New Zealand registered an easy five-wicket win against Sri Lanka to end their four-match losing streak in the World Cup 2023 on Thursday, November 9. A win significantly boosted New Zealand's chances of securing a semifinal qualification and ended Sri Lanka's hopes of making it to the ICC Champions Trophy 2023.
After winning the opening four games, New Zealand suffered four consecutive defeats but they managed to hold on to the fourth position because of their superior net run rate. With Pakistan and Afghanistan in contention, New Zealand needed to register a big win against Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan are maintaining a negative net run rate after their heartbreaking loss against Australia and now face a near-impossible task to surpass New Zealand in the points table. However, fifth-placed Pakistan remain in contention and can still qualify for the semifinal with a win against England in their last group-stage game on Saturday, November 11. So, how can Pakistan qualify for the semifinal?
Pakistan semifinal scenarios:
Pakistan are currently placed in the fifth position in the points table with four wins in eight games and face the defending champions England in their last game. Their current net run rate of 0.036 puts them ahead of Afghanistan but are far behind the Kiwis' 0.743.
Babar Azam-led side needs to bat first against England and register a huge record. They need to beat England by a margin of 287 runs or more to surpass New Zealand in the points table. This seems a tough task as England's biggest ODI defeat is by 229 runs, which came against South Africa in this World Cup.
If Pakistan score 300 runs while batting first against England then they need to restrict their opponent to just 13 runs. With 400 runs to defend, Pakistan need to bowl out England on 112 runs or less to fancy semifinal chances.
What if Pakistan are forced to bowl first? In this scenario, Pakistan need to chase any target England put in just 2.3 overs. England registered 339 runs in their last game against Netherlands and if they manage to score 300 runs against Pakistan, then the latter need to chase it in just 6 overs to reach the semifinal.
World Cup 2023 Points Table after New Zealand vs Sri Lanka match no.41
| Teams | Matches played | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Points | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2.456 |
| South Africa | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1.370 |
| Australia | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.861 |
| New Zealand | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.743 |
| Pakistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.036 |
| Afghanistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -0.338 |
| England | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.885 |
| Bangladesh | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1.142 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1.419 |
| Netherlands | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1.635 |
