Both England and Bangladesh have won one match each and lost the other in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 so far. (Live Blog| Preview | Full Coverage)
England defeated South Africa by 104 runs in their first match of the tournament then suffered a 12-run defeat against Pakistan in the next match.
On the other hand, Bangladesh defeated South Africa by 21 runs and in the next match, they suffered a narrow defeat by two wickets against New Zealand.
England and Bangladesh are yet to win a World Cup trophy. England have been the finalists in the World Cup for three times (1979, 1987 and 1992) whereas Bangladesh has never entered the semi-finals of the tournament.
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Here, we look at five key players ahead of the England vs Bangladesh match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff:
Ben Stokes, England
Ben Stokes, who was the man of the match in the opening match against South Africa, was at his devastating best form. The all-rounder scored 89 runs to help England post a target of 312 for South Africa and later took two wickets. Not only this, the 27-year old caught a stunning catch to send Proteas' Andile Phehlukwayo back to the pavilion.
Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh
Of late, the left-handed batsman has been in the exceptional form for Bangladesh. The player provided quickfire starts to the team, giving the much-needed impetus to Bangladesh at the start. He along with Tamim Iqbal provides the team with a solid foundation. Sarkar scored 42 runs off just 30 balls in Bangladesh's first match against South Africa. The 26-year-old has become a lynchpin of the Bangladesh team and the side's hopes will rely on him in the match against the hosts.
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Jofra Archer, England
Jofra Archer, who did not find a spot in the preliminary squad, proved that his inclusion in the final squad was a wise decision. He took three wickets in the opening match conceding just 27 runs. In the World Cup warm-up match against Afghanistan also, Archer got hold of three batsmen and helped his side restrict the opponents on just 160 runs.
Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh
He is the top-ranked ODI all-rounder in the world. And has been leading's Bangladesh's charge in this World Cup with both bat and ball. The 32-year-old performed well during the tri-nation series against Ireland and West Indies. He scored 75 runs off 84 balls to allow Bangladesh to post their highest ever ODI total of 330 runs against South Africa. In the next match, he scored 64 runs against the Kiwis and scalped two wickets which gave Bangladesh a fighting chance in the match.
Jos Buttler, England
Buttler, England's wicket-keeping batsman has been in tremendous touch for the team. The right-handed batsman provides late flourish to help England post big scores Buttler scored a quickfire knock of 103 runs off just 76 balls in the match against Pakistan and he almost took the team over the line. Buttler's good form makes him a go-to player for the team.
(With Agency inputs)
