In Part 2, Laura runs the rule over the rest of the nations in the competition and tells us which games to look out for…
New Zealand
Whilst New Zealand have always been considered as one of the main players in a home tournament, their ability has been somewhat overshadowed by the promise of a strong Australian team on home soil. However, New Zealand have had some outstanding performances this tournament, currently sitting unbeaten at the top of the table. Their most notable performance and one of the most thrilling games of the tournament so far has been their nail-biting win over Australia. New Zealand shattered expectations of a high scoring game, bowling Australia out for 151 and themselves making it over the line in the 23rd over with one wicket remaining. Their game against England was equally as low scoring, though the loss of just one wicket and a victory over Sri Lanka by almost 100 runs showed how talented this team is and why it is one of the front runners for the trophy.
Pakistan
With already substantial losses, the team are under a lot of pressure to qualify for the next round, especially when you take into consideration the fact that they are yet to face South Africa. Of the three games that they have played Pakistan have managed just one victory against Zimbabwe following their defeats to India and the West Indies. In order to make any attempt at getting to the quarter finals the team will need to show a much better display with both bat and ball. Their next opponent, the UAE, should follow suit with their defeat of Zimbabwe and the team will be hoping that this will give them some momentum heading into the game against South Africa. Similarly their final game against Ireland should be an interesting encounter, Ireland having been in good form so far this tournament.
In order to make any attempt at getting to the quarter finals, Pakistan will need to show a much better display with both bat and ball
Scotland
Unfortunately for Scotland the number of matches they have won in a World Cup tournament remains at zero and it looks like it is going to stay that way with their final three opponents consisting of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia. However, bar their game against England which they lost by 120 runs, Scotland have shown incredible resilience in their other two matches. Facing New Zealand in their first game of the tournament, Scotland were not as easy to beat as may have been expected, a nervy run chase from the home side resulting in a win of three wickets chasing a fairly low total. However it was their match against Afghanistan that almost saw their first ever win in a World Cup, Afghanistan winning by just one wicket with only three balls remaining.
South Africa
With a team consisting of the likes of A.B. de Villiers and Dale Steyn it is no wonder that South Africa entered the tournament as one of the favourites, however it has not all been plain sailing for the team, facing a substantial defeat to India in their second match of the tournament. However, with two easy victories Zimbabwe and the West Indies, South Africa look well on track to finish in the top two of Pool B’s group. Of course from South Africa’s point of view at this stage of the tournament, one of the most important aspects is the form of A.B. de Villiers who after two fairly quiet games at the start of the tournament came out to smash yet another world record, with 162 off 66 balls, the fastest 150 in ODI cricket. Again South Africa are most certainly up there as one of the big teams in the latter stages of the World Cup.
With a team consisting of the likes of A.B. de Villiers and Dale Steyn it is no wonder that South Africa entered the tournament as one of the favourites
Sri Lanka
After a poor start to the tournament losing the opening match to New Zealand by just under 100 runs, Sri Lanka have really upped the tempo in their following three games with pretty clear victories ensuring them the number two spot in Pool A. Their consecutive wins against Afghanistan by 4 wickets, Bangladesh by 92 runs and England by 9 wickets means that they are in a very comfortable position going into the big game against Australia on the 8th March. Whilst Sri Lanka have churned out some extremely good performances they are certainly going to have to pull out all the stops in the coming game against Australia and in particular in the quarter-finals against some strong teams.
United Arab Emirates
Whilst the UAE are yet to win a match, they have been involved in two equally entertaining and close matches against Zimbabwe and Ireland. Whilst Zimbabwe won with two overs to spare, the loss of six wickets meant that the UAE were in with the chance of winning their first match of the tournament. Their second match against Ireland was even more tense, going down to the last over with one wicket between them. Whilst Ireland looked set to cruise to victory with some flashy shots from O’Brien and Wilson, a flurry of wickets in the final few overs, including that of Wilson in the 47th meant that the game was once again all even before Ireland’s Dockrell hit the winning runs. Unfortunately for the UAE it is unlikely that they will win any of their final games (Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies), remaining at the bottom of the table.
Whilst Sri Lanka have churned out some extremely good performances they are certainly going to have to pull out all the stops in the coming game against Australia
West Indies
The West Indies have certainly had an interesting tournament of up and down performances, though the most ‘shocking’ was definitely their defeat to Ireland in their first game of the tournament. However, the team seemingly bounced back in their next two games after a masterclass of bowling against Pakistan saw a victory margin of 150 runs and 73 runs against Zimbabwe. Of course the most talked about the two games was undoubtedly the one against Zimbabwe after the ridiculous power hitting of Chris Gayle scoring 215 off 147 balls took the game away from them. A heavy defeat by 257 runs to South Africa has topped off the West Indies topsy-turvy start to the tournament and it will be interesting to see whether they are able to maintain their place in Pool B as one of the teams that qualifies for the quarter-finals.
Zimbabwe
In the four games that Zimbabwe have already played in the tournament they have been the victors on just one occasion, meaning it is unlikely that they will qualify for the next stage. Whilst they beat the UAE by 4 wickets, it was by no means an easy victory and could easily have thrown the game away. With their remaining games against Ireland and India, the Zimbabwean team are going to have to produce a better performance with bat and ball if they are going to beat an exceptionally confident Indian side and Ireland who are also in the winning habit.
Games Of Interest
Australia vs Sri Lanka (Sunday 8th March): Whilst on home turf and with such a formidable team sheet many would expect Australia to beat Sri Lanka, their defeat to New Zealand and Sri Lanka’s form of three consecutive wins will mean that this game could be very even and exciting. Whilst it is likely (almost a certainty) that both teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, a win here could determine their final standings and that extra bit of confidence heading into the next stage.
England vs Bangladesh (Monday 9th March): This match could very well determine which of the two teams goes through to the quarter-finals, both teams suffering batches of bad form. Both with the ability to perform on the day, this game could be one of the most crucial matches for Pool A in the final part of this stage of the tournament.
Pakistan vs Ireland (Sunday 15th March): The last match of the qualifying stages Ireland, who have been in good form so far this tournament, will face a floundering Pakistan. Whilst the qualifying places will most likely have been confirmed before this match, it will be an interesting contest nonetheless to see whether the affiliate nation can pull out a similar performance to when they faced the West Indies.
Laura Williamson
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Image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
