Today sees the start of the 12th International Cricket Council World Cup, the quadrennial pinnacle of the limited-overs version of the great game. Despite reaching the final three times, and despite this being the fifth time that England will enjoy home advantage, the hosts are not among the list of winners. The form book suggests that, come the last match at Lord’s on July 14, this dismal statistic may change. England find themselves in the unusual position of pre-tournament favourites after reacting to the humiliating low point the team hit in 2015. As a consequence of early elimination, having beaten only Scotland and Afghanistan, England did something almost unprecedented in the annals of…

Source: The Times May 29, 2019 23:10 UTC