England vs Australia third ODI preview
The third game of the series gets under way at Edgbaston on Wednesday ECB

England will be thinking towards a series whitewash to promote themselves to the top of the ODI rankings when they face Australia in the third game of the five-match series at

Build-up:

England: After beating the Aussies in the first two games, England are just one win away from securing their seventh successive ODI series title at home and if they achieve that on Wednesday, it will also give them a new record of nine one-day victories in a row. Alastair Cook's team has looked impressive at Lord's and The Oval with confident all-round displays, whether they are batting first or chasing. English players will have the thought of a 5-0 win in the back of their minds and should they manage that feat, they will become the first country to be ranked number one in all formats of the game at the same time.

Australia: The visitors are in a spot of bother after their dull performances in the first two games. Australia's batsmen have struggled so far and even the ones who managed decent starts have failed to convert them into big scores, with their highest individual score being 66. The bowling attack has not impressed either, with Mitchell Johnson's poor form adding to the problems, while Xavier Doherty has failed to match counterpart Graeme Swann's effectiveness. Australia need a big effort to register a win on Wednesday as they try to stay alive in the competition.

Team news:

The hostswill not risk James Anderson if he is still struggling with the groin problem, so Chris Woakes could play his first ODI since in almost a year. Jade Dernbach has been ruled out of the tournament with a side strain, while Stuart Meaker is unavailable because of Tom Maynard's funeral.

The Aussies may field an all-pace bowling line-up, leaving the spin department to part-timers David Hussey and Michael Clarke. Johnson, who went for plenty of runs in the last game, could make way for either James Pattinson or Ben Hilfenhaus.

Pitch and conditions:

It rained in Edgbaston on Tuesday and forecast predicts thunderstorms and heavy showers on the match day as well. The pitch will help pacers early-on and support the batting later, while the day and night element will also influence the decision of the captain who wins the toss.

Probable line-up:

England:A Cook (c), I Bell, J Trott, R Bopara, E Morgan, C Kieswetter (wk), T Bresnan, S Broad, C Woakes, G Swann, S Finn

Australia: S Watson, D Warner, P Forrest, M Clarke (c), G Bailey, D Hussey, M Wade (w), B Lee, J Pattinson, C McKay, X Doherty

Where to watch live:

You can follow the game live from 2:00 pm BST on BBC Five Live Sports Extra and Radio Four LW.

Australia