win in a pre-tournament warm-up match, and wicketkeeper Jones said: “Every time we play Australia it’s a huge game.

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Rivalry

“Obviously you want to win every game you play for England but there is a rivalry there and they have often had the upper hand recently.

“I think the whole team will definitely be ready and looking for another win in the tournament.”

Jones highlighted England’s exit from the Ashes, which led to a change in coaching and captaincy, saying: “It hasn’t been a topic of discussion.

Huge challenge

“I think it’s quite easy to look past it just because a lot of time has passed and a lot of changes have happened.

“It’s a very different feel, I think. Tournament cricket is a bit different overall.

“They’ve obviously had a great tournament so far, so we know they’re a huge challenge, but we’re really looking forward to it.”

Happy

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

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

Opener Jones scored a half-century against India and said, “The most important thing is that our middle order hasn’t been that long since they have scored big runs.

“Everyone feels like they have really good contact and it’s only a matter of time before they shoot.

“But I think we’re very lucky with the depth we have and I think we have a very strong batting order.”

Big blow

Australia were dealt a major blow on the eve of the match, with captain Alyssa Healy, the tournament’s top scorer, ruled out with a calf strain.

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

“It’s obviously a shame for her, a huge player for Australia,” Jones said. “But we’ve seen the depth they have, so I don’t think much will change.

“With Australia you know whoever comes in will be a very good player.”

READ MORE: Nat Sciver-Brunt hails ‘special’ Heather Knight knock after England reach semi-final