Cricket World Cup 2019: Fixtures, Tables, TV Schedule, Live-Stream Info, Preview

England head into the 2019 Cricket World Cup as favourites to finally end their wait to win the global tournament, but it wouldn't be the first time the three-time runners-up have fallen short of expectation.

The host nation open the group-stage campaign against South Africa at The Oval in London on Thursday, hoping to get a valuable win under their belt at the first hurdle.

Australia travel to the northern hemisphere as defending champions and are also expected to do well in foreign territory, having won four of the previous five world titles on offer.

All matches will be broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports, with live streaming available via Sky Go. Audiences in the United States can watch on TV via Willow Sports. Fox Sports has the rights to every game for Australian viewers, who can live-stream games on Foxtel Now.

Table

1. Afghanistan

2. Australia

3. Bangladesh

4. England

5. India

6. New Zealand

7. Pakistan

8. South Africa

9. Sri Lanka

10. West Indies

Cricket World Cup Group-Stage Fixtures

Thursday, May 30: England vs. South Africa, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, May 31: Pakistan vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 1: New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 1: Australia vs. Afghanistan, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, June 2: Bangladesh vs. South Africa, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Monday, June 3: England vs. Pakistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, June 4: Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, June 5: India vs. South Africa, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, June 5: Bangladesh vs. New Zealand, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Thursday, June 6: Australia vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, June 7: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 8: England vs. Bangladesh, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 8: Afghanistan vs. New Zealand, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, June 9: Australia vs. India, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Monday, June 10: South Africa vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, June 11: Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, June 12: Australia vs. Pakistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Thursday, June 13: India vs. New Zealand, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, June 14: England vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 15: Australia vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 15: Afghanistan vs. South Africa, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, June 16: India vs. Pakistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Monday, June 17: Bangladesh vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, June 18: England vs. Afghanistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, June 19: New Zealand vs. South Africa, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Thursday, June 20: Australia vs. Bangladesh, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, June 21: England vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 22: Afghanistan vs. India, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 22: New Zealand vs. West Indies, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, June 23: Pakistan vs. South Africa, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Monday, June 24: Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, June 25: England vs. Australia, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, June 26: New Zealand vs. Pakistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Thursday, June 27: India vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, June 28: South Africa vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 29: Afghanistan vs. Pakistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 29: Australia vs. New Zealand, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, June 30: England vs. India, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Monday, July 1: Sri Lanka vs. West Indies, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Tuesday, July 2: Bangladesh vs. India, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, July 3: England vs. New Zealand, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Thursday, July 4: West Indies vs. Afghanistan, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, July 5: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 6: India vs. Sri Lanka, 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 6: South Africa vs. Australia, 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Visit the ICC website to view the fixtures in full.

Preview

England have a threatening enough opening opponent against whom they can test their mettle, although coach Trevor Bayliss' side could be caught cold if they're slow to get started in any way.

England's hopes of victory were improved with the news that South African Dale Steyn will miss Thursday's match due to a shoulder injury, per the Guardian's Ali Martin. 

Steyn, an elder statesman of the squad at 35, spoke highly of fellow fast bowler Kagiso Rabada:

Australia don't begin their tournament until Saturday when they face Afghanistan at the County Ground in Bristol. The five-time champions beat England and Sri Lanka in their warm-up games, and Queensland batsman Usman Khawaja spoke positively of his side's title defence chances, via Cricbuzz:

India are also sure to be among the top contenders this summer, and the 2011 World Cup winners will be the last of any team to get their tournament under way against South Africa on Wednesday, May 5. 

They suffered a heavy defeat against New Zealand before beating Bangladesh in confident fashion in their two warm-up fixtures.

Sky Sports took a look at the Cricket World Cup history of India, the first Asian nation to win the trophy:

England and New Zealand are the only teams among those seven nations to have appeared at all 11 Cricket World Cup tournaments and not yet won the competition.

Historian Tom Holland celebrated the quick progress of Afghanistan, who competed in their first Cricket World Cup four years ago:

As far as underdogs go, the West Indies could put a challenge together if they gain some momentum starting with their first match against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday.