England vs. Australia: Champions Trophy Preview, Date, Start Time and More

England and Australia will battle in the Champions Trophy opener, with host England trying to shake off failure from a recent match against New Zealand in a recent One Day International (ODI) series.

The two sides met on Wednesday with England barely escaping with a 287-253 victory.

Australia are the defending champions and will be looking to begin the tournament on a winning note. They will unfortunately have to get the job done without captain and top batsman Michael Clarke, per ESPN Cric Info.

Can England perform well in front of the hometown fans and make a run at the trophy?

The match will be historic because it is the 100th international match (men and women) held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, this according to George Dobell of ESPN Cric Info. It also begins the final Champions Trophy competition.

Here are the specifics on the match.

When: Saturday, 5:30 a.m ET

Where: Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, England

TV: Sky Sports

England is Favored But Vulnerable

Captain Alastair Cook is charged with rallying his side to play better than they did against New Zealand. England rebounded with a win on Wednesday, but it doesn't entirely erase their woeful performance against New Zealand.

Cook knows his side has the overall talent and health edge going into the match with Australia.

They will have every player available in the Champions Trophy. However, because of recent struggles, per the Dobell piece, Cook said the team must play "close to their potential to win."

England must be sure not to take Australia lightly or they could be up for an upset defeat.  

Despite being heavily favored in this match, (per Betting.BetFair, they are a 6/1 favorite) England is the only side in the tournament that has never won a 50-over event. Australia may be overmatched and outgunned, but they have experience in their favor.

Expect Cook and Jos Buttler to be focused and locked in for this match. Buttler is a promising 22year old batsman and wicket-keeper who has been a bright spot for England of late.

He's tallied 101 runs in nine ODI matches. His unbeaten 47 with six to go was key in England's win over New Zealand on Wednesday. Eoin Morgan also played well against the Black Caps. He hit 49 off of 40 and seemed to play inspired.

Australia Missing Its Heaviest Hitter

Heading into the Ashes series, the Australians desperately need a win this weekend. It will be difficult playing without Clarke, their top batsmen, though.

The 32-year-old last played in an ODI on March 18 against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Who can the Aussies turn to pick up the slack?

George Bailey is another batsmen the Aussies could look to for support.

He has a batting average of 44.94 in ODI matches. He was the top batsman in the team's series loss to England last year. He'll obviously need to be even better this time around.

Shane Watson produced 135 runs against the West Indies. Australia will lean heavily on his ability as a run producer without Clarke. Without the ideal leadership and firepower, it's easy to see why the Aussies are the underdogs.

Bailey will captain the team in Clarke's absence. He first carried the responsibility during the 2009-10 campaign, so he has experience with the duty. If the team is to create an experience they can build on prior to the Ashes, it needs to start against England on Saturday.

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