The ninth staging of the Men’s T20 World Cup is now just days away. Here’s Group D, which features Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh ICC T20 world ranking: Ninth T20 World Cup appearances: Eight Best T20 World Cup performance: Round two (2007, 2014, 2016, 2021 & 2022) Captain: Najmul Hossain Shanto Head coach: Chandika Hathurusingha Form […]
KATHMANDU: Nepal has been designated to Group D in the upcoming T20 World Cup, joining the ranks alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. The official schedule, unveiled recently, marks Nepal’s debut match against the Netherlands in T20 World Cup cricket. The much-anticipated opening clash is slated for June 4 in Dallas, USA. […]
Sep 5: South Africa batter Quinton de Kock will retire from one-day international cricket after the upcoming World Cup in India.
Former Proteas captain De Kock, 30, will continue to play T20 internationals.
The announcement came shortly aft
Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 as Mitchell Marsh and David Warner hit half-centuries to chase down 173 with ease at the Dubai International Stadium.
Back in 2020, the Australian women's team won the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in front of a record crowd at home at the MCG. Now, in 2021, the men have joined them as champions of the format and will go into the next edition in 2022, which will be held at home, as the defending champions.
Australia are no strangers to World Cup glory, having won the men's 50-over title five times. However, until now, they had never quite cracked the 20-over format at the biggest stage, coming closest only in 2010, when they lost the final to England.
They came into this edition unfancied and undercooked, rarely having played together in T20Is and ranked outside of the top five in the format. Their squad was made up of stars, but many of them had not played the format for Australia very much, showcasing their prowess in Tests and ODIs instead while being rested for T20Is. Unlike some other teams, Australia did not seem to be overly driven by analytics either. There were also questions asked about coach Justin Langer's style and hold over the dressing room.
But it all came together for them. They were slow starters in the tournament. However, doing the basics right, with a group of very skilled cricketers, they went from strength to strength. Peaking at the right time, several players made match-winning contributions and they ended up lifting an elusive trophy.
Here's their journey to making it happen.
1st match, v South Africa: Won by five wickets
Australia's bowlers got them off to a solid start, keeping their plans simple to an in-form South African line-up. Josh Hazlewood (2/19) and Glenn Maxwell proved hard to get away early on, before Adam Zampa struck twice in the middle overs.
A target of 119 should have been straightforward, but the Australian openers were undone by pace and the middle order kept in check by the spinners. At 81/5, they still needed 38 off the last 28 balls.
It took an unbeaten 40-run stand off just 26 balls between Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis to see them to safety with two balls to spare. And it wouldn't be the last time the duo would pull off a rescue act.
2nd match, v Sri Lanka: Won by seven wickets
David Warner's return to form and the combination of Zampa and Mitchell Starc in the middle overs with the ball ensured Australia's second straight win in the Super 12 stage.
Put in, Sri Lanka raced away to 78/1 in the 10th over before Zampa's leg-spin and Starc's searing yorker pulled things back. The Islanders collapsed to 94/5, before finishing on 154/6.
Warner, who had come in for criticism for his poor form, added 70 for the first wicket with Finch in just 6.5 overs. His half-century set them up to overhaul the target in just 17 overs.
3rd match, v England: Lost by eight wickets
Batting first for the first time in the tournament, Australia were brushed aside by England in a game coach Justin Langer later described as "sobering".
Chris Woakes' accuracy and the spin of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone reduced Australia to 51/5. Pat Cummins and Starc struck a few sixes at the end to give them something to defend.
But the target of 126 was never going to be enough against England. Jos Buttler was in imperious touch. Where the Australian batters were unable to find another gear on a difficult pitch, Buttler dug in before exploding.
England knocked off the runs in just 11.4 overs, striking a body blow to Australia's net run rate.
4th match, v Bangladesh: Won by eight wickets
In danger of being knocked out from the 'group of death' because of NRR, Australia quickly made up with a big win against a hapless Bangladesh side.
Zampa picked up a five-for after the pacers struck in the Powerplay, to bundle Bangladesh out for 73.
Finch dominated the chase, striking four sixes in his 40 off just 20 balls, while Mitchell Marsh validated his selection with three boundaries in five balls to finish the chase in just 6.2 overs.
5th match, v West Indies: Won by eight wickets
Warner continued his fine form and Marsh confirmed that Australia had finally struck the right balance with their batting as the team put themselves in a good position to make the semi-final.
Hazlewood bowled good lengths to halt a frenetic West Indies start and finish with four wickets. Warner and Marsh then added 124 in just 75 balls, with both of them bringing up half-centuries to chase down 158.
Although South Africa won later in the day, so that all of England, Australia and South Africa had four wins in the group, it was Australia joining England in the semi-final, thanks to their improved NRR.
Semi-final, v Pakistan: Won by five wickets
Like so many times before in the tournament, Australia seemed down and out before they fought back.
An unbeaten Pakistan side punished the bowlers, as fifties from Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman took them 176/4.
At 96/5, and then needing 62 from the last five overs, Australia were in trouble before Wade and Stoinis swung for the ropes. Shaheen Afridi, one of Pakistan's brightest spots all tournament, had Wade dropped and was carted for sixes off his last three balls.
An improbable chase was completed with a full over to spare.
Final, v New Zealand: Won by eight wickets
Australia's performance in the final followed the same formula that made them successful through the tournament: accurate Powerplay bowling, good figures for Zampa, and another Warner-Marsh special.
Hazlewood again enjoyed an excellent Powerplay, with his accurate line and length going for just 11 runs in his first spell of three overs. However, he dropped Kane Williamson and the New Zealand captain made them pay, changing gears to race away to 85 in just 48 balls. Starc came in for particular punishment, going for 60 in his four overs, as New Zealand posted a challenging 172/4.
However, Warner and Marsh never let the target seem too steep. Warner made 53 in just 38 balls, while Marsh, who began with a six first ball, took apart the Black Caps' pacers and spinners. Needing to go at a run a ball in the last four, they eased to victory with plenty to spare. Marsh finished with an incredible 77* in 50 balls, with four sixes and six fours.
And then there were two. Forty-four matches and 25 days on from the opening delivery in Oman, the finalists for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 have been decided.
KATHMANDU, November 12: New Zealand were the first team to secure their spot in the decider, winning a thrilling semi-final against 2016 runners-up England, triumphing in a match that was billed as a rematch of their 2019 Cricket World Cup final.
It is the third straight ICC final they have made across three formats, having taken out the inaugural World Test championship earlier this year and finished runners-up in the aforementioned Cricket World Cup. They were also runners-up in 2015, giving them a run of three World Cup finals across four limited-overs competitions, with the 2016 T20 World Cup the outlier.
Australia qualified for the decider after beating Pakistan in Thursday's second semi-final.
Chasing 177 to win, the Australians looked in trouble at 157 in the 19th over only for the match to swing in the space of three balls as Matthew Wade followed up a dropped catch in the deep with three consecutive sixes to seal the game.
The Final
New Zealand v Australia, 6pm local, Sunday, 14 November
NEW ZEALAND
Road to the final
New Zealand's T20 World Cup campaign got off to a rocky start when they were defeated by five wickets by Pakistan in their opening match. Just as when Pakistan beat India, the nature of the loss raised question marks over New Zealand's credentials as contenders.
They quickly put those questions to bed by trouncing India by eight wickets as their all-star attack dismantled a highly vaunted batting order. It was Trent Boult who did the majority of the damage as India were restricted to just 110, and the Kiwis chased it down with five and a half overs remaining.
Scotland pushed them in their third match, coming within 16 runs of chasing down a target of 172 and there was a scare against Namibia too, but by the time the Black Caps reached their final group match, they had their fate in their own hands.
And they made no mistake against Afghanistan to once again seal their spot in the finals of an ICC event. It was Boult and Tim Southee who did much of the damage to restrict Afghanistan to 124/8, and the chase was conservative but comfortable.
In the semi-final, they were pitted against England, with it quickly becoming impossible to ignore the elephant in the room that was the 2019 Cricket World Cup final, when New Zealand lost by what Ian Smith called "the barest of margins" at the time. In the lead-up to their rematch in Abu Dhabi, ICC commentator Mike Atherton backed England to win "by the barest of margins again". For much of the game that looked set to be the case, with New Zealand struggling to get going chasing a target of 167.
With New Zealand needing 57 from 24, Jimmy Neesham turned the tide of the game in a 23-run over in which he contributed 19. In scenes reminiscent of Trent Boult stepping on the ropes off as he caught Ben Stokes in the 2019 final, Jonny Bairstow's knee kissed the advertising cushions to grant Neesham a reprieve in the fourth ball of an expensive over. Daryl Mitchell saw the Kiwis home, finishing unbeaten on 72 off 47 to win with an over to spare.
Star performers
Daryl Mitchell - Surprisingly moved to the top of the order this tournament, Mitchell has brought impetus to the Black Caps to the Powerplay and allowed them the assuredness of Devon Conway in the middle-order. The signs were promising in New Zealand's opening loss against Pakistan where he made 27 off 20, and he impressed in their crucial win over India with 49 off 35, but he was starting to look an ill-fit for the role going into the semi-finals.
It was here that he produced one of the tournament's finest innings to date, anchoring a chase of 167, before finishing with a bang to end not out on 72* off 47. It was an expert chase by the Kiwis and he was at the heart of it.
He is now their highest run-scorer for the tournament and will go into the final full of confidence.
Trent Boult - New Zealand's star fast bowler has been humming at the showpiece event, proving both dangerous and economical.
His 3/20 against India set New Zealand on a path that would see them win four matches on the bounce to reach the semi-finals, and he delivered a consistent quality throughout the Super 12 stage.
He had his first quiet match of the tournament in the semi-final, taking 0/40, and New Zealand will need him to rediscover his groove given the calibre of the top-order they find themselves again.
Australia
Road to the final
The final-over victory over South Africa at the start of the Super 12 stage felt like an important result at the time, and so it proved, with the five-wicket win meaning ultimately proving pivotal.
It was a match that always felt like it was in control for Australia, yet one that was consistently threatening to get away. With their all-star attack back together again, they had reduced South Africa to 23/3 inside the Powerplay and held them to 118/9.
That proved a far more difficult chase than they would have liked as they slipped to 38/3 and 81/5, only getting home with two balls to spare.
The campaign picked up steam from there as they dispatched Sri Lanka with ease, with openers Aaron Finch and David Warner both finding their groove.
That momentum they had built dissipated quickly as they were crushed by England by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare. Just as the narrow victory over South Africa had felt vital, so too did this one feel potentially a tournament ending as it had decimated their net-run rate.
Thankfully, from an Australian perspective, that NRR damage was short-lived, as they bowled Bangladesh out for 73 next up. The fact that Finch, Warner and Mitchell Marsh chased it down in just 38 balls more than made up for the run rate losses to England.
And another eight-wicket win over West Indies on the final day proved enough, though there was a nervous wait.
Qualification wasn’t confirmed even after that fourth win, with South Africa needing a victory and a significant but gettable run-rate swing against England to leapfrog the Australians. But while the Proteas got the win, they didn’t overturn the NRR difference, with Australia going through in second place to line up a semi-final against Pakistan.
Like New Zealand, Australia timed their chase perfectly, getting home with an over to spare in the tensest of matches.
Going into the 19th over they still needed 22 runs to win and the man bowling was the red-hot Shaheen Afridi. His first two balls were perfect, leaking just a leg bye.
His third was a wide down the legside and the repeat should have seen Matthew Wade perish as Hasan Ali failed to hold onto a catch at deep midwicket.
Not one to waste a second chance, Wade proceeded to scoop Shaheen's next delivery - a yorker on middle - over fine leg for six. He cleared his front leg to send the next delivery over midwicket, and then hit a third consecutive six to end the game.
STAR PERFORMERS
David Warner – 236 runs at an average of 47.20 and David Warner has gone from Australia’s worry at the top of the order to their most in-form batter. He has a penchant for making runs at big tournaments, so his success here should not surprise anyone.
Warner has two half-centuries to his name this T20 World Cup but his most important performance where his 49 set the chase up for Australia.
With the southpaw in form, Australia have every reason to be confident going into the final.
Adam Zampa – Only Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has taken more wickets than Australia’s x-factor spinner, and Zampa’s threat is a real boost to the attack. His ability through the middle overs has been particularly important for Australia, and it was he and Glenn Maxwell who put the brakes on Pakistan’s fast start before the leggie dismissed Babar Azam.
In an attack that featured Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, it speaks volumes that Zampa is undisputedly the star of the bowling pack.
If Australia goes all the way, he will be firmly in the running to be crowned Player of the Tournament status.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup
KATHMANDU, October 27: South Africa thrashes the defending champions West Indies by eight wickets in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
With this, West Indies suffered a second successive defeat and are heading towards an early exit.
Earlier,they were bowled out for 55 by England.
South Africa, who were given a target of 144, chased down WI with 10 balls to spare and claim their first win of the tournament.
Defeat leaves West Indies needing to win their final three Group 1 games and hoping results go their way elsewhere if they are to finish in the top two and qualify for the semi-finals.
The defending champion is scheduled to face Bangladesh in Sharjah on Friday, while South Africa meet Sri Lanka at the same venue on Sunday.
Likewise, Pakistan registered their second Men's T20 World Cup victory in three days beating New Zealand by five wickets in a game played in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Earlier, Pakistan emphatically thrashed rivals India by 10 wickets.
Chasing 135, Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali shared 48 to seal success with eight balls left.
New Zealand, playing their first game in Group 2, were restricted to 134-8 with Haris Rauf taking 4-22.
Matches will be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Sharjah (UAE), and Al Amarat (Oman) after the tournament was moved from India because of Covid-19 concerns.
Super 12
Group 1: Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Group 2: Afghanistan, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, Namibia
Top two teams in each group qualify for semi-finals
Oct 23: Australia v South Africa, Abu Dhabi (11:00 BST)
Oct 23: England v West Indies, Dubai (15:00 BST)
Oct 24: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Sharjah (11:00 BST)
Oct 24: India v Pakistan, Dubai (15:00 BST)
Oct 25: Afghanistan v Scotland, Sharjah (15:00 BST)
Oct 26: South Africa v West Indies, Dubai (11:00 BST)
Oct 26: Pakistan v New Zealand, Sharjah (15:00 BST)
Oct 27: England v Bangladesh, Abu Dhabi (11:00 BST)
Oct 27: Scotland v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (15:00 BST)
Oct 28: Australia v Sri Lanka, Dubai (15:00 BST)
Oct 29: West Indies v Bangladesh, Sharjah (11:00 BST)
Oct 29: Pakistan v Afghanistan, Dubai (15:00 BST)
Oct 30: South Africa v Sri Lanka, Sharjah (11:00 BST)
Oct 30: Australia v England, Dubai (15:00 BST)
Oct 31: Afghanistan v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (10:00 GMT)
Oct 31: India v New Zealand, Dubai (14:00 GMT)
Nov 1: England v Sri Lanka, Sharjah (14:00 GMT)
Nov 2: South Africa v Bangladesh, Abu Dhabi (10:00 GMT)
Nov 2: Pakistan v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (14:00 GMT)
Nov 3: New Zealand v Scotland, Dubai (10:00 GMT)
Nov 3: India v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi (14:00 GMT)
Nov 4: Australia v Bangladesh, Dubai (10:00 GMT)
Nov 4: West Indies v Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi (14:00 GMT)
Nov 5: New Zealand v Namibia, Sharjah (10:00 GMT)
Nov 5: India v Scotland, Dubai (14:00 GMT)
Nov 6: Australia v West Indies, Abu Dhabi (10:00 GMT)
Nov 6: England v South Africa, Sharjah (14:00 GMT)
Nov 7: New Zealand v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi (10:00 GMT)
Nov 7: Pakistan v Scotland, Sharjah (14:00 GMT)
Nov 8: India v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (14:00 GMT)
Knockout stage
Nov 10: Semi-final 1, Abu Dhabi* (14:00 GMT)
Nov 11: Semi-final 2, Dubai* (14:00 GMT)
Nov 14: Final, Dubai* (14:00 GMT)
