England vs New Zealand Semi-Final 1 Predictions, Odds, Picks

• New Zealand have never made it to the final of this competition, while a victory in this match would seal England’s third appearance in a T20 World Cup final.
• A good start with the bat is what England will be after. In their last four matches, the Three Lions have lost only five wickets in the first six overs.
• New Zealand, on the other hand, have been terrific with the new ball. In their last match, Trent Boult & Co. picked up three wickets inside the first six overs.

England vs New Zealand Odds

When it comes to head-to-head records between these two teams, England has a clear upper hand. They have beaten New Zealand 13 times in T20Is, while the Kiwis have got the better of the 2010 T20 World Cup champions on seven occasions. England have emerged victoriously in their last two meetings against New Zealand in T20Is, and given the fearless brand of cricket they have been playing in the white-ball format since the last few years, Eoin Morgan’s men are the favourites to win this match.

England to Win (-189)

Predicted XI

England: James Vince, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood/Reece Topley

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

England Are Favourites, but New Zealand Are Known for Upsetting Status Quo

England, the defending champions of the 50-over World Cup, are the firm favourites to lift the T20 World Cup for the second time in their history. Eoin Morgan’s white-ball giants have been ruthless in this tournament, and have defeated four of the five teams they clashed with in the Super 12 phase. They won their first four matches, but South Africa finally managed to end their unbeaten run in the last match. With a potent bowling unit and arguably the world’s best T20I batting line-up, the Three Lions have got all the ingredients to take the cup home.

In the first semi-final, they will be up against New Zealand, who won four of their five Super 12 matches as well. They, however, followed a different route, as the Blackcaps’ lone defeat came in their first match itself, against Pakistan. Since then, Kane Williamson’s boys have been unstoppable. Known for their pragmatic approach and team game instead of banking on any one individual, New Zealand has the quality to give any team a run for their money.

Team News

There is seemingly no end to England’s injury woes, as after Tymal Mills was ruled out with a thigh strain, opener Jason Roy had to book an early return ticket, owing to his torn left calf. England have called up James Vince as his replacement, and he is likely to slot straight in as an opener. Vince had a fantastic domestic summer and did well in The Hundred as well. Playing in Mills’ place, Mark Wood had a day to forget against South Africa, as he conceded 47 runs in his four overs and also failed to pick up wickets. Given that New Zealand do not have left-handed batters in their top three, left-arm seamer Reece Topley could replace Wood.

After failing to justify his selection in the first couple of matches, Adam Milne has now found his groove and is likely to retain his place in the playing XI. New Zealand are expected to field the same XI from the last match against Afghanistan, as almost everyone is playing their part to perfection. Mitchell Santner is perhaps the only player who has not lived up to the expectations, and while the Blackcaps have another spin all-round option in Todd Astle, Santner is unlikely to be dropped for this crucial match.

Key Players

Jos Buttler: Eoin Morgan might garner praises for reshaping England’s approach in the white ball format, but they would not have been as deadly as they are currently, had it not been for their tormentor-in-chief, Jos Buttler. The wicketkeeper-batter is having yet another fantastic campaign, as he has scored 240 runs at an astonishing average of 120, thanks to his knock of unbeaten 101 runs against Sri Lanka.

Trent Boult: Collective performance from the bowling unit is a major reason behind New Zealand’s qualification for the semis, and the leader of their bowling attack has been Trent Boult. He has picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of only 5.84 runs per over. The left-arm quick has picked up at least two wickets in all of his last four matches.

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