Highlights:
- England will face New Zealand in the first T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final.
- Both teams were also finalists in the 2019 World Cup, which England won.
- In terms of head-to-head record in T20Is, England has a slight advantage over New Zealand.
England and New Zealand will meet in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Eoin Morgan and his team, who won the World Cup in 2019, would want to make a statement by reaching the final of another ICC championship. Not to mention that these two sides were finalists in the controversial 2019 World Cup final, which was won by hosts England. The inaugural T20 World Cup semi-final between England and New Zealand will take place at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Given the form of England’s cricketers, New Zealand will have a tough time in stopping The Three Lions from reaching the final.
England’s absence due to Jason Roy’s injury is a significant setback, but they still have two world-class openers, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow. Buttler, in particular, has been in phenomenal form throughout the competition, and it remains to be seen whether he can maintain that form in the semi-finals.
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Both sides have multiple hard-hitting batters at their disposal, as well as a range of bowling options. Due to Roy’s injury, Bairstow will once again begin the innings alongside Buttler, establishing a dangerous pair at the top of the order. Eoin Morgan would consider bringing in David Willey as Roy’s substitute. Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, and Liam Livingstone are all-rounders who help England become a world-class team.
New Zealand would rely on Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, and Devon Conway to perform against England’s bowlers. Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner have been outstanding this tournament, and the burden would be on them, along with the pace trio of Adam Milne, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee, to limit England to a low score if they bat first.
ENG Vs NZ Head To Head:
In terms of head-to-head records in T20Is, England has a commanding lead over the Blackcaps. So far, these two sides have played 21 T20I matches. The Three Lions have won 13 of these games, while New Zealand has won seven. Rain caused one of their encounters to be wiped out. In terms of T20 World Cups, these two sides have met five times, with England holding a 3-2 head-to-head advantage.
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Top Picks for ENG Vs NZ Match 23 ICC World Cup 2021:
Wicketkeeper: Jos Buttler
Batters: Kane Williamson, Dawid Malan
Allrounders: Jimmy Neesham, Moeen Ali
Bowlers: Trent Boult, Adil Rashid
Match Prediction:
New Zealand, as predicted, will put up a good fight against England, but Morgan’s side are the favourites to go to the final.
Therefore, England is expected to win this match against New Zealand and reach the finals.