England is second in Group 1 after defeating New Zealand, with the net run rate expected to be a major influence in qualifying for the semi-finals. It’s tight at the top, but England has a favorable schedule. If the teams rated higher in the MRF ICC Men’s T20 Team Rankings defeat their lower-ranked opponents in the last round of games, New Zealand, England, and Australia will end Group 1 equal by seven points.
New Zealand, England & Australia, who will go through Semifinals?
New Zealand now leads the group in that category owing to their massive margin of victory in the first match, while England has a big but not insurmountable lead over Australia in the Net RR column. The hamstring injury to Finch, though, is causing the most concern in Australia, with the 35-year-old scheduled to have tests on Tuesday to determine the extent of the ailment.
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“I guess it was a little hammy twinge,” Finch said after the win on Monday. I’ll get a scan done tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have a history with them, so we’ll see what happens. It doesn’t feel too awful right now, but they can tighten up overnight. We’ll undergo a scan and receive the whole results, but I’m quite hopeful (of playing against Afghanistan),” he said.
If Finch fails to recuperate in time to face Afghanistan, Australia has a few viable options for his replacement. Veteran batsman Steve Smith is yet to be utilized this tournament, while youthful all-rounder Cameron Green is another option.