The T20 World Cup tournament has picked up pace nearing the playoffs. With rain playing a constant spoilsport, the points table for both groups has grown interesting at this point. In the latest update, England has earned a win over table-toppers New Zealand. With this 20 runs win, the Jos Buttler-led side is still in the running to qualify for the playoffs despite faltering earlier against Ireland.
England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss at The Gabba and chose to bat first against the Kiwis. And after a string of meek performances, Buttler showed up in the crucial match. With his knock of 73 off 47, Buttler has now become the highest scorer for England in the T20 format. Buttler’s eye-pleasing innings came to an end with a run-out in the penultimate over. With the major contribution by Hales of 52 runs, England set a target of 180 for New Zealand.
New Zealand, in turn, fell short of 20 runs in the chase where Sam Curran stunned the lethals, Finn Allen and Glenn Philips. Williamson’s 40 off 40 didn’t help matters much in a chase requiring a considerably high score. However, the defeat won’t hurt the Kiwis much as they’ve already pretty much solidified their spot in the playoffs. For England, on the other hand, this win came as a chance to grip on their World Cup dreams.
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T20 World Cup Points Table Turns Interesting
The points table for this campaign is as interesting as ever. For Group 1, New Zealand, Australia, and England all are still in contention for qualification. Afghanistan, however, is now surely kicked-off after their latest defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. And Sri Lanka, in turn, is almost out too, technically still in though. Now it is to see who between Australia and England makes it to the top 2 and gets to breach the playoffs mark.
Group 1 Points Table
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NRR | Points |
| New Zealand | 4 | 2 | 1 | +2.233 | 5 |
| England | 4 | 2 | 1 | +0.547 | 5 |
| Australia | 4 | 2 | 1 | -0.304 | 5 |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 2 | 2 | -0.457 | 4 |
| Ireland | 4 | 1 | 2 | -1.544 | 3 |
| Afghanistan | 4 | 0 | 2 | -0.718 | 2 |
England is ahead in the run, and Australia’s chances for the playoffs now depend on England’s defeat against Sri Lanka. The competition for the playoffs is still very much alive, with the final straw being that New Zealand can still fail to qualify. Sounds impractical but the scenarios are wild at this moment for all four contenders.
Group 2 Points Table
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NRR | Points |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 0 | +2.722 | 5 |
| India | 3 | 2 | 1 | +0.844 | 4 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 2 | 1 | -1.533 | 4 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 1 | 1 | -0.050 | 3 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 1 | 2 | +0.765 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 3 | -1.948 | 0 |
As for Group 2, India and South Africa have nearly marked their spot in the playoffs leaving Bangladesh, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands behind. South Africa is atop the table with their latest win over India. Whereas India’s defeat proved drastic for Pakistan who is now almost out. Their run depends on the loss of South Africa at the hands of the Netherlands, dreamy at best, impossible if practical. As for Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the stakes are similarly unattainable even if possible.
