Natwest Series 2013 Schedule: Full Guide to England vs. Australia ODI Fixtures

England take on Australia in five one-day international fixtures over the next two weeks for the 2013 Natwest Series trophy.

With preparations now underway for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, there will be a mix of new and old faces on show, with both sides hoping for a positive end to the English summer ahead of the return Ashes series later this year.

The games should offer an entertaining end to what has been a busy summer, with neither side ever prepared to give an inch to their traditional rivals.

Below are the need-to-know details ahead of a series that begins on Friday.

Fixture List:

Ticket Information:

Tickets for the series are available from the individual stadiums, as linked from the ECB website.

Broadcast Details:

In the United Kingdom, the NatWest Series will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports, covering all matches live in their entirety.

For internet viewers, live coverage can be viewed via the Sky Player website, or via the SkyGo app on handheld devices. A subscription is required.

Recent Form:

England (World Ranking 3)

England come into the NatWest series in good one-day international form, having reached the final of the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this summer.

The hosts defeated Australia in Birmingham in that tournament, as well as overcoming New Zealand and South Africa en route to the final.

A warm-up fixture with Ireland this week threatened to end badly for a much-changed England side when their opponents amassed a challenging total of 269-7. However, centuries from captain Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara saw England home safely in Malahide, per BBC Sport.

Australia (World Ranking 2)

Australia have endured a poor summer in all formats of the game, having exited the Champions Trophy in the group stage before losing the Ashes series.

In the 50-over game, Australia lost to both England and Sri Lanka at the Champions Trophy, while their fixture with New Zealand was abandoned with no result.

However, a warm-up encounter with Scotland this week went well for the tourists, with openers Shaun Marsh and Aaron Fitch both scoring centuries to help Australia to a total of 362-3, before Scotland were bowled out for 162, per BBC Sport.

*Rankings per ESPNCricInfo

Key Players:

Kevin Pietersen (England)

One of just a handful of regulars not rested for the series, experienced batsman Kevin Pietersen will be expected to play a major role in any England success.

At his best, he is a destructive force against any bowling attack in the world, with the ability to smash opponents around the ground in either a textbook or improvised manner.

With impressive strength, he can bully opposition bowlers. However, with Pietersen there is often a feeling that he could get out at any moment.

Aaron Finch (Australia)

Big-hitting batsman Aaron Finch has shot to prominence over the past week, with two massive centuries securing his place at the top of the Australian batting order.

Finch hit a world-record score of 156 from just 63 balls in a Twenty20 clash with England at the Ageas Bowl, during which he smashed a remarkable 14 sixes and 11 fours, per BBC Sport.

Not content with that, days later he put the Scotland attack to the sword to score a more measured 148 from 116 balls in Edinburgh, per the Guardian.

Finch's ODI record is not brilliant, averaging just 15 from his seven internationals to date. He will hope to improve on that statistic in the coming days.

Betting Information:

To win series, per Bet365: England 6/5 (2.20), Australia 4/6 (1.66)