The Super 10 stage of the cricket T20 World Cup has now been completed. The four remaining sides are just two wins away from international global glory so the pressure on each will increase for the Cricket T20 World Cup Semi-finals.
Match Preview
The opening Cricket T20 World Cup semi-final takes place on Wednesday 30th March, 2016 in Delhi between the Group 2 winners New Zealand and the Group 1 runners up England. This should be a tasty tussle between two sides who were billed as dark horses before the tournament began.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing for England in this tournament. However, wins over South Africa, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, where they held their nerve in the last two of those matches, meant that England qualified for the knock-out stages. I think they’ll be quite happy to be facing New Zealand now they are in the semi-final.
England have been talking about changing their side with an extra seamer with Reece Topley the most likely to come into the team. But after Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan held their nerve in the last game I’m expecting England to be unchanged.
New Zealand have been fantastic so far and remain the only undefeated side in the competition. Winning any tournament without losing these days is really tough and that now has to be their aim. They won all four matches in the group stage batting first. They put up competitive totals without aiming too high and falling short, then they rode the back of their spinners to victory.
New Zealand have chopped and changed their side to suit each wicket that they’ve played on so far in this tournament. Amazingly Tim Southee and Trent Boult are yet to play a single game. This isn’t likely to be a track that will see them feature here either.
It took a while to confirm but the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi will stage this semi-final. England have played their last two matches here and should know the conditions by now. New Zealand have read every wicket they’ve played on perfectly thus far so we shouldn’t expect them to be disadvantaged here.
I think this one is going to come down to who holds their nerve the best. From that point of view England might be better equipped going into this match. England have had to stand tall twice in the competition whereas New Zealand haven’t been under severe pressure at any stage.
England know what they are going to get with New Zealand and having overcome two sides with mystery in their attack they will appreciate facing what they know. England’s bowling has come under pressure at times in this tournament but New Zealand haven’t really batted well in the tournament aside from Martin Guptill.
This is a match that could easily come down to the final five overs of each innings. With England’s batting depth and Chris Jordan’s Yorkers being speared in I’m siding with Eoin Morgan’s men in this one.
Tips
WON – Back England to beat New Zealand for a 4/10 stake at 2.05 with Boylesports
Back them here:
