Win for England!
Massively improves our chances of going through to the semis, and pokes a small hole in India’s chances - they do have to win another game to be certain, but they still should do it.
Another game, another team’s wave function collapses. Turns out the Bangladeshi semi-final tiger was dead in it’s bo.
I’m more nervous about tomorrow than I have been for a long time - NZ have virtually no pressure on them, whereas England know that if they lose, they are very likely out. Praying for rain would be hopelessly craven (and, for once, unlikely to be successful), so we just need to hope for a solid couple of partnerships in the batting, whether we get to go first or second. Winning the toss would be extra handy.
IMHO what is required is for ENG to win without needing the ducks precisely lined up for them.
The old “lose the toss and get sent in on a pitch with a bit in it, cop a couple of dodgy decisions, bit of a collapse in the middle, post a competitive total and defend it” strategy.
AUS lost their top order for crackers vs WI and NZ and still won.
Has there been any other team who have shown any comparable flexibility?
I’m guessing NZ lose but sneak through on runrate. Other than Williamson and Taylor our batsmen have been woeful all tournament.
Goodness me, the difference between this England team with Roy and without is stark - 48/0 off the first six overs. Admittedly most of the scoring has been by Bairstow (as in the last game) but it must be at least partly down to Roy’s influence. I don’t think I’ve seen a team more transformed by the presence of a single player since Flintoff (or perhaps Pietersen, though not always in a positive way).
At this rate (literally) NZ are going to have to start worrying about NRR. Not that it’s over yet of course, by a long way - still anybody’s game. But it’s certainly the start I wanted to see.
I think this unlikely. I was reading on Cricbuzz this morning that, if England put up 300 exactly, NZ would have to lose by fewer than 212 runs to avoid being knocked out by a narrow Pakistan win.
The permutations on this are obviously endless, but, if England win, you’d think NZ getting within 30-50 of the England score will likely be enough for them.
I agree that they can’t let England put up an enormous score as that will pressurise the run chase - but it’s a bit early in the game to be too worried. 2 or 3 wickets and the England expected total should drop significantly.
Unlikely yes, but if I were a Pakistan fan right now, I think I’d be tempted to switch from supporting NZ to hoping England do indeed trounce them.
Once today’s match is over, if England do win then Pakistan will know exactly what winning margin is required, which will make the tactics for their game interesting. The likely scenario is that at some point in the second innings of that game, it will become practically impossible (and then mathematically impossible) for Pakistan to qualify, potentially with a good portion of the game still to go.
Anyway, this is all very pre-emptive on my part - long way to go today yet.
It’s a massacre at present. I believe it is a belter of a pitch and a small ground but even so, can NZ match England for 50 overs?
It’s actually one of the bigger grounds, which makes the number of boundaries even more impressive. But yes, the wicket has been deemed probably the best batting track of the tournament so far, according to my feed. In theory NZ ought to be able to make use of that too, but winning the toss was massive here.
I’m a bit lost- are we talking of Wanderers Ground?
The old adage of judging your current batting position based on if you lost two wickets applies.
4-214 off 34 opens the possibility of keeping ENG to about 300.
I think they’ll do better than that but not 350.
The square boundary that day at Edgbaston was 59 metres, less than the 60 metres for under 16 cricket in Sydney. Virat Kohli then mentioned it post-match, perhaps feeling that it was, in fact, no coincidence.
Bowl better Virat. Attack that short boundary yourself Virat. It’s not like the dimensions of the ground changed when India were batting. India hit 1 6 in the innings and only did it in the final overs. The boundary was short - fine. But this, if it came out of an Englishman’s mouth, would be dismissed as a whinge and rightly so
This is looking like a decent prediction.
Indeed, at the rate wickets are going down, 300 not looking that easy.
This run chase is going to be agony. NZ could very easily win this, especially if Williamson and Taylor come to the party, or Guptill finally gets it right and goes off at the top of the order/
NZ to chase 307. Game in the balance.
Whoever wins this deserves to be a semi finalist.
I can’t pick it, and I’m going to bed.
The bookmakers have England $1.33 and New Zealand $3.25 - about 79% to 21%.
NZ seem pretty good value to me, if that’s the case.
Indeed, I’d put it maybe 60/40. England still favourites, but it’s tighter than I’d like.