After an exhaustive league stage, the 2019 World Cup heads towards the business end with Australia, India, England and New Zealand qualifying for the semifinals of the mega event.
India will take on New Zealand at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 9, Tuesday while Australia will square off against arch-rival England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 11, Thursday.
Before the four heavyweights lock horns against each other for a place in the final, here's a look at how each team progressed into the last-four stage.
Journey to the semifinal
1) Australia
Matches: 9
Won: 7
Lost: 2
Tied: 0
No Result: 0
Pts: 14
NRR : +0.868
The Aaron Finch-led side became the first side to qualify for the semifinal after registering a thumping win against England at Lord's. A look at Australia's campaign.
Match 1: Australia vs Afghanistan, County Ground, Bristol
Result: Australia won by 7 wickets
David Warner hit an unbeaten half-century on his official return to international cricket as Australia romped to victory by seven wickets in its World Cup opener against Afghanistan.
The five-time champions bowled Afghanistan out for 207 in 38.2 overs on a warm day here and then made steady progress, reaching its target with more than 15 overs to spare, with Warner 89 not out.
Match 2: Australia vs West Indies, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Result: Australia won by 15 runs
Mitchell Starc continued his remarkable World Cup record as Australia fought back superbly to defeat West Indies by 15 runs in a thoroughly entertaining affair at Trent Bridge.
The left-arm quick averaged 11 in the competition before Thursday's clash in Nottingham, and his 5-46 improved on that further as he ripped out the Windies' lower order just when it seemed Jason Holder's men were set for a successful chase of 289.
Match 3: Australia vs India, Kennington Oval, London
Result: India won by 36 runs
At lunch, Indian fans were belting out the old number: “we will, we will rock you”. And beyond the ropes, Sunil Gavaskar, here as a commentator, jived and exhorted the crowd to maintain the tempo. It was that kind of a joyous day as Virat Kohli’s men defeated Australia by 36 runs in a key ICC World Cup clash at the Oval.
Chasing India’s 352 for five that featured Shikhar Dhawan’s 117, Aaron Finch’s men replied with 316.
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Match 4: Australia vs Pakistan, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Result: Australia won by 41 runs
David Warner was not his usual destructive self but effective nevertheless, his first international century since completing the ball-tampering ban setting up Australia’s 41-run win over Pakistan in the World Cup.
Australia looked set for a total in excess of 350 while Warner and captain Aaron Finch (82) were at the crease, but Mohammad Amir (5/30) staged a grand comeback with his best ODI bowling figures to bowl the opponents out for 307.
Match 5: Australia vs Sri Lanka, Kennington Oval, London
Result: Australia won by 87 runs
Skipper Aaron Finch stroked his way to a majestic century as defending champion Australia inched closer to a semifinal berth with a crushing 87-run win over Sri Lanka in its World Cup fixture.
Finch forged two crucial partnerships -- 80 with his opening partner David Warner (26) and 173 with Steve Smith (73 off 59) for the third wicket -- in his 132-ball 153 knock. It was his 14th ODI hundred, which was laced with 15 fours and five sixes, two of them gigantic.
Glenn Maxwell then provided the late charge with an unbeaten 25-ball 46 as Australia posted a mammoth 334 for 7.
Chasing the total, Sri Lanka was 115 for no loss at one stage but squandered the superb start to be eventually dismissed for 247 in 45.5 overs.
Match 6: Australia vs Bangladesh, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Result: Australia won by 48 runs
David Warner scored his second century in the ICC World Cup, helping Australia reach a mammoth 381 for 5 against Bangladesh in Nottingham.
Bangladesh batted well but tumbled to a 48-run defeat, Mushfiqur Rahim scoring an unbeaten century.
Match 7: England vs Australia, Lord's, London
Result: Australia won by 64 runs
England’s hopes of making it to the World Cup semifinals suffered a blow as it collapsed to a 64-run defeat against Australia at Lord’s on Tuesday.
Coming into the game, England required a victory to ensure its spot in the last-four, but with Jason Behrendorff claiming a five-for (5-44), the host lost the plot while chasing Australia’s 285-7, and was bundled out for 221 at the ‘Home of Cricket’.
Match 8: Australia vs New Zealand, Lord's, London
Result: Australia won by 86 runs
Trent Boult's historic hat-trick was in vain as Mitchell Starc starred again at Lord's in Australia's 86-run Cricket World Cup thrashing of trans-Tasman rival New Zealand on Saturday.
The BlackCaps would have joined Australia in the last-four with a win in London, but it could now face a win-or-bust encounter with England in its final group match at Chester-le-Street.
Match 9: Australia vs South Africa
Result: South Africa won by 10 runs
South Africa edged past Australia in a last-over thriller at Old Trafford in Manchester. David Warner's third World Cup 2019 hundred went in vain as Finch and Co. were restricted to 315 in a contest of fluctuating fortunes.
Earlier, Du Plessis struck a 94-ball 100 and was ably supported by Rassie van der Dussen, whose 97-ball 95 propelled South Africa to an eventually match-winning total of 325/6. For Australia, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon grabbed two wickets each.
2) India
Matches : 9
Won : 7
Lost: 1
Tied: 0
No Result: 1
Pts: 15
NRR: +0.809
India became the second team after Australia to qualify for the semifinal of the World Cup. India started off on a clean note by winning five matches on the trot before going down to England. It was however quick to bounce back as it defeated Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to cement its place in the last four.
Match 1: India vs South Africa, The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Result: India won by 6 wickets
Splendid batsmanship and oriental spin, the twin attributes that influenced India’s cricketing history, combined well at the Hampshire Bowl here on Wednesday. The fusion, evident through Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 122 and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s four for 51, helped Virat Kohli’s men register a six-wicket triumph and start their World Cup campaign on a winning note at South Africa’s expense.
Match 2: India vs Australia, Kennington Oval, London
Result: India won by 36 runs
At lunch, Indian fans were belting out the old number: “we will, we will rock you”. And beyond the ropes, Sunil Gavaskar, here as a commentator, jived and exhorted the crowd to maintain the tempo. It was that kind of a joyous day as Virat Kohli’s men defeated Australia by 36 runs in a key ICC World Cup clash at the Oval.
Chasing India’s 352 for five that featured Shikhar Dhawan’s 117, Aaron Finch’s men replied with 316.
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Match 3: India vs New Zealand, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Result: Match abandoned without toss (due to rain)
India and New Zealand stepped in with an all-win record so far in the World Cup and when the teams left Trent Bridge, their unblemished stature remained intact. Rains lent an ironic twist and washed out the contest without a single ball being bowled and the rivals, thanks to the no-result, shared the points at one each.
Match 4: India vs Pakistan, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Result: India won by 89 runs (DLS method)
Under Manchester skies, bright one moment, brooding the next second, India found its sunshine at Old Trafford here on Sunday. In their World Cup clash against Pakistan, Virat Kohli’s men proved they are far too superior with an 89-run triumph.
Match 5: India vs Afghanistan, The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Result: India won by 11 runs
After high-scoring ventures, the World Cup seems to have taken a turn towards the relatively modest total and the attendant nervous chase when palms turn sweaty and throats get parched. The trend was evident at a sun-bathed Hampshire Bowl.
On a sluggish surface, India scored 224 for eight and bowled out Afghanistan for 213 in 49.5 overs. Fringed by the woods on one side, a golf course on the other, the sea of blue at the packed ground erupted in joy when India won by 11 runs.
Match 6: India vs West Indies, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Result: India won by 125 runs
Bollywood numbers were a recurrent chorus and vocal chords found fresh life through unbridled enthusiasm as a packed Old Trafford heaved with a vast majority of Indian fans. There was much to cheer for the boisterous audience while Virat Kohli’s men extended their unbeaten run in this World Cup.
After scoring 268 for seven against the West Indies, India bowled out the opposition for 143 in 34.2 overs and registered a 125-run victory.
Match 7: India vs England, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Result: England won by 31 runs
"I am one among the five per cent England fans at the ground!,” stated a tongue-in-cheek tweet from a home team follower as a packed Edgbaston buzzed with excitement while the host and India clashed in a key World Cup fixture. In the end, the five per cent at the ground had a Sunday to celebrate while a sea of blue lapsed into silence.
England amassed 337 for seven and restricted India to 306 for five. It was India’s first defeat in the current World Cup while Eoin Morgan's men found a toehold to stay alive thanks to their 31-run win.
Match 8: India vs Bangladesh, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Result: India won by 28 runs
The Men in Blue secured their tryst with the World Cup semifinal. At Edgbaston, on a Tuesday oscillating between clear skies and a canopy of clouds, Virat Kohli’s men defeated Bangladesh by 28 runs to register their sixth triumph in the global tournament’s latest edition.
Match 9: India vs Sri Lanka
Result: India won by 7 wickets
Team India rode on centuries by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to romp home by seven wickets. Rohit struck a record fifth hundred while Rahul racked up his maiden World Cup hundred as Virat Kohli's men got over the line with plenty to spare.
3) England
Matches: 9
Won: 6
Lost: 3
Tied: 0
No Result: 0
Pts: 12
NRR: +1.152
Tournament favourites England started with a bang but its semifinal qualification took a hit as it lost a couple of matches. However, the Eoin Morgan-led side bounced back in supreme fashion and became the third team to qualify for the semifinal after defeating New Zealand by a massive margin at Chester-le-Street.
Match 1: England vs South Africa, Kennington Oval, London
Result: England won by 104 runs
Ben Stokes starred in all departments as England began its quest to win the World Cup with a 104-run thrashing of South Africa in the tournament opener at the Oval on Thursday.
The all-rounder top-scored with 89 in England’s 311 for eight, held a brilliant catch in the outfield and took two for 12, including the last wicket, as England won with 61 balls left.
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Match 2: England vs Pakistan, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Result: Pakistan won by 14 runs
Pakistan halted its 11-match ODI losing streak with a 14-run World Cup win over England despite centuries from Joe Root and Jos Buttler at Trent Bridge.
The ICC Champions Trophy champion was embarrassingly bounced out for 105 in a seven-wicket win for West Indies in its first game of the tournament but showed what it is capable of at the same venue three days later.
Match 3: England vs Bangladesh, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Result: England won by 106 runs
Opener Jason Roy smashed his way to a sensational 153 as England scripted a dominating performance to hammer Bangladesh by 106 runs in a high-scoring World Cup match.
Sent in to bat, England posted a massive 386 for six and then returned to dismiss Bangladesh for 280 in 48.5 overs, despite a superb hundred by all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (121).
Match 4: England vs West Indies, The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Result: England won by 8 wickets
After days of incessant rain, the Hampshire Bowl witnessed a bright and sunny afternoon with England pulling off an eight-wicket win over West Indies. The host, which opted to bowl, restricted a rather formidable West Indies batting line-up to a below-par 212 — thanks to three wickets each by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.
England comfortably chased the total in just 33.1 overs, with Joe Root slamming his second century in this edition of the tournament. The 28-year-old remained unbeaten on 100 off 94 balls to emerge as the top scorer (279 runs) in the tournament so far.
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Match 5: England vs Afghanistan, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Result: England won by 150 runs
It rained sixes at Old Trafford on a bright and sunny Tuesday, as England captain Eoin Morgan played an incredible knock of 148 off just 71 balls, hammering 17 sixes — the highest in an ODI innings. England fell three short of the 400-run mark against Afghanistan, and won by 150 runs.
Match 6: England vs Sri Lanka, Headingley, Leeds
Result: Sri Lanka won by 20 runs
When the going gets tough, Lasith Malinga gets going! The 35-year-old speedster scalped four wickets at Headingley on Friday as Sri Lanka stunned England by 20 runs in a World Cup fixture.
After putting up a modest 232-9, the Lankan bowling attack, spearheaded by the seasoned Malinga (four for 43), successfully defended the total, bundling out England for 212.
Match 7: England vs Australia, Lord's, London
Result: Australia won by 64 runs
England’s hopes of making it to the World Cup semifinals suffered a blow as it collapsed to a 64-run defeat against Australia.
Coming into the game, England required a victory to ensure its spot in the last-four, but with Jason Behrendorff claiming a five-for (5-44), the host lost the plot while chasing Australia’s 285-7, and was bundled out for 221 at the ‘Home of Cricket’.
Match 8: England vs India
Result: England won by 31 runs
"I am one among the five per cent England fans at the ground!,” stated a tongue-in-cheek tweet from a home team follower as a packed Edgbaston buzzed with excitement while the host and India clashed in a key World Cup fixture. In the end, the five per cent at the ground had a Sunday to celebrate while a sea of blue lapsed into silence.
England amassed 337 for seven and restricted India to 306 for five. It was India’s first defeat in the current World Cup while Eoin Morgan's men found a toehold to stay alive thanks to their 31-run win.
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Match 9: England vs New Zealand, Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Result: England won by 119 runs
Jonny Bairstow hammered his second successive century as England beat New Zealand by 119 runs to storm into the semifinals of World Cup 2019.
At the picturesque Riverside ground on Wednesday, Bairstow’s gritty knock of 106 guided England to 305-8. Coming out for the chase, two crucial run-outs of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, cost the Kiwis as it folded up for 186 in 45 overs.
4) New Zealand
The Kane Williamson-led side managed to book the semifinal berth in the last minute after Pakistan was knocked out of the World Cup. New Zealand, which started brightly, slipped midway in the group stage to almost get eliminated. Despite three successive defeats its healthy net run-rate ensured the 2015 World Cup finalists enter the last four stage even in this edition.
READ| New Zealand qualifies for semifinals as Pakistan falls short
Matches: 9
Won : 5
Lost: 3
Tied: 0
No Result: 1
Pts : 11
NRR: +0.175
Match 1: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Result: New Zealand won by 10 wickets
New Zealand paceman Matt Henry led an inspired bowling unit to run through Sri Lanka's batting and power the Black Caps to a 10-wicket win in its World Cup opener.
Henry returned figures of 3-29 and combined with fellow paceman Lockie Ferguson who also took three wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 136 in 29.2 overs in Cardiff.
Martin Guptill and Colin Munro then struck unbeaten half-centuries to make short work of the modest target. The Kiwis cruised home in 16.1 overs to register its third win in a World Cup game by 10 wickets.
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Match 2: New Zealand vs Bangladesh, Kennington Oval, London
Result: New Zealand won by 2 wickets
Ross Taylor played the match-defining innings as nervy New Zealand made it two wins from two matches at the Cricket World Cup with a two-wicket success over Bangladesh.
The Tigers' 244 all out began to look a decent score as the Black Caps wobbled badly after cruising to 160 for 2 but they eventually claimed a tense victory with just 17 balls in hand.
Match 3: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Result: New Zealand won by 7 wickets
Jimmy Neesham claimed his maiden five-wicket ODI haul and Rashid Khan took a nasty blow to the head as New Zealand beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the Cricket World Cup.
The Black Caps maintained their perfect record in the tournament with an emphatic victory at Taunton on Saturday.
Afghanistan was unable to pull off a shock, all-rounder Neesham taking 5-31 and Lockie Ferguson 4-37 as it collapsed to 172 all out.
Match 4: India vs New Zealand, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Result: Match abandoned without toss (due to rain)
India and New Zealand stepped in with an all-win record so far in the World Cup and when the teams left Trent Bridge, their unblemished stature remained intact. Rains lent an ironic twist and washed out the contest without a single ball being bowled and the rivals, thanks to the no-result, shared the points at one each.
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Match 5: New Zealand vs South Africa, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Result: New Zealand won by 4 wickets
On a tricky Edgbaston pitch where batsmen struggled with uneven bounce, New Zealand's chase of 242 looked tough when it lost half of its side for 137 runs after Chris Morris' inspiring spell. Colin de Grandhomme's 60 off 47 balls (5x4, 6x1) steadied things. But Lungi Ngidi's penultimate over, which yielded Grandhomme's scalp and just six runs, kept South Africa alive. That was when, Kane Williamson, batting on 96, stepped up.
Requiring eight runs off the final over, the Black Caps' skipper swept Andile Phehlukwayo's second ball for a six over midwicket to bring up his century, then sealed a four-wicket win for New Zealand with a boundary off the next ball.
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Match 6: New Zealand vs West Indies, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Result: New Zealand won by 5 runs
Skipper Kane Williamson continued his impressive run with a second successive century to guide New Zealand to a narrow five-run win over West Indies in a World Cup thriller, despite a fighting maiden ODI hundred by Carlos Brathwaite.
Match 7: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Result: Pakistan won by 6 wickets
Babar Azam’s unbeaten century helped Pakistan get the better of New Zealand by six wickets and stay on course for a World Cup semifinal berth.Chasing a challenging 237 on a tricky Edgbaston wicket on Wednesday, Pakistan rode on Azam’s classy 101 and Haris Sohail’s 68 to cross the line with five balls to spare.
Chasing a par score on a dry Edgbaston pitch, Pakistan batsmen were resilient. Azam put together two partnerships — 66 with Mohammad Hafeez and 126 with Sohail — to form the bedrock for the win that ended New Zealand's unbeaten run in the tournament.
Match 8: New Zealand vs Australia, Lord's, London
Result: Australia won by 86 runs
Trent Boult's historic hat-trick was in vain as Mitchell Starc starred again at Lord's in Australia's 86-run Cricket World Cup thrashing of trans-Tasman rival New Zealand on Saturday.
The Black Caps would have joined Australia in the last-four with a win in London, but it could now face a win-or-bust encounter with England in its final group match at Chester-le-Street.
Match 9: New Zealand vs England, Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Result: England won by 119 runs
Jonny Bairstow hammered his second successive century as England beat New Zealand by 119 runs to storm into the semifinals of World Cup 2019.
At the picturesque Riverside ground on Wednesday, Bairstow’s gritty knock of 106 guided England to 305-8. Coming out for the chase, two crucial run-outs of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, cost the Kiwis as it folded up for 186 in 45 overs.
Afghanistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan are out of contention.
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