T20 World Cup: England enters semis; defending champion Australia out

England became the second team to enter the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semi-finals after defeating Sri Lanka by four wickets in Sydney on Saturday (November 5). The win meant host Australia was knocked out of the tournament.

Chasing 142, England, in a must-win game, reached the target with two balls to spare. The team was off to a flier, scoring 75/1 in 7.2 overs. But suffered a mini collapse with Harry Brook (4), Liam Livingstone (4), Moeen Ali (1) and Sam Curran (6) all dismissed for single-digit scores.

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Opener Alex Hales was the top scorer with 47 while Ben Stokes, batting at number three, remained unbeaten on 42. Captain Jos Buttler made 28.

Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva took two wickets each for Sri Lanka.

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The win ensured England finished second in Group 1 behind New Zealand. All three teams – New Zealand, England and Australia ended the league phase with seven points each but the host lost out on a semi-final berth on net run rate.

If India beats Zimbabwe tomorrow, then it will play England in the second semi-final in Adelaide on November 10. New Zealand will feature in the first semi-final in Sydney on November 9.

Sunday is the last day of league games.

Earlier, Pathum Nissanka sizzled with a fine half-century but England bowlers roared back to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 141/8.

Nissanka provided the perfect start as he blazed his way to a 33-ball fifty after they elected to bat.

The stylish opener took the English attack to cleaners and slammed five sixes and two fours, but leg-spinner Adil Rashid (4-0-16-1) brilliantly turned it around taking his maiden wicket of the tournament in Nissanka (67; 45b).

Seamer Sam Curran (4-0-27-1) also bowled a tidy spell in the middle overs as Sri Lanka, which was going at eight-run plus an over at the halfway mark, went into a quiet phase in the back-end.

The lack of power hitters down the line cost the Sri Lankans dear as boundaries dried up and they could manage just 25 runs in the last five overs, a phase where they also lost five wickets.

England pacer Mark Wood also overcame a woeful start and hit his straps at the back end to return with 3 for 26 as England denied its opposition about 15-20 extra runs.

On a dry Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) wicket, the struggling English Test skipper Ben Stokes began the proceedings with the new ball as the Sri Lankan opening duo of Kusal Mendis and Nissanka were off to a cautious start.

Skipper Jos Buttler brought in his pace ace Wood in the third over and Mendis took him down the very first ball with a six over deep square leg. Taking a cue from his opening partner, Nissanka finished the over with another maximum as the over yielded 17 runs.

Just when the Lankan openers were getting into the groove, Liam Livingstone grabbed a superb sliding catch to dismiss Mendis (18; 14b; 1×4, 1×6).

Rashid’s entry slowed down their run-rate and wickets kept on falling at the other end but Nissanka kept on his counter-attacking approach en route to a 33-ball fifty, his second in this World Cup and ninth overall.

But Rashid and Curran brilliantly pegged Lankan back with their smart variations.

The English leg-spinner also claimed the prized-scalp of Nissanka just at the start of the crucial slog overs’ stage.

Nissanka tried to charge Rashid down the ground only to mistime it and was caught by substitute Chris Jordan.

England also seemed to have suffered an injury setback when their batter Dawid Malan walked off the field with a suspected groin injury.

(With agency inputs)