In the last group game of the tournament, Australia were set for a crushing win after reducing Bangladesh to 75 for five.

But the Tigers, who'd stunned the cricket world 12 days earlier by beating the world champions by five wickets in Cardiff, batted out their 50 overs on the way to posting a competitive 250 for eight.

Australia eventually got home with 11 balls to spare, Michael Clarke (80 not out) and Andrew Symonds (42 not out) securing a six-wicket win.

But while Bangladesh may not have had enough bowling to make the most of their batsmen's recovery, England possess the likes of Stephen Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones.

"We probably made harder work of it than we should have," Ponting admitted to reporters after Thursday's match

At Canterbury fast bowler Brett Lee saw his 10 overs go for 62 runs, Jason Gillespie's nine cost 49 and Michael Kasprowicz's nine yielded 46.

Australia will have rested veteran quick bowler Glenn McGrath back in the side for Saturday's Lord's showdown while spinner Brad Hogg, who missed Thursday's match with a virus, should also be available for selection.

But in the meantime Ponting will hope his attack can do something to stop the extras that have blighted their tournament thus far.

On Thursday they conceded 23 sundries with 14 of those coming in wides and no-balls -- the equivalent of more than two extra overs.

Australia and England have beaten each other once apiece in the Triangular with Tuesday's match at Edgbaston a no-result washout.

England had the upperhand in Bristol during a three-wicket win where the Australia attack gifted them nearly three additional overs and were powerless in the face of Kevin Pietersen's whirlwind 91 not out.

But it was a different story at the Riverside where the tourists were far sharper and meaner -- only nine bowling extras given away -- in a 57-run win.

"We've bowled better at England in a couple of games than we have against Bangladesh.

"Bigger games tend to bring the best out of this team and certain players in our team and I think that has been proven over a long period of time so today will be forgotten about," Ponting said.

"We've just got to get back to thinking about the basics of the game and our plans that we will have for the English batsmen.

"Not knowing a lot about some of the individual players in the Bangladesh side sometimes makes it a little bit harder to set fields and have certain plans. We'll probably have better plans for the England players when we get to play against them."

But he admitted he was concerned about the bowling extras. "The no-ball thing we see as being almost totally unacceptable in our side.

"It's the most zero tolerance type of thing in our team. We have bowled a few of those in the last couple of games and I know the bowlers are working extremely hard to try and ensure they don't bowl them."

In the meantime he said Bangladesh had provided the ideal workout in what was a 'dead' match with England and Australia already in the final.

"To be able to chase 250 won't do us any harm anyway, to be under a bit of pressure at 83 for three was good for us and will hold us in good stead for Saturday."

Matthew Hayden studiously avoided the guard of honour as Australia took the field after being accused of swearing at one of the child flag-bearers at Edgbaston -- a match where he was hit in the chest by Jones following a wayward shy at the stumps. And Ponting said of his opening batsman: "I think he has been harshly treated. I think we are all pretty disappointed with that but that's life.

"We get on with things, leave those things behind and get on with the cricket and concentrate on that."

And as for Hayden's flare-up with Jones, Ponting maintained: "It is something that happened in the heat of the moment from both sides and we'll just get on with playing.