Rain delays toss, start of England-Australia clash

MELBOURNE: Incessant showers cast a shadow on the much-anticipated T20 World Cup clash between Australia and England as covers remained on the outfield, delaying the toss here on Friday.

The first match of the Friday double-header at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between Ireland and Afghanistan earlier in the day was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The MCG wore a drenched look with the pitch remaining under wraps, as the players were forced to play a waiting game out on sidelines. The cut-off time for the match to happen in a minimum five-overs-a-side is 9.46pm.

With both teams suffering a reversal each, it's a virtual knockout for the two Ashes rivals.

Having opened their campaign with a shocking 89-run loss to their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, defending champions have bounced back to defeat Sri Lanka in their second Super 12 match.

England, who started off with a win over Afghanistan, were done in by rain and suffered a heartbreaking five-run loss to Ireland by Duckworth-Lewis Method in their previous match.