Published: Jul 03, 2019, 11:10 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 03, 2019, 11:11 PM (IST)
Hello and welcome to Match 41 of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 between England and New Zealand at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.
Until last week, New Zealand were unbeaten. Until last week, questions were being asked of England. But in the past few days, the equation has drastically changed. New Zealand have tasted back-to-back defeats that has prolonged their wait for a semi-final berth, whereas England, with a handsome 31-run win over India, have revived themselves and also eye a place in the final four.
Hence, the equation for Wednesday’s game is straightforward. Whichever team wins, goes through to the semis. The side that loses though, face contrasting situations. A loss for England would mean that Bangladesh will have to beat Pakistan to stop them from leapfrogging the hosts, but if New Zealand lose, they still have the benefit of a strong net run-rate. In short, by the end of July 2, we will most likely have the four semi-finalists ready.
Against India, England rediscovered the fire that made they the team to watch out for in the last five years. With Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow reuniting as openers, the top order is once again back to its attacking best. The inclusion of Liam Plunkett was an ace but whether he’ll be retained ahead of Moeen Ali will depend on the surface. England’s previous World Cup match against New Zealand was a disaster, which for Eoin Morgan was like hitting “rock-bottom”. With this being a virtual quarter-final, other scenarios notwithstanding, England would eye banishing last World Cup’s demons against New Zealand.
