Dubai: Pakistan have been effectively out of the running for a spot in the World Cup semi-finals as they need a mammoth win against Bangladesh in their final group game on Friday.
England’s victory over New Zealand have all but confirmed Pakistan’s elimination in the showpiece. Despite the loss, New Zealand are likely to sneak in as the fourth best team on superior run rate even if Pakistan manage to beat Bangladesh at Lord’s.
Pakistan need to beat Bangladesh by 316 runs in order to overturn the deficit in the run rate they currently enjoy. One reason that could have led to this downfall is their meek surrender to the West Indies in their opening clash on May 31 at Trent Bridge.
England stormed into the semi-finals for the first time since 1992 after Jonny Bairstow’s second consecutive century helped secure a comprehensive 119-run victory against New Zealand at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.
Bairstow smashed 106 to help England to 305-8 in their final group game though the total could easily have been bigger but for a middle order collapse.
New Zealand wobbled early in their chase, losing both openers cheaply, before a couple of run-outs effectively derailed their chase and they were all out for 186 in 45 overs.
England will face either holders Australia or twice champions India in the semi-finals at Edgbaston.
After England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bat, Bairstow and Jason Roy threatened to replicate their Edgbaston heroics where the openers had raised 160 to set up their campaign-reviving victory over India.
Against a New Zealand attack missing Lockie Ferguson, who is nursing a tight hamstring, Bairstow and Roy looked unstoppable, scoring freely to bring up England’s 100 in the 15th over.
Jimmy Neesham ended the 123-run partnership in the 19th over when Roy, having made a run-a-ball 60, perished at short cover.
Bairstow needed 95 balls to bring up his 100 as he and Joe Root kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Trent Boult returned to dismiss Root for 24 and England suddenly began losing wickets regularly with the pitch showing signs of slowing down.
Bairstow chopped a Matt Henry delivery onto his stumps and Jos Buttler miscued Boult to Kane Williamson at mid-off.
Even Ben Stokes struggled to get going and managed only 11 off 27 balls. Morgan made 42 before Mitchell Santner took a stunning catch off Henry to dismiss the England captain.
New Zealand were rocked early in their chase, losing both openers by the sixth over with a meagre 14 on the board.
The onus was on Kane Williamson (27) and Ross Taylor (28) to put the chase back on track but two run-ours, one fortuitous and another ill-judged, led to the dismissals of New Zealand’s two most senior batsmen.
Taylor’s drive brushed Mark Wood’s fingers before hitting the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Williamson out of his ground.
In the next over, Taylor ran himself out going for a risky second.
Tom Latham made a fighting 57 down the order but it had no real bearing on the outcome of the contest.
Points tally
TEAM M W L T N/R PT NRR
1. Australia 8 7 1 0 0 14 1
2. India 8 6 1 0 1 13 0.811
3. England 9 6 3 0 0 12 1.152
4. New Zealand 9 5 3 0 1 11 0.175
5. Pakistan 8 4 3 0 1 9 -0.792
6. Sri Lanka 8 3 3 0 2 8 -0.934
7. Bangladesh 8 3 4 0 1 7 -0.195
8. South Africa 8 2 5 0 1 5 -0.08
9. West Indies 8 1 6 0 1 3 -0.335
10. Afghanistan 8 0 8 0 0 0 -1.418
- with inputs from agencies
Scoreboard
England
J. Roy c Santner b Neesham 60
J. Bairstow b Henry 106
J. Root c Latham b Boult 24
J. Buttler c Williamson b Boult 11
E. Morgan c Santner b Henry 42
B. Stokes c Henry b Santner 11
C. Woakes c Williamson b Neesham 4
L. Plunkett not out 15
A. Rashid b Southee 16
J. Archer not out 1
Extras (b4, lb4, w7) 15
Total (eight wickets, 50 overs) 305
Fall of wickets: 1-123 (Roy), 2-194 (Root), 3-206 (Bairstow), 4-214 (Buttler), 5-248 (Stokes), 6-259 (Woakes), 7-272 (Morgan), 8-301 (Rashid)
Bowling: Santner 10-0-65-1, Boult 10-0-56-2, Southee 9-0-70-1, Henry 10-0-54-2, De Grandhomme 1-0-11-0, Neesham 10-1-41-2
New Zealand
M. Guptill c Buttler b Archer 8
H. Nicholls lbw b Woakes 0
K. Williamson run out (Wood) 27
R. Taylor run out (Rashid/Buttler) 28
T. Latham c Buttler b Plunkett 57
J. Neesham b Wood 19
C. de Grandhomme c Root b Stokes 3
M. Santner lbw b Wood 12
T. Southee not out 7
M. Henry b Wood 7
T. Boult st Buttler b Rashid 4
Extras: (2b, 6lb, 6w) 14
Total (all out, in 45 overs) 186
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-14, 3-61, 4-69, 5-123, 6-128, 7-164, 8-166, 9-181, 10-186
Bowling: Chris Woakes 8-0-44-1 (1w), Jofra Archer 7-1-17-1 (1w), Liam Plunkett 8-0-28-1 (1w), Mark Wood 9-0-34-3 (2w), Joe Root 3-0-15-0, Adil Rashid 5-0-30-1, Ben Stokes 5-0-10-1 (1w)
Toss: England
Result: England wins by 119 runs.
Umpires: S Ravi, India, and Rod Tucker, Australia
TV umpire: Paul Reiffel, Australia. Match referee: David Boon, Australia
