Home Cricket Australia moves into a tie for first place in Group 1, leaving England vulnerable

Australia moves into a tie for first place in Group 1, leaving England vulnerable

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Australia moves into a tie for first place in Group 1, leaving England vulnerable

Despite having played one more game than New Zealand after Australia’s victory against Ireland, all teams still have a mathematical chance of making it out of Group 1.

With one game remaining against Afghanistan, the tournament’s hosts are solidly back in the running to go to the semi-finals. Although not as much as it initially seemed, the margin of victory over Ireland has increased their Net Run Rate.

Following the defeat, the Irish are now very unlikely to advance, needing not only a victory over New Zealand in their last match but also a string of other outcomes to go their way in order to change the crucial run rate permutations.

However, there is still plenty to be decided in Group 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, with one match, in particular, appearing to be pivotal. We examine the current situation and the condition of play.

Read More: Stoinis smashes record fifty for Australia as hosts beat Lanka

Who has the best chance of making it to the semi-finals?

After three games, New Zealand is the only unbeaten team in Group 1. The margins of their victories over Australia (by 89 runs) and Sri Lanka (by 65 runs) have also given them a significant advantage in the Net Run Rate column.

If they don’t suffer a humiliating loss of their own in the remaining games, a Net RR of +3.850 is almost as good as an additional point.

Even though the Kiwis could still lose because of the washout and the shared points with Afghanistan, the Black Caps still have a significant advantage in the qualification race due to the other teams deducting points from one another.

New Zealand already has a foot in the semi-finals and can almost assure that with a win over England the following time out. However, all five other teams in the group might conceivably jump New Zealand in the last two matchdays.

It appears that at least one of the top two will be decided by run rate, with England now leading the rest of Group 1 after New Zealand.

Read More: Rain plays spoilsport as Proteas lose points against Zimbabwe

Can Australia still win the championship?

Australia was in a precarious situation as a result of the crushing loss they suffered to New Zealand in their opening group game, as well as the effect it had on NRR.

The hosts of the competition were aware that they couldn’t afford to lose any more games; while two losses don’t technically eliminate a team’s prospects of qualifying, it will probably require a lot of luck to do so with only three victories in the Super 12 stage.

The triumph over Sri Lanka in Perth last Tuesday, especially because of Marcus Stoinis’ late run-flurry, which enabled them to chase down the target with more than three overs remaining and reduce some of the NRR gaps, has increased the likelihood of a successful championship defense.

Australia had a chance to control their own destiny on Monday against Ireland thanks to Ireland’s victory over England and the Australians’ defeat of the English in Melbourne.

With five points and a spot in the top two after the 42-run victory, much will depend on Tuesday morning’s match between New Zealand and England.

If England loses, Australia merely needs to defeat Afghanistan to advance.

Net RR may have a role if England defeats New Zealand.

England in difficulty?

English momentum is not favorable. Jos Buttler’s team is in trouble in Group 1 after a rain-impacted loss to Ireland and a washout against Australia.

Now more than ever, the meeting with New Zealand is important. Win that, and England will be able to make a significant statement before the decisive encounter. It will be absolutely out of their control if they lose and don’t qualify.

What England does know is that they should be able to advance with two decisive victories in their next two games, first against the Kiwis and then Sri Lanka.

The difference between England and the rest of the group, with the exception of New Zealand, in that column might very well come down to run rate.

The fact that England’s final game is the final one to be played in the group is where they also hold an edge in the Net RR issue. If there is still a chance of qualifying at that point, England will be aware of exactly what they need to do against Sri Lanka.

Major Upcoming Game

Tuesday, November 1: England vs. New Zealand

Even before the first ball was thrown, this significant match at The Gabba was one of the highlight matches of the Super 12 round. But because of Group 1, it has grown much more significant. New Zealand will advance to the semifinals if they win.

But if England triumphs, the entire group is completely dismantled. With that outcome, they would tie with New Zealand on five points and set up a decisive round of matches in which five of the six teams might still place in the top two, albeit at least one of those teams would have a very difficult time doing so because to Net RR.

The Gabba will be the center of attention since the outcome will have a significant impact.

Rest of the Group 1 Fixtures

Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka on Tuesday, November 1 at The Gabba in Brisbane

England vs. New Zealand on Tuesday, November 1 at The Gabba in Brisbane

Ireland vs. New Zealand, Friday, November 4, Adelaide Oval

Australia will play Afghanistan at Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 4.

Sri Lanka vs. England, Saturday, November 5, SCG, Sydney