Only at the last stage does the image of this group become clear.
Fans are looking forward to seeing which teams will compete in the Group One semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. England, New Zealand and Australia have shared five points each after England won the match against New Zealand. Sri Lanka, who are bottom of the group, have four points. All of these teams cannot rule out the possibility of a semi-final. It is only in the last stage of Super 12 Perattam that the picture of this group is clearly evident.
New Zealand
New Zealand are currently at the top of the group. But it’s still a dangerous situation. Kiwis have 5 points but have an advantage over Australia and England due to their better net run rate. They will have an easy path to the semi-finals as they play Ireland, who have only won one game in this tournament. However, things would change again if the Kiwis lost to the Irish. They should wait for Australia to lose to Afghanistan. This sets the odds on the winners of the match between England and Sri Lanka.
Australia
The hosts Australia are disappointing due to their poor run rate in this tournament. If they want to qualify for the semi-finals, they need to defeat Afghanistan in their last game. If England and New Zealand win their last game, all three teams will reach 7 points. This is where the net run rate has to be calculated. If that is the case, Australia will need a big win against Afghanistan if they are to keep their chances in the semi-finals. Australia don’t care about net run rate if England or New Zealand lose their last match.
England
England are safer than Aussies.
The conditions will be much less when they face Sri Lanka on Friday. They will know the result of earlier matches and know exactly what to do to stay ahead in the run rate. Australia will be the closest to them in terms of run rate and England will be hoping for a favorable result in that game before they face the reigning Asia Cup champions. The difference in the margin between the two Ashes rivals is around 50 runs for England to keep ahead. But if they lose to Sri Lanka, they will be out of the competition.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka do not have the run rate to reach the semi-finals. They need an outright win against England and a loss to Australia or New Zealand would benefit Sri Lanka. Thus, Lankan hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals are in tatters. Expect a surprise when the Asian champions land on Friday.
