ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: England’s quest to beat the best

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: England’s quest to beat the best

LONDON: Just as the famous clock at the members’ end of the Lord’s Cricket Ground was ticking towards the evening on Tuesday, the England players, coaching staff and supporters were submerging in an oblivion. 

As so often in an international competition, the ability to peak at the right time is crucial. For England, so dominant in one-day cricket over the past three-odd years, it appears that peak is now fading out of view, while Australia, who ran out comfortable victors on Tuesday-are marching into the semi-finals with profound confidence and self-belief.

A third defeat in seven group games for hosts and overwhelming favourites England has left its participation in the final four of the 2019 Cricket World Cup in severe jeopardy.

Pakistan were closer to the exit in 1992 and triumphed. Australia were a Lance Klusener brain-freeze away from going home empty-handed in 1999. Can England do it from here? Let’s discuss the permutations for that.

WHAT DO ENGLAND NEED?
With eight points from seven matches, England currently occupy the fourth and final qualifying place, but are only a point ahead of fifth-placed Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan (before the New Zealand game on Wednesday), two and three points behind respectively, each have a game in hand.

Australia and New Zealand are four and three points clear of England respectively, while India, one point ahead, have two games in hand, leaving slim hope of England catching any of those three teams.

Wins in their final two group matches would guarantee England’s progress, though they face India and New Zealand, a task easier said than done. 

BETTER NET RUN-RATE
Considering they win their remaining games, Sri Lanka would be able to match England’s 12-point total but would have only five wins to England’s six - the first tie-breaker, ahead of net run rate. One win and one defeat - or a pair of no-results - would leave England on 10 points and vulnerable to any of the three teams behind them, should Bangladesh win their last two games or Sri Lanka or Pakistan their remaining three.

Defeats to both India and the Black Caps would almost certainly see England eliminated. To progress they would need Bangladesh to lose both games, or earn one point at most, with Sri Lanka also winning no more than once.

However, one of Bangladesh’s games is against Pakistan, who would need only need to win that and one more - perhaps against winless Afghanistan - to overtake England.

MORGAN REMAINS DEFIANT
England captain Eoin Morgan defended his team’s high-risk/high-reward mantra in the World Cup after another display of rash batting.

Despite being outclassed by Australia, Morgan believes the team has learned to adapt. He said: “I think with this game and the last defeat by Sri Lanka, we struggled with the basics of what we call our batting mantra.

“Strong intent, building partnerships, and doing it in our own way. I think our basics get challenged a lot more when we don’t play on batsman-friendly wickets.”

Asked if there had been any discussion of changing that “mantra” of relentless attack as the wickets have tumbled early, Morgan added: “It’s always evolving. “I don’t know if you’ve watched the last two years of the way that we’ve played but it’s evolved quite a lot.”

Eoin Morgan also allayed fears Ben Stokes suffered an injury during the defeat to Australia.

Stokes received treatment from England’s medical team during his impressive innings but Morgan has confirmed the star all-rounder was merely struggling with cramp.

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