Cricket World Cup: England v Australia and New Zealand v Pakistan predictions and cricket betting tips

Where to watch

New Zealand v Pakistan
Sky Sports Cricket, Main Event & Mix, 5am Saturday

England v Australia
Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, 8.30am Saturday

Best bets

Australia to have higher opening partnership v England
3pts 4-5 bet365

Travis Head to be man of the match
1pt 9-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Pakistan to beat New Zealand
2pts Evs general

Saturday's Cricket World Cup predictions

England's World Cup defence started with a nine-wicket thrashing by New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium and bookmakers expect another defeat for Jos Buttler's men when they return to the vast Ahmedabad venue to take on Australia.

England won their second game of the tournament against Bangladesh but subsequent losses to Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and India have left them facing a chastening early exit.

Australia, in contrast, have won their last four games after opening defeats to India and South Africa and they racked up 367-9, 399-8 and 388 in recent wins over Pakistan, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Opener David Warner has been a key figure for the resurgent Aussies, scoring 163, 104 and 81 in his last three innings, and his partnership with fit-again Travis Head may spell trouble for England.

Head has a terrific record at the top of the order in one-day internationals, scoring four centuries and eight fifties in just 26 innings as an opener, and he is an alluring price to be named man of the match. 

Australia opted to keep him in their World Cup squad despite a hand injury that ruled him out of their first five matches and he vindicated that decision with a blistering 109 off 67 balls against New Zealand last weekend.

Head and Warner put on 175 in 19.1 overs, having shared a stand of 269 in Australia's last ODI against England in November 2022, and they are worth backing to post a higher partnership than their English counterparts.

The 2019 World Cup winners have been bowled out for 215, 170, 156 and 129 in their last four matches and, with middle-order stars Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell unavailable for Australia, the focus is on their in-form openers to do most of the runscoring.

Saturday's early game is a significant fixture in the race for a semi-final spot and Pakistan appeal as slight outsiders to beat New Zealand in Bangalore.

The Black Caps followed up their opening rout of England with ruthless wins against the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

However, their progress towards the last four was hampered by losses to India and Australia before a 190-run walloping against South Africa on Wednesday, when fast bowler Matt Henry suffered a hamstring injury.

Pakistan have had a patchy campaign but they ran in-form South Africa close in a one-wicket defeat last week and kept alive their semi-final hopes with Tuesday's thumping win over Bangladesh in which fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim shared eight wickets.

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