BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - England captain Michael Vaughan insisted his side were excited, not overawed, by the prospect of playing Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final here at Edgbaston despite losing their last 14 one-day matches against the world champions.
"It's a special game. It's a semi-final and something we haven't been involved in for a long time," Vaughan told reporters at Edgbaston here Monday.
"The guys are excited. We realise the team we are playing against are the best team in the world and have been for a number for years and that the challenge ahead of us is a big one.
"But we are still going to give it our best shot. There's a huge goal to play for in a final (at The Oval) on Saturday in our own country," said Vaughan, who added Australia were "hot, hot favourites" to win on Tuesday.
In the teams' previous one-day meeting, at last year's World Cup in South Africa, Australia squeezed home by two wickets in a match where England had been on course for victory.
But Vaughan insisted England were not psychologically scarred by failing to beat Australia in a one-day international since 1999.
"We are certainly not going into the game looking at those 14 defeats. Look at our team, not many of our players were involved in those 14 defeats.
"Given the opportunity on day we sincerely hope we can nail home the advantage. But it's getting into that winning position. If we maintain our standard we will certainly put Australia under some pressure.
"But we also realise they've just beaten a good Kiwi side and within 20 overs they (New Zealand) were out of the game."
Vaughan said England were set to field the same side that beat Sri Lanka by 49 runs last time out in a rain-affected match at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
And he added he expected another big performance from in-form all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who scored 104 against the Lankans.
"The way he's playing, he's a guy you want in your team," said Vaughan of the ICC One-Day Player of the Year.
"The way he played against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl was phenomenal, probably the perfectly-timed innings.
"Hopefully, if he takes the form he has had in the last 12 months into tomorrow's game because if he does that he is certainly our match-winner and I'm sure the Aussies will be thinking exactly the same."
On Sunday, England fast bowler Stephen Harmison ruled himself out of November's tour to Zimbabwe, where the team are due to play five one-day internationals, on moral and sporting grounds.
But Vaughan said he did not expect Harmison's decision to have any negative impact on the bowler or the team.
"I hope it doesn't affect his performance because his performances for us have been phenomenal for a year and one good performance tomorrow could see us through to a final.
"Just because Steve Harmison has come out and said that, there won't be any split in our camp."
Top order batsman Vaughan's own one-day form has been modest this season with a 74 against India in the final match of their warm-up series at Lord's earlier this month his only notable score.
"It's been a bit indifferent. I've not scored that many runs. It's worrying that I'm not getting big scores. But I can't control the last 10 or 12 innings. The only thing I can control is going into tomorrow's game and trying to get a score on the board."
Normally, there would be no question of an England-Australia cricket match being anything other than a sell-out. But 5,000 tickets will still be on the gate come Tuesday morning at a ground where the capacity is 21,000.
"I guess people didn't realise we were going to get through," said Vaughan. "No doubt by the time we start I'm sure it will be a near full-house."