All eyes on England at T20 World Cup as New Zealand make semis | Cricket News

ADELAIDE: All eyes will be on them at the 20-20 World Cup England Saturday after that against Sri Lanka New Zealand discuss their place in the semi-finals and Australia pretty much stayed alive.
Hosts and holders Australia saw off a stubborn Afghanistan by four runs in Adelaide in their final Super 12 game on Friday and sit second in Group 1, level with leaders New Zealand on seven points.
Only the top two make it to the semi-finals.

However, England are not yet playing their last game and a win for them over Asian champions Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground will see them through – at the expense of their Ashes opponents.
Glenn Maxwell’s 32-ball 54 lifted Australia to 168-8 in the face of a blistering Afghan bowling attack in what was a must-win game for the home side at the Adelaide Oval.
Rashid Khan fired an unbeaten 48 from 23 balls to make a fist of the chase for the winless Afghans and ensure a nervy end for the majority of the crowd.

Australia’s World Cup fate is now out of their own hands, having won three matches, had one washed out by rain and suffered a damaging 89-run hammering in their opener against New Zealand.
“We probably haven’t put together a complete game yet,” says Maxwell’s man of the match.
“There were a few games last year during the World Cup where we probably did.
“Almost rugby there were clinical performances. We did the game quickly and we were pretty sharp in all areas of the game.

“We’ve probably missed some opportunities so far this year.”
He added: “I think it’s probably just the disappointment – we haven’t been able to show how we feel we can play as a group.”
Australia’s mouth-watering clash with England in Melbourne last week was washed out, but Maxwell said there was no point dwelling on it – a win would have left England nowhere to go.
England opener Alex Hales said earlier on Friday that they will not take Sri Lanka lightly, but his team is in a lively mood.
“I think we’re pretty confident that whatever we need to do, we have the skills and the firepower to do it,” he said.
In the previous game of a doubleheader at the Adelaide Oval, New Zealand – beaten by Australia in last year’s final – were comfortable winners over Ireland by 35 runs.
Man of the match Kane Williamson finally found form with the bat to propel his side to 185-6 and the New Zealand bowlers then held Ireland to 150-9.
Williamson’s 35-ball 61 was his first half-century of the tournament.
His knock came to an end at the hands of Irish bowler Joshua Little, who went on to claim a hat-trick, but the damage was already done by then.
Skipper Williamson said their defeat against England last time out spurred them on.
“There was some good stuff in the England game, and they’re a good team, and they played better than us on the day,” the captain said.
“So coming here, it was obviously a game we would have liked to have played well in, and it was nice that we were able to put together a really good team performance and get over the line today.”
Victory over the Irish, who forged a reputation as giant killers after stunning the West Indies and England, allowed New Zealand to sit back and watch Australia and England battle it out for second place .
“It’s nice because now we have a few days and guys will be able to just relax,” he said.
“See what happens in the other matches tomorrow and see how it goes.”