Cricket

Hosts England won a thrilling 2019 Cricket World Cup final Sunday, beating New Zealand after the match went to a dramatic super over following a tie at Lord's:

The England players are jubilant! Jofra Archer is in tears!

The greatest cricket match of all time?#CWC19 | #CWC19Final pic.twitter.com/2HIA63RF4y

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 14, 2019

New Zealand went into bat after winning the toss and produced a competitive total of 241 for eight from their 50 overs.

The Kiwis then produced a brilliant bowling display to move to the brink of victory. Lockie Ferguson was the key for the Black Caps with three wickets and a superb catch to dismiss captain Eoin Morgan.

However, England hit back through a late surge from Ben Stokes. He managed 84 not out from 98 balls to drive the hosts to 241 and send the final into a super over.

Stoke and Jos Buttler then came back out to hit 15 in their super over which New Zealand matched but could not beat to give England their first World Cup win.

Chris Woakes gave England an early breakthrough by removing opener Martin Guptill for lbw after a review:

A review denied Woakes a wicket earlier; it won't deny him this time

He gets Guptill LBW; NZ lose their review

They're 29/1

Ball-by-ball: https://t.co/TiNRlmqT2d
Live report: https://t.co/PUliLTGqc1#NZvENG | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/biIvIDs7OT

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 14, 2019

Henry Nicholls was the only batsman to pass 50 for the Black Caps. The 27-year-old reached his ninth ODI half-century from just 71 balls.

Liam Plunkett removed Nicholls for 55 and also took the wickets of captain Kane Williamson and James Neesham in an impressive display:

Following in the footsteps of Derek Pringle in 1992...

Liam Plunkett writes his name into the #WeAreEngland history books. 👏

Join us for @bbctms #CWC19 commentary with @BBCSport and @BBCSounds
📻📱 https://t.co/bSnrzprPjK pic.twitter.com/onUmQ0e3nV

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 14, 2019

Williamson had made 30 to set a World Cup record:

What a tournament for KW 👏 https://t.co/2Fnf11686m #CWC19 #CWC19Final pic.twitter.com/KWYda388Rs

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 14, 2019

New Zealand needed Tom Latham to come up with a gutsy 47 from 56 to take the Black Caps past the 200-mark.

The 27-year-old fell to Woakes, who joined Plunkett on three wickets for the day, while Mark Wood chipped in with the wicket of Ross Taylor, and Jofra Archer bowled tailender Matt Henry for four.

New Zealand left England with an intriguing chase of 242, but the hosts suffered an early scare when opener Jason Roy survived a review for lbw on the first ball of their innings:

Jason Roy survives a first-ball lbw shout by millimetres! https://t.co/0kOH0NYV0t #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/doATq7oZ6T

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) July 14, 2019

Roy did not last too much longer. The England opener got a nick on a Henry delivery which went through to Latham and was well held down low by the wicketkeeper. 

Another big wicket followed when Joe Root went for just seven runs, leaving England at 59 for one.

Their hopes seemed to dip again when opener Jonny Bairstow followed swiftly afterwards to leave the match finely balanced:

New Zealand get another!

It's Lockie Ferguson, inducing an inside-edge off Jonny Bairstow that took off the bails.

England are 71/3, and this one is hard to call now. #WeAreEngland | #CWC19 | #BackTheBlackCaps pic.twitter.com/oqRJ0C4NhH

— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2019

There was more drama to follow when captain Morgan was brilliantly caught by a diving Ferguson to leave England reeling.

Stokes and Buttler then combined for 110 to give England hope of completing the run chase. Buttler went for 59 after another diving catch, this time from substitute Tim Southee.

His dismissal left England needing 46 off 31 balls for victory, and it was left to Stokes to come up with the heroics in an extraordinary finish to the game.

England's final over saw the 28-year-old smash a six over midwicket and then follow it up with another in astonishing style:

BEN STOKES RUNNING BACK IN, somehow his bat deflects the ball for a 4 after hitting a 2.

Six runs off the delivery.

INCREDIBLE.

3 needed from 2. pic.twitter.com/rVmqolbp2v

— Coral (@Coral) July 14, 2019

The hosts were left needing three runs from the final two balls to clinch victory but could only manage two to see the game end in a tie and force the super over.

England sent Stokes and Buttler back out, and they combined to produce 15 from their six balls.

Neesham hit Archer for six, but New Zealand were left needing two runs off the final ball to win the World Cup. Guptill managed one but was then run out by Buttler as England claimed an incredible victory.

New Zealand will start the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup as underdogs against co-hosts England.

Bet365 (h/t Oddschecker) has handed the Black Caps odds of 5-2, while England come in at 1-3 to win at Lord's. Both teams will be looking to become world champions for the first time.

Sunday's final will start at 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET. Viewers can tune in via Channel 4 or Sky Sports Main Event (UK) and Willow TV (U.S.). For live-stream options, visit Sky Go or Willow TV.

Here is a look at how New Zealand overcame India, as well as poor weather conditions, to book their spot in the final:

England dominated Australia in the other semi-final:

When these teams met earlier in the tournament, England cruised to a massive 119-run win. Jonny Bairstow finished with a century, and the hosts' bowling feasted on the Black Caps, who were all-out after 45 overs.

Those same bowlers impressed against the Baggy Greens as well. Early wickets of David Warner and Aaron Finch―neither scored double-digit runs―put Australia on the back foot, and they never recovered.

Depth is the key for England, who have a large group of batsmen who can all put up big numbers on any given day. Bairstow, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan are all ranked among the top 20 run-scorers in the tournament.

The Blacks Caps only have two men in the top 20: Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor.

In the loss to England, Williamson scored just 27 runs, but he brings so much more to the table. Cricket writer Saj Sadiq had high praise for the captain after the win over India:

Not only is Kane Williamson a great batsman, he's a very intelligent captain. Rotated his bowlers brilliantly, shining example in the field and tactically he was superb #CWC19 #INDvNZ

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) July 10, 2019

He will have to be at his best against England, who have the bowling talent to go along with their explosive batting. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been in exceptional form and should provide a stiff counterpart to New Zealand duo Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult.

England face New Zealand in Sunday's 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lord's with both teams aiming to lift the trophy for the first time.

The tournament hosts are into the final for a fourth time and will be confident of victory having beaten New Zealand in the group stage.

However, the Black Caps have already produced a shock by beating India in the semi-finals and will want to avoid being beaten finalists for the second World Cup in a row.

        

World Cup Final Odds (per Oddschecker)

England: 2-7

New Zealand: 11-4

        

England to Win First World Cup

England head into the World Cup final in strong form and full of momentum after crushing old rivals Australia by eight wickets in their last-four meeting.

The Aussies had put England on the brink of elimination in the group stage with victory at Lord's, but Eoin Morgan's side have improved since that defeat to move to within one win of being crowned world champions:

When Australia beat England at Lord's on 25 June, one more defeat could have seen the hosts crash out of the World Cup in the opening round.

Three weeks and three wins later, they're in the #CWC19 final!

What a turnaround!#AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/MWDcj9wzOT

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 11, 2019

England have beaten New Zealand, India and Australia in their last three matches and produced their best display of the tournament last time out.

However, Morgan has told his team not to get carried away:

Is it coming home?#EoinMorgan: pic.twitter.com/fZ93A7Dx6E

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2019

The England captain has also spoken of how difficult he found New Zealand to play at the World Cup, per Simon Evans at Reuters.

"I think New Zealand throughout the whole tournament has been probably the hardest side to beat and the best side in the group stages," he said.

Yet England comfortably won their match against the Kiwis by 119 runs and should be confident of repeating that victory and clinching a maiden World Cup win in front of their own fans.

The team's bowling attack starred against Australia and showed how devastating they can be.

Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes dismissed Aaron Finch, David Warner and Peter Handscomb for just 14 runs to give England the perfect start:

10 OVERS - ✅

APPEALS - ✅

WICKETS - ✅

SWING AND SEAM - ✅

BOUNCERS - ✅

Exhilarating spell of fast-bowling from Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer. Australian batsmen have a massive task
ahead of them -- 27/3 https://t.co/99LhchgMUS #ENGvAUS #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/ggan0M1skZ

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 11, 2019

The tournament hosts have also thrived with the bat. Openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow have produced a superb partnership:

These two have now reached 80/0. That means Roy and Bairstow have put on 500 runs for the opening wicket at #CWC19. They are just the 6th partnership from any nation to do this.

Live: https://t.co/4GbSquM8op#CWC19 #bbccricket #AUSvsENG pic.twitter.com/Aalygluyrr

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 11, 2019

Meanwhile, Morgan and Joe Root have also made important contributions:

20 - @Eoin16 & @root66 have notched up a record 20th 50+ partnership for England in ODIs, one more than Roy & Bairstow and Bell & Cook. Central. #cwc19 #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/zcHL6lhEpP

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) July 11, 2019

England were ruthless on their way to beating Australia for the first time at a World Cup since 1992 to reach the final, and a repeat performance on Sunday should be enough to clinch a first World Cup.

Hosts England will play New Zealand in Sunday's 2019 Cricket World Cup final after thrashing defending champions Australia by eight wickets in their last-four clash.

The Black Caps booked their place in the showpiece at Lord's on Wednesday by producing a shock win over India.

England beat New Zealand by 119 runs in the group stages of the tournament on July 3, and both teams will head into the final in London looking to lift the trophy for the first time.

     

Final Schedule

Date: Sunday, July 14

Time: 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

TV Info: Channel 4 (UK), Sky Sports Main Event (UK), Willow TV (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Willow TV (U.S.)

   

Early Preview

England produced their best performance of the World Cup on Thursday to knock out old rivals Australia in some style and book their place in the final.

Bowlers Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer sent the home team on their way by helping dismiss the Aussies for 223.

Meanwhile, openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow again came up with the goods, producing a partnership of 124. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan then ensured England completed the victory with 17.5 overs to spare.

However, captain Morgan is refusing to get carried away by his team's victory:

Is it coming home?#EoinMorgan: pic.twitter.com/fZ93A7Dx6E

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2019

England will be relieved that Roy escaped a ban for his reaction to being dismissed against Australia.

The 28-year-old aimed an outburst at umpire Kumar Dharmasena and has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee, but he is available for the final, per Sky Sports.

Roy has played a key role for England at the tournament and will be needed against the Black Caps:

💥 Another sensational innings from England's Jason Roy.

😍 What a tournament he is having...#CWC19 #WeAreEngland pic.twitter.com/yyqfqUDglY

— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) July 11, 2019

England will also be hoping Bairstow is fit after requiring treatment for an injury on the Edgbaston pitch in Birmingham against Australia. 

Morgan did not seem too worried about his fellow opener after the match, according to Nick Hoult of the Telegraph.

"I'm not sure what it was, but he seemed to move alright after it, so it is not very concerning, I don't think. It might be a niggle; we don't know until he is scanned, but after it, he seemed to move well, so that's a good sign."

New Zealand are into the final for the second World Cup in a row.

The Black Caps were beaten by England, Pakistan and Australia in the group stage to finish fourth, but they responded by producing a stunning performance to beat India by 18 runs in the semi-final.

The bowlers were the heroes for New Zealand. Trent Boult and Matt Henry made a brilliant start to leave India reeling at five for three, and the Black Caps' bowling attack should pose a serious threat:

The ace bowling unit at this World Cup: New Zealand 👏#INDvNZ #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/VtO4R8sVud

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 10, 2019

The Kiwis were beaten by Australia in the final of the 2015 tournament that each country co-hosted, but captain Kane Williamson says things are different this time around, per The Independent's Callum Rice-Coates.

"It's a different feeling to last time," the prolific No. 3 batsman said. "We've had to skin it over the round robin, so it's been quite different. A lot of heart has been shown by the guys so far, but we're keeping our feet on the ground. It was a great semi-final, and we're happy to be on the right side of it."

Both teams will head into Sunday's final with plenty of momentum, but England, the world's top-ranked ODI side, will be favourites having already tasted victory over the Black Caps at this tournament.

England crushed Australia by eight wickets on Thursday to reach the 2019 Cricket World Cup final.

The English bowling attack was ruthless, with Australia all out for 223 in the opening innings.

The hosts took just 32 overs to reach their target, and they will play New Zealand in the final on Sunday.

BREAKING: England beat Australia by 8 wickets to reach Sunday's #CWC19 Final where they will face New Zealand at Lords. #Believe

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 11, 2019

Australia batted first and were immediately in trouble in the second over when Jofra Archer trapped opener Aaron Finch lbw for a duck.

David Warner followed his team-mate out in the next over after scoring just nine, with Jonny Bairstow taking the catch from Chris Woakes' delivery.

Steve Smith entered to steady the ship for the Aussies. The 30-year-old was stubborn at the crease, and he remained until late in the innings. Smith made 85, with an excellent run out by Jos Buttler ending his knock.

Alex Carey's 46 helped Australia avoid a total collapse. However, the tail failed to wag, and Adil Rashid, Mark Wood and Woakes bowled excellent spells at the death to limit the score.

England opening batsmen Jason Roy and Bairstow quickly got down to business, combining for 124 before Mitchell Starc dismissed the latter.

Bairstow hit 34 off 43 balls, but Starc's delivery was too good and the umpire called lbw. 

There was controversy when Roy was given out on 85. The umpire said the batsman had clipped Carey's delivery to Pat Cummins, but replays showed the Englishman had not touched the ball. England had used their video review unsuccessfully against Bairstow's dismissal, and Roy was clearly upset by his premature exit.

However, England remained calm and composed, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan taking over the responsibility of completing the win.

The batsmen scored 49 and 45, respectively, and the ruthless performances of England's top players was the difference between the sides.

It was a disappointing end to Australia's tournament, but they were beaten by the more clinical team at Edgbaston.

New Zealand stunned India in the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with the Black Caps securing a spot in Sunday's final courtesy of a thrilling 18-run win at Old Trafford. 

The match was suspended on Tuesday due to rain. With New Zealand completing their innings on Wednesday morning, they eventually posted a total of 239 for eight from their 50 overs.

India's top order were blown away in response, as Matt Henry and Trent Boult tore through them with the new ball. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul fell for one run apiece, leaving India five for three at one stage.

With his team toiling at 92 for 6, Ravindra Jadeja came to the crease and took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers, building an excellent partnership with M.S. Dhoni to give his side hope. But his terrific innings of 77 proved to be in vain. He was dismissed late on and watched his team come up short on 221 all out.

New Zealand will now face host nation England or rivals Australia in the final, with the two set to meet on Thursday at Edgbaston.

  

Recap

After rain curtailed play on Tuesday, New Zealand returned to the crease to face the final 23 balls of their innings on 211 for five, eventually pushing their score up to a mediocre 239 for eight.

With a modest total to defend, it was crucial New Zealand started well with the ball. In Boult and Henry, they had two men in red-hot form.

Henry took the key wicket of Sharma, who had previously scored five centuries in the World Cup, before Boult was on hand in the third over to pin the India captain Kohli in front LBW.

Per the statistician Mazher Arshad, the dismissal continued a poor trend of semi-final scores from arguably the world's best batsman:

Virat Kohli's average in three World Cup semi-finals is just 3.67.

9 vs Pakistan, 1 vs Australia, 1 vs NZ

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 10, 2019

At five for two, India needed to steady themselves. However, Henry struck again in the fourth over, as KL Rahul edged behind to Tom Latham, putting India in deep trouble.

The New Zealand Twitter account revelled in the start the team made: 

India's top three - 1 1 1 - it's an emergency! @nzpolice

The two P's Pant & Pandya at the crease now, still with plenty of batting to come. Good start but more left in this tale!#INDvNZ #BACKTHEBLACKCAPS #CWC19
LIVE 📲 | https://t.co/aU5ayqheAz pic.twitter.com/5JUEcq3KAW

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 10, 2019

The thrills didn't stop either, as Heny picked up his third wicket in the 10th over. This time, he owed a big thanks to Jimmy Neesham, who pulled off a fantastic catch low to his left to dismiss Dinesh Karthik: 

That is off the chart! 📈

Neesham pulls off a blinder at backward point to dismiss Karthik!

Follow over-by-over commentary from Old Trafford as #TeamIndia and #BackTheBlackCaps contest the first World Cup semi-final live on Sky Sports #CWC19 here: https://t.co/oW7zuy1LHm pic.twitter.com/Ywa5jpb1UB

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2019

New Zealand finally faced some resistance from Rishabh Pant and Hardik Panya, who slowly built a partnership. However, they tried to get after the New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner, and the left-armer got both for 32 when trying to play aggressive shots.

Presenter Zainab Abbas commented on how the pressure appeared to be getting to the India players: 

Santner has bowled superbly,but some of the shot selection here is questionable,dot ball pressure obviously getting to them but idea has always been to carry the bat till the end..Nz on top! #INDvNZ

— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) July 10, 2019

At this point, Jadeja came in and injected some hope into the India cause, as he counter-attacked with some big shots. The all-rounder was able to move to 50 from just 39 balls, and with the experienced Dhoni alongside him, India were still in with an outside chance.

As the tension mounted heading into the latter overs, Jadeja continued to keep his cool and accelerated his scoring.

Boult was able to retain his composure in the final stages, though, and when Jadeja tried to launch him over the boundary, he skewed his effort to Kane Williamson, who held onto the catch.

The onus was then on Dhoni to deliver in the latter stages and after hammering a six to keep India's slender hopes alive, he was brilliantly run out by Martin Guptill for 50 the very next ball. With that, India's hopes had all but gone, and they eventually slipped to 221 all out.

Oddsmakers have given England a slight edge over Australia ahead of Thursday's 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final.

While the Baggy Greens finished ahead of the host nation in the group stage, Bet365 (h/t Oddschecker) has handed them odds of 6-5, compared to 4-6 for their opponents.

Sky Sports will provide full coverage of the contest, which is set to start at 10:30 a.m. BST. The match will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Sports writer Mazher Arshad noted Australia's excellent record in World Cup semi-finals:

Most semi-final defeats in the Cricket World Cup

6 New Zealand
4 Pakistan
3 India
3 South Africa
2 England
1 Kenya
1 Sri Lanka
1 West Indies
0 Australia #CWC19

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 8, 2019

However, their results at Edgbaston this century have not been good, per Nick Hoult of the Daily Telegraph:

So it’s an England-Australia World Cup semi final Edgbaston. Remember Australia have not won at Edgbaston against any opposition in any form of the game since 2001 #bogeyground

— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) July 6, 2019

The Aussies cruised to a 64-run win when these two teams met in group play at Lord's, courtesy of a century by Aaron Finch and some excellent work by their bowlers.

Mitchell Starc led the way by taking four wickets, including the dismissal of Adil Rashid which ended the contest:

That meeting came during a slump for the hosts, though, and England have since rediscovered their form. Their last two matches saw them beat India and New Zealand, the other two semi-finalists at the World Cup.

Australia's last outing was a 10-run loss against South Africa, which set up the last-four clash against England.

Both teams bring explosive batting to the table, as Australia have two of the top five run-scorers so far―David Warner and Finch―and England have four players in the top 15.

Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Jason Roy can all do tons of damage, and there's more depth after that quartet, with Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler also capable of having a huge day.

The inclusion of Jofra Archer has proved crucial, as he leads the England team with 17 wickets. But Starc leads the tournament with 26.

Australia's fielding at Lord's was phenomenal, and it played a huge role in their win over England. But the host nation had their chances during Australia's innings, and if they limit those mistakes on Thursday, their depth could prove the difference.

This should be a tight semi-final between two rivals who know each other very well.

          

Prediction: Australia overcome their Edgbaston hoodoo and break the hearts of the host nation in a thriller.

Tuesday's Cricket World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand was suspended for the day after persistent rains in Manchester, England, halted proceedings. The Black Caps had batted to a score of 211 for five after 46.1 overs when play was first suspended.

The match is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, although weather forecasts from the BBC indicate more rain could be on the way around Old Trafford.

With the rain unrelenting, play has been called off for the day. New Zealand will resume their innings tomorrow at 10.30am on 211/5 with 3.5 overs to bat.

Here's hoping for better weather tomorrow 🤞#INDvNZ | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/p9KdXPdd0g

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2019

If play cannot be completed on Wednesday, the Men in Blue will advance to the final due to their higher finishing position in group play, per ESPNcricinfo:

For those wondering, here's what happens if the match can't be completed today 👇

Ball-by-ball: https://t.co/1sz0J0tgc7
Live report: https://t.co/6GSzid5Ewc #INDvNZ | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/T9J12rMnIt

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 9, 2019

The decision to suspend play would appear to favour India, who had limited the New Zealand attack to a run rate of 4.97. The match will resume in full on Wednesday, rather than be completed in limited overs.

For a 20-over match, the target would have been 148, and New Zealand's seam-friendly bowling attack would have given them a better chance against the world's No. 2 ODI side in the shorter format. Instead, India will have a full night to plan Wednesday's chase.

Ross Taylor (67 from 85) and Tom Latham (3 from 4) will pair up to start the final overs for New Zealand on Wednesday. Star bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are likely to bowl the final overs, having dominated the Black Caps so far. Both had an economy rate well under 4.00 when play was halted.

As a group, India's bowlers were fantastic on Tuesday:

So far, New Zealand batsmen in 46.1 overs have faced 153 dot balls.
In #CWC19 #CWC2019 the maximum dot balls faced is 187 by Sri Lanka against South Africa @ Chester-le-Street! #IndvNZ #NZvInd

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 9, 2019

During their innings, the Men in Blue will have the tournament's top run-scorer among their ranks, as Rohit Sharma (647 runs) has been in excellent form. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan are others to keep an eye on with the bat.

New Zealand's bowlers will like their chances as well, however, especially in sub-optimal conditions. Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson are expert wicket-takers, and both have been in strong form during the World Cup.

India take on New Zealand on Tuesday at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester for a place in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final. 

The Men in Blue are favourites for victory after topping the group stage ahead of Australia and have tasted defeat only once in the tournament.

Meanwhile, New Zealand squeezed into the semi-finals in fourth place thanks to a better net run rate than Pakistan. The Kiwis enjoyed a strong start but go into the semi-final on the back of three straight defeats.

        

Latest Odds

India: 1-3

New Zealand: 12-5

All odds via Oddschecker

       

Live Stream

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, with live streaming available via Sky Go. In the United States viewers can watch the action via Willow Sports.

    

Match Preview

Tuesday's match will be the first meeting between the two teams at the World Cup, as their group-stage match was called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy rain.

India's only defeat in the tournament came against hosts England, but they have otherwise been in strong form and head into the match fresh from a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

The team will look to opening batsman Rohit Sharma to do the damage against New Zealand. He smashed his fifth century of the tournament last time out and is the World Cup's top run scorer:

Leading run-scorers in the #CWC19 group stage ↴

1️⃣ Rohit Sharma: 647
2️⃣ David Warner: 638
3️⃣ Shakib Al Hasan: 606
4️⃣ Aaron Finch: 507
5️⃣ Joe Root: 500

Who will finish on the top of the pile? pic.twitter.com/ZMRrZcVvNO

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 7, 2019

KL Rahul has also played an important role with the bat in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, who was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a fractured thumb in their win over Australia.

The 27-year-old produced his first century of the World Cup against Sri Lanka and has forged a strong partnership with Rohit in the India attack.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has also been a key player for India. He is the third-highest wicket-taker and has claimed 17 wickets: 

A century of ODI wickets for Jasprit Bumrah 💯

It's taken him just 57 games to reach the landmark - only one Indian has got there quicker 😱

Can you guess who? 🤔#SLvIND | #CWC19 | #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/mV9RXJLB9j

— ICC (@ICC) July 6, 2019

India look to have more quality than New Zealand, who may be also lacking in confidence after successive defeats to Pakistan, Australia and England.

The Black Caps had to cope without fast bowler Lockie Ferguson against England due to a hamstring injury, but he is expected to be fit for the semi-final clash, per Niall Anderson at the New Zealand Herald.

Only Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman (20) and Australia's Mitchell Starc (26) have collected more wickets than Ferguson (17), and he has told reporters he is relishing their underdog status.

"I guess in World Cups obviously big games get pumped up and where we stand is the fourth going into the semi-finals so naturally I guess they back India. But as New Zealanders we are often the underdogs and I guess that's a position we like to be in...it's knockout cricket now so it's all on Tuesday and the better team will go through."

New Zealand were the runners-up at the last cricket World Cup, but it will take something special for them to make it to the final again, and India will be expected to progress to a meeting against Australia or England.

The action at the 2019 Cricket World Cup is hotting up after the completion of the group stage and with just four teams now left in the competition.

Tuesday sees the first semi-final take place between India and New Zealand at Old Trafford, while hosts England take on Australia in the second semi-final on Thursday at Edgbaston.

India convincingly beat Sri Lanka in their final match on Saturday to top the standings after nine games, while Australia finished second following a surprise defeat to South Africa.

      

Cricket World Cup Latest Odds

India: 19-10

England: 2-1

Australia: 12-5

New Zealand: 8-1

All odds via Oddschecker

  

Semi-finals Schedule

Tuesday, July 9: India vs. New Zealand 

Wednesday, July 10: England vs. Australia

In the United Kingdom all matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports, with live streaming available via Sky Go. Viewers in the United States can watch the action via Willow Sports.

     

India and Australia to Progress 

India are the team to beat after sealing top spot in the group with seven wins and just one defeat from their nine matches to finish a point clear of Australia:

The final #CWC19 standings table!

A loss to South Africa in Manchester means Australia finish second on the points table behind India. pic.twitter.com/cIMNDM4utP

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 6, 2019

The team's only defeat of the tournament came against hosts England, while their group match against New Zealand was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain.

It is little surprise to see opening batsman Rohit Sharma is the tournament's top run-scorer heading into the final matches. He leads the way on 647 ahead of Australia's David Warner on 638.

Rohit will go into the semi-finals in fine form after smashing his fifth century of the World Cup during Saturday's win over Sri Lanka:

Rohit Sharma, you beauty 😍😍

Brings up his 5th #CWC19 💯. Third century in a row. Also becomes the only batsman to score 5 centuries in a World Cup.

There is no stopping this fella 👌👌🔥 pic.twitter.com/cVzGfZ5df1

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 6, 2019

India will be big favourites to beat New Zealand and reach the final. The Kiwis' form dipped in their final group games as they were beaten by England, Australia and Pakistan.

Captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have the quality to hurt India with the bat, but New Zealand have faltered at the worst time and the momentum is all with a strong India side.

The second match promises plenty of excitement as England go up against old rivals Australia once more. The hosts were convincingly beaten by 64 runs when the teams met in the group stage.

England's defeat left their hopes of qualifying in some jeopardy, but they bounced back with impressive wins over India and New Zealand to finish third.

The tournament hosts will need to improve if they are to secure a place in the final and will need no reminding they have not beaten Australia at a World Cup since 1992

However, Australia do have a poor record at Edgbaston, as noted by cricket writer Nick Hoult:

So it’s an England-Australia World Cup semi final Edgbaston. Remember Australia have not won at Edgbaston against any opposition in any form of the game since 2001 #bogeyground

— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) July 6, 2019

Australia also have injury concerns going into the match. Usman Khawaja picked up a hamstring problem against South Africa, while there are also concerns over Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc:

https://twitter.com/SamLandsberger/status/1147609727733510151

The loss of Starc in particular would be a huge blow. The experienced fast bowler tops the standings for most wickets at the World Cup on 26, six clear of Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.

Australia will need to lift themselves after Saturday's defeat and will hope their injury concerns clear ahead of Thursday's showdown.

However, the Aussies tend to reserve their best form for the big stage and have already shown they have the quality to end England's World Cup dreams.