England continue their World Cup campaign against the West Indies on Friday at the Hampshire Bowl.
Here, we take a look at the talking points ahead of the blockbuster encounter.
Runs galore at the Rose Bowl?
One can expect a high-scoring game as two explosive batting line-ups face off against each other. The pair put huge numbers on the board earlier this year during England’s tour of the Windies, where four of the eight innings of the ODI series saw scores of 360 or above.
Contrary to their performances in the ODI series, the batting department has let Windies down in this tournament and they must step up at all costs in a fixture like this.
Chris Gayle is in need of a big innings to kick start his World Cup campaign, while opening partner Evin Lewis has not had much luck either. However, the Windies boast players capable of magic and this fixture could very well be what they need to announce themselves.
Windies pacers need to make the best of the new ball
The toss will play a crucial role in this game given the overcast conditions in recent days. Fielding first would be a reasonable choice and the pacers will relish the opportunity of handling the new ball.
Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas showed what they can do with the new ball against Australia, adding some bounce to restrict their opponents to 39/4 after a terrific opening spell.
Although England boast a terrifying and deep batting line-up, they crumbled the only time they faced a good pace attack in this tournament. Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir claimed five wickets against England, the hosts only defeat this tournament.
The Jofra Archer sub-plot
All eyes will be on Caribbean-born Archer as he leads England’s pace attack against his home country.
The 24-year-old, who represented Windies at U19 level, has already claimed six wickets this tournament and will be looking to extend his tally against Jason Holder’s side.
The change in nationality could draw jeers from the Windies fans and this game will be a solid test to Archer’s composure.
Archer knows the importance of an early breakthrough against such a good batting line-up and with the pitch assisting pacers, he could be the trump card for England.
Gayle needs to assess his options carefully before going after the Sussex man.
