World Cup 2023: Defending champions England found some joy in their disastrous World Cup defence in India when they registered a win over the Netherlands on Wednesday. The Three Lions racked up their only second win of the tournament with a 160-run victory over the Dutch at the MCA Stadium in Pune. The loss saw them rise up from the bottom of the points table and go up to 7th place in the standings.
England, who are already knocked out of World Cup 2023, are now playing for a Champions Trophy berth and pride for their nation. They suffered the worst-ever title defence by an ODI side when Jos Buttler's men lost six matches in the tournament. They have just 2 wins in 8 matches and are levelled with on points with all the bottom teams in the standings.
Have England confirmed a place in the Champions Trophy after win over the Dutch?
The win over the Netherlands has boosted England's chances of a place in the Champions Trophy. The victory has not confirmed their spot in the eight-team event but has significantly kept them alive in the race. Teams finishing the World Cup 2023 inside the top eight alongside Pakistan will qualify for the 2025 event set to be held in Pakistan. The English side is now in 7th place in the World Cup standings with one game to go for every team. England have an NRR of -0.885, while the eighth-placed team - Bangladesh have an NRR of -1.142.
England have to play their last match against Pakistan on November 11 and a win will push them to the 6th place. Meanwhile, Bangladesh have their game against Australia on the same day. There are two more competitors to pip England. Sri Lanka are placed 9th with an NRR of -1.160 and a win over New Zealand on November 9 will push them to six points. The Dutch are placed 10th with an NRR of -1.635 and now have to face unbeaten India on November 12.
If England lose and any of these two teams win, England will be knocked out of Champions Trophy too. However, a win over Pakistan will also not guarantee them a berth in the said event as it can still come down to NRR if two more teams win.
