Cricket

Excitement for the 2020 Indian Premier League season was ramped up on Friday after the eight teams confirmed their retained players for next year's event. 

There were minimal surprises for defending champions Mumbai Indians, with their star batsman and captain Rohit Sharma in the squad again for next season. He will be joined by the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who were key to the team's success last term.

Here are the players released by their respective sides ahead of the IPL 2020 auction on December 19, per ESPNcricinfo:

Chennai Super Kings: Chaitanya Bishnoi, David Willey, Dhruv Shorey, Mohit Sharma, Sam Billings, Scott Kuggeleijn

Delhi Capitals: Ankush Bains, B Ayyappa, Chris Morris, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Hanuma Vihari, Jalaj Saxena, Manjot Kalra, Nathu Singh

Kings XI Punjab: Agnivesh Ayachi, Andrew Tye, David Miller, Moises Henriques, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Varun Chakravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders: Anrich Nortje, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Lynn, Joe Denly, KC Cariappa, Matt Kelly, Nikhil Naik, Piyush Chawla, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Robin Uthappa, Shrikant Mundhe

Mumbai Indians: Adam Milne, Alzarri Joseph, Barinder Sran, Ben Cutting, Beuran Hendricks, Evin Lewis, Jason Behrendorff, Pankaj Jaswal, Rasikh Dar, Yuvraj Singh

Rajasthan Royals: Aryaman Birla, Ashton Turner, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Liam Livingstone, Oshane Thomas, Prashant Chopra, Rahul Tripathi, Shubham Ranjane, Stuart Binny, Sudhesan Midhun

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Akshdeep Nath, Colin de Grandhomme, Dale Steyn, Heinrich Klassen, Himmat Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, Marcus Stoinis, Milind Kumar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Prayas Ray Barman, Shimron Hetmyer, Tim Southee

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Deepak Hooda, Martin Guptill, Ricky Bhui, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan

The list of retained players in full is available via the IPL website.

     

The CrickTracker account shared the respective budgets of each team following the announcements on Friday:

KXIP left with the maximum purse among all teams ahead of IPL auction: https://t.co/UO6fv2t936 #IPL pic.twitter.com/WLRidnqo7f

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) November 15, 2019

Virat Kohli is set to be the highest-paid player in the competition again, and he will skipper Royal Challengers Bangalore. The India captain will be hoping his team can have better fortunes this term after finishing bottom of the table in 2019.

The team will have something of a facelift next year, though, with Stoinis, Coulter-Nile, De Grandhomme and Southee all let go, as well as young West Indies batsman Hetmyer.

Elsewhere, the Rajasthan Royals will also be seeking to make a return to the play-offs and appear in strong shape to do so after confirming the retention of some big names.

Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer all played starring roles in England's ICC World Cup win in the summer. All three were crucial in the team eventually beating New Zealand in the final of the competition in a super over:

Australian Steve Smith is a phenomenal batsman in all forms of the game, and he will take over from Ajinkya Rahane as captain on a full-time basis this year.

The Royals posted the following clip confirming some of their team members for next season's event:

Fans: Announce the retained players!

RR: Why don't you do it? 👀 👇🏾#HallaBol | #IPLRetention | #RoyalsFamily | #VivoIPL pic.twitter.com/ZWreGJDNUU

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) November 15, 2019

MS Dhoni will be seeking to lead the Chennai Super Kings to victory after coming up short in last year's final. Last year's top run-scorer in the competition, David Warner, is also back for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will once again be led by Kane Williamson.

Wisden summed up just how prolific the Australian opener was in the event a year ago:

David Warner's 2019 @IPL:

1⃣2⃣ innings
6⃣9⃣2⃣ runs
8⃣ x 5⃣0⃣
1⃣ x 1⃣0⃣0⃣
6⃣9⃣.2⃣0⃣ average pic.twitter.com/YbGO0cvXS8

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 13, 2019

Meanwhile, it's Kings XI Punjab who look likely to be the most active side in the auction, as they have the most salary cap available. The trade of former captain Ravichandran Ashwin to Delhi Capitals, and the release of some high-profile overseas stars, are the reasons behind them having plenty of money to spend in the player auction on December 19.

Two of the biggest names released by the Kolkata Knight Riders were Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa.  

Ravichandran Ashwin's trade to Delhi Capitals from Kings XI Punjab highlights the Indian Premier League's player movement ahead of Thursday's deadline and Friday's release of the retention list.

Just four transfers have gone through so far. The IPL auction will take place on December 19, and that too is expected to be a quiet affair ahead of major changes in 2021.

Here's a look at all player trades so far. Salary figures are courtesy of the Indian Express:

Ravichandran Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab to Delhi Capitals: Rs 7.1 crore (£770,500)

Jagadeesha Suchith, Delhi Capitals to Kings XI Punjab: Rs 20 lakh

Sherfane Rutherford, Delhi Capitals to Mumbai Indians: Rs 6.2 crore

Mayank Markande, Mumbai Indians to Delhi Capitals: Rs 1.4 crore

The trade deadline is scheduled for November 14. Per Royal Challengers Bangalore director of cricket operations Mike Hesson, teams will finalise their retention lists a day later.

For all those @RCBTweets fans who are asking about updates on released/retained players, they will be finalised on the 15th November ........ #RCB #ipl #iplauction #ipl2020

— Mike Hesson (@CoachHesson) November 8, 2019

The auction will take place on December 19, and teams have been granted an additional balance of Rs 3 crore. The auction is expected to be a small one, with the 2021 season presenting a major shake-up to the squads:

The players' auction for the next #IPL will be held at Kolkata on 19 December, according to a report.

This year's auction will be the last one before franchises disband to assemble fresh squads from 2021 at a mega auction.https://t.co/P2ZokqWknv

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 1, 2019

The biggest trade is undoubtedly that of Ashwin, an IPL veteran with 125 wickets in the competition. The 33-year-old all-rounder has previously played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant, before his stint with Kings XI.

An expert wicket-taker during Chennai's title wins in 2010 and 2011, he played two solid seasons with Kings XI but failed to lead the team to the play-offs. Delhi were among last year's top contenders and should provide him with a better chance of adding another title.

Moving the other way is Suchith, who was bought by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2015 IPL. He has done most of his damage in the Vijay Hazare Trophy so far, as a standout for Karnataka.

West Indies rising star Rutherford and Indian prospect Markande swapped teams in an exchange of potential stars of the future. Defending champions Mumbai Indians welcomed the big-hitting 21-year-old:

🗣 "I am happy to be a part of the most successful IPL team and also to have some of the best players in the world around." - Sherfane Rutherford

Read and know more about our new #OneFamily member 📰👇🏻#CricketMeriJaan https://t.co/pNAel1b5VO

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) August 1, 2019

Rutherford was bought by Delhi in last year's auction and has impressed in the Caribbean Premier League. In last year's IPL, his top performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored 28 from 13 balls and took the wicket of South African star AB de Villiers.

Markande's IPL debut came in 2018, when he took a remarkable 15 wickets for Mumbai. He wasn't much of a factor in the 2019 campaign, however, and the emergence of Rahul Chahar meant the Indians could afford to part with him.

England women's cricketer Sarah Taylor announced on Friday her retirement from international cricket because of anxiety. 

The two-time World Cup winner is one of the greatest wicketkeepers in the game and sits second in run-scoring for her country with 6533 runs.

Taylor announced her exit from the international stage via her official Twitter account:

In 2006 my dream came true and I beam with pride at what I've achieved over the years, alongside the best players and people. It is the right time for me and my health to retire, but I have loved every minute in an England shirt. Thank you to everyone for supporting me ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8MdTqpgmWe

— Sarah Taylor (@Sarah_Taylor30) September 27, 2019

According to BBC Sport, the 30-year-old said she's had anxiety and panic for four years, and it has affected her performance for England. She's now taken the decision to step away from the international game as a result.

"This has been a tough decision but I know it's the right one, for me and for my health moving forward," said Taylor. "I am extremely proud of my career. I leave with my head held high."

Taylor added she would like to represent England again in the future, but her health must now be placed ahead of her sporting career.

England Cricket paid tribute to one of the all-time greats of the women's game:

"To wear the shirt for so long has been a dream come true." #ThankYouSarah ❤️🦁🏏

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 27, 2019

Former England women's captain and current managing director of England women's cricket, Clare Connor, said Taylor has been a role model for the sport and wished her the best in the future, per BBC Sport.

"Sarah is someone young people can look up to, for her achievements and talent on the pitch - but also for her bravery and resilience off it.

"She has come through significant adversity and performed on the world stage for her country.

"She has become a powerful voice within women's sport and I'm sure she will make a success of the next stage of her professional life."

Taylor leaves England duty as a legend having starred with both the bat and behind the wicket. The three-time Women's Ashes series winner has effected more dismissals than any individual in history playing the three formats of women's cricket.

The wicketkeeper made 226 appearances for her country and previously took a break from the sport in 2016 after having panic attacks, per Sky Sports. She returned for England in 2017 but has continued to struggle with mental health conditions. Taylor scored only six runs in three matches during the 2019 Women's Ashes series, with Australia retaining the title for the third time in a row.

Hosts England won a thrilling 2019 Cricket World Cup final Sunday, beating New Zealand after the match went to a dramatic super over following a tie at Lord's:

The England players are jubilant! Jofra Archer is in tears!

The greatest cricket match of all time?#CWC19 | #CWC19Final pic.twitter.com/2HIA63RF4y

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 14, 2019

New Zealand went into bat after winning the toss and produced a competitive total of 241 for eight from their 50 overs.

The Kiwis then produced a brilliant bowling display to move to the brink of victory. Lockie Ferguson was the key for the Black Caps with three wickets and a superb catch to dismiss captain Eoin Morgan.

However, England hit back through a late surge from Ben Stokes. He managed 84 not out from 98 balls to drive the hosts to 241 and send the final into a super over.

Stoke and Jos Buttler then came back out to hit 15 in their super over which New Zealand matched but could not beat to give England their first World Cup win.

Chris Woakes gave England an early breakthrough by removing opener Martin Guptill for lbw after a review:

A review denied Woakes a wicket earlier; it won't deny him this time

He gets Guptill LBW; NZ lose their review

They're 29/1

Ball-by-ball: https://t.co/TiNRlmqT2d
Live report: https://t.co/PUliLTGqc1#NZvENG | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/biIvIDs7OT

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 14, 2019

Henry Nicholls was the only batsman to pass 50 for the Black Caps. The 27-year-old reached his ninth ODI half-century from just 71 balls.

Liam Plunkett removed Nicholls for 55 and also took the wickets of captain Kane Williamson and James Neesham in an impressive display:

Following in the footsteps of Derek Pringle in 1992...

Liam Plunkett writes his name into the #WeAreEngland history books. 👏

Join us for @bbctms #CWC19 commentary with @BBCSport and @BBCSounds
📻📱 https://t.co/bSnrzprPjK pic.twitter.com/onUmQ0e3nV

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 14, 2019

Williamson had made 30 to set a World Cup record:

What a tournament for KW 👏 https://t.co/2Fnf11686m #CWC19 #CWC19Final pic.twitter.com/KWYda388Rs

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 14, 2019

New Zealand needed Tom Latham to come up with a gutsy 47 from 56 to take the Black Caps past the 200-mark.

The 27-year-old fell to Woakes, who joined Plunkett on three wickets for the day, while Mark Wood chipped in with the wicket of Ross Taylor, and Jofra Archer bowled tailender Matt Henry for four.

New Zealand left England with an intriguing chase of 242, but the hosts suffered an early scare when opener Jason Roy survived a review for lbw on the first ball of their innings:

Jason Roy survives a first-ball lbw shout by millimetres! https://t.co/0kOH0NYV0t #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/doATq7oZ6T

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) July 14, 2019

Roy did not last too much longer. The England opener got a nick on a Henry delivery which went through to Latham and was well held down low by the wicketkeeper. 

Another big wicket followed when Joe Root went for just seven runs, leaving England at 59 for one.

Their hopes seemed to dip again when opener Jonny Bairstow followed swiftly afterwards to leave the match finely balanced:

New Zealand get another!

It's Lockie Ferguson, inducing an inside-edge off Jonny Bairstow that took off the bails.

England are 71/3, and this one is hard to call now. #WeAreEngland | #CWC19 | #BackTheBlackCaps pic.twitter.com/oqRJ0C4NhH

— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2019

There was more drama to follow when captain Morgan was brilliantly caught by a diving Ferguson to leave England reeling.

Stokes and Buttler then combined for 110 to give England hope of completing the run chase. Buttler went for 59 after another diving catch, this time from substitute Tim Southee.

His dismissal left England needing 46 off 31 balls for victory, and it was left to Stokes to come up with the heroics in an extraordinary finish to the game.

England's final over saw the 28-year-old smash a six over midwicket and then follow it up with another in astonishing style:

BEN STOKES RUNNING BACK IN, somehow his bat deflects the ball for a 4 after hitting a 2.

Six runs off the delivery.

INCREDIBLE.

3 needed from 2. pic.twitter.com/rVmqolbp2v

— Coral (@Coral) July 14, 2019

The hosts were left needing three runs from the final two balls to clinch victory but could only manage two to see the game end in a tie and force the super over.

England sent Stokes and Buttler back out, and they combined to produce 15 from their six balls.

Neesham hit Archer for six, but New Zealand were left needing two runs off the final ball to win the World Cup. Guptill managed one but was then run out by Buttler as England claimed an incredible victory.

New Zealand will start the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup as underdogs against co-hosts England.

Bet365 (h/t Oddschecker) has handed the Black Caps odds of 5-2, while England come in at 1-3 to win at Lord's. Both teams will be looking to become world champions for the first time.

Sunday's final will start at 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET. Viewers can tune in via Channel 4 or Sky Sports Main Event (UK) and Willow TV (U.S.). For live-stream options, visit Sky Go or Willow TV.

Here is a look at how New Zealand overcame India, as well as poor weather conditions, to book their spot in the final:

England dominated Australia in the other semi-final:

When these teams met earlier in the tournament, England cruised to a massive 119-run win. Jonny Bairstow finished with a century, and the hosts' bowling feasted on the Black Caps, who were all-out after 45 overs.

Those same bowlers impressed against the Baggy Greens as well. Early wickets of David Warner and Aaron Finch―neither scored double-digit runs―put Australia on the back foot, and they never recovered.

Depth is the key for England, who have a large group of batsmen who can all put up big numbers on any given day. Bairstow, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan are all ranked among the top 20 run-scorers in the tournament.

The Blacks Caps only have two men in the top 20: Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor.

In the loss to England, Williamson scored just 27 runs, but he brings so much more to the table. Cricket writer Saj Sadiq had high praise for the captain after the win over India:

Not only is Kane Williamson a great batsman, he's a very intelligent captain. Rotated his bowlers brilliantly, shining example in the field and tactically he was superb #CWC19 #INDvNZ

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) July 10, 2019

He will have to be at his best against England, who have the bowling talent to go along with their explosive batting. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been in exceptional form and should provide a stiff counterpart to New Zealand duo Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult.

England face New Zealand in Sunday's 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lord's with both teams aiming to lift the trophy for the first time.

The tournament hosts are into the final for a fourth time and will be confident of victory having beaten New Zealand in the group stage.

However, the Black Caps have already produced a shock by beating India in the semi-finals and will want to avoid being beaten finalists for the second World Cup in a row.

        

World Cup Final Odds (per Oddschecker)

England: 2-7

New Zealand: 11-4

        

England to Win First World Cup

England head into the World Cup final in strong form and full of momentum after crushing old rivals Australia by eight wickets in their last-four meeting.

The Aussies had put England on the brink of elimination in the group stage with victory at Lord's, but Eoin Morgan's side have improved since that defeat to move to within one win of being crowned world champions:

When Australia beat England at Lord's on 25 June, one more defeat could have seen the hosts crash out of the World Cup in the opening round.

Three weeks and three wins later, they're in the #CWC19 final!

What a turnaround!#AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/MWDcj9wzOT

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 11, 2019

England have beaten New Zealand, India and Australia in their last three matches and produced their best display of the tournament last time out.

However, Morgan has told his team not to get carried away:

Is it coming home?#EoinMorgan: pic.twitter.com/fZ93A7Dx6E

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2019

The England captain has also spoken of how difficult he found New Zealand to play at the World Cup, per Simon Evans at Reuters.

"I think New Zealand throughout the whole tournament has been probably the hardest side to beat and the best side in the group stages," he said.

Yet England comfortably won their match against the Kiwis by 119 runs and should be confident of repeating that victory and clinching a maiden World Cup win in front of their own fans.

The team's bowling attack starred against Australia and showed how devastating they can be.

Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes dismissed Aaron Finch, David Warner and Peter Handscomb for just 14 runs to give England the perfect start:

10 OVERS - ✅

APPEALS - ✅

WICKETS - ✅

SWING AND SEAM - ✅

BOUNCERS - ✅

Exhilarating spell of fast-bowling from Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer. Australian batsmen have a massive task
ahead of them -- 27/3 https://t.co/99LhchgMUS #ENGvAUS #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/ggan0M1skZ

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 11, 2019

The tournament hosts have also thrived with the bat. Openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow have produced a superb partnership:

These two have now reached 80/0. That means Roy and Bairstow have put on 500 runs for the opening wicket at #CWC19. They are just the 6th partnership from any nation to do this.

Live: https://t.co/4GbSquM8op#CWC19 #bbccricket #AUSvsENG pic.twitter.com/Aalygluyrr

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 11, 2019

Meanwhile, Morgan and Joe Root have also made important contributions:

20 - @Eoin16 & @root66 have notched up a record 20th 50+ partnership for England in ODIs, one more than Roy & Bairstow and Bell & Cook. Central. #cwc19 #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/zcHL6lhEpP

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) July 11, 2019

England were ruthless on their way to beating Australia for the first time at a World Cup since 1992 to reach the final, and a repeat performance on Sunday should be enough to clinch a first World Cup.

Hosts England will play New Zealand in Sunday's 2019 Cricket World Cup final after thrashing defending champions Australia by eight wickets in their last-four clash.

The Black Caps booked their place in the showpiece at Lord's on Wednesday by producing a shock win over India.

England beat New Zealand by 119 runs in the group stages of the tournament on July 3, and both teams will head into the final in London looking to lift the trophy for the first time.

     

Final Schedule

Date: Sunday, July 14

Time: 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET

TV Info: Channel 4 (UK), Sky Sports Main Event (UK), Willow TV (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Willow TV (U.S.)

   

Early Preview

England produced their best performance of the World Cup on Thursday to knock out old rivals Australia in some style and book their place in the final.

Bowlers Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer sent the home team on their way by helping dismiss the Aussies for 223.

Meanwhile, openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow again came up with the goods, producing a partnership of 124. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan then ensured England completed the victory with 17.5 overs to spare.

However, captain Morgan is refusing to get carried away by his team's victory:

Is it coming home?#EoinMorgan: pic.twitter.com/fZ93A7Dx6E

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2019

England will be relieved that Roy escaped a ban for his reaction to being dismissed against Australia.

The 28-year-old aimed an outburst at umpire Kumar Dharmasena and has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee, but he is available for the final, per Sky Sports.

Roy has played a key role for England at the tournament and will be needed against the Black Caps:

💥 Another sensational innings from England's Jason Roy.

😍 What a tournament he is having...#CWC19 #WeAreEngland pic.twitter.com/yyqfqUDglY

— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) July 11, 2019

England will also be hoping Bairstow is fit after requiring treatment for an injury on the Edgbaston pitch in Birmingham against Australia. 

Morgan did not seem too worried about his fellow opener after the match, according to Nick Hoult of the Telegraph.

"I'm not sure what it was, but he seemed to move alright after it, so it is not very concerning, I don't think. It might be a niggle; we don't know until he is scanned, but after it, he seemed to move well, so that's a good sign."

New Zealand are into the final for the second World Cup in a row.

The Black Caps were beaten by England, Pakistan and Australia in the group stage to finish fourth, but they responded by producing a stunning performance to beat India by 18 runs in the semi-final.

The bowlers were the heroes for New Zealand. Trent Boult and Matt Henry made a brilliant start to leave India reeling at five for three, and the Black Caps' bowling attack should pose a serious threat:

The ace bowling unit at this World Cup: New Zealand 👏#INDvNZ #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/VtO4R8sVud

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 10, 2019

The Kiwis were beaten by Australia in the final of the 2015 tournament that each country co-hosted, but captain Kane Williamson says things are different this time around, per The Independent's Callum Rice-Coates.

"It's a different feeling to last time," the prolific No. 3 batsman said. "We've had to skin it over the round robin, so it's been quite different. A lot of heart has been shown by the guys so far, but we're keeping our feet on the ground. It was a great semi-final, and we're happy to be on the right side of it."

Both teams will head into Sunday's final with plenty of momentum, but England, the world's top-ranked ODI side, will be favourites having already tasted victory over the Black Caps at this tournament.

England crushed Australia by eight wickets on Thursday to reach the 2019 Cricket World Cup final.

The English bowling attack was ruthless, with Australia all out for 223 in the opening innings.

The hosts took just 32 overs to reach their target, and they will play New Zealand in the final on Sunday.

BREAKING: England beat Australia by 8 wickets to reach Sunday's #CWC19 Final where they will face New Zealand at Lords. #Believe

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 11, 2019

Australia batted first and were immediately in trouble in the second over when Jofra Archer trapped opener Aaron Finch lbw for a duck.

David Warner followed his team-mate out in the next over after scoring just nine, with Jonny Bairstow taking the catch from Chris Woakes' delivery.

Steve Smith entered to steady the ship for the Aussies. The 30-year-old was stubborn at the crease, and he remained until late in the innings. Smith made 85, with an excellent run out by Jos Buttler ending his knock.

Alex Carey's 46 helped Australia avoid a total collapse. However, the tail failed to wag, and Adil Rashid, Mark Wood and Woakes bowled excellent spells at the death to limit the score.

England opening batsmen Jason Roy and Bairstow quickly got down to business, combining for 124 before Mitchell Starc dismissed the latter.

Bairstow hit 34 off 43 balls, but Starc's delivery was too good and the umpire called lbw. 

There was controversy when Roy was given out on 85. The umpire said the batsman had clipped Carey's delivery to Pat Cummins, but replays showed the Englishman had not touched the ball. England had used their video review unsuccessfully against Bairstow's dismissal, and Roy was clearly upset by his premature exit.

However, England remained calm and composed, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan taking over the responsibility of completing the win.

The batsmen scored 49 and 45, respectively, and the ruthless performances of England's top players was the difference between the sides.

It was a disappointing end to Australia's tournament, but they were beaten by the more clinical team at Edgbaston.

New Zealand stunned India in the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with the Black Caps securing a spot in Sunday's final courtesy of a thrilling 18-run win at Old Trafford. 

The match was suspended on Tuesday due to rain. With New Zealand completing their innings on Wednesday morning, they eventually posted a total of 239 for eight from their 50 overs.

India's top order were blown away in response, as Matt Henry and Trent Boult tore through them with the new ball. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul fell for one run apiece, leaving India five for three at one stage.

With his team toiling at 92 for 6, Ravindra Jadeja came to the crease and took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers, building an excellent partnership with M.S. Dhoni to give his side hope. But his terrific innings of 77 proved to be in vain. He was dismissed late on and watched his team come up short on 221 all out.

New Zealand will now face host nation England or rivals Australia in the final, with the two set to meet on Thursday at Edgbaston.

  

Recap

After rain curtailed play on Tuesday, New Zealand returned to the crease to face the final 23 balls of their innings on 211 for five, eventually pushing their score up to a mediocre 239 for eight.

With a modest total to defend, it was crucial New Zealand started well with the ball. In Boult and Henry, they had two men in red-hot form.

Henry took the key wicket of Sharma, who had previously scored five centuries in the World Cup, before Boult was on hand in the third over to pin the India captain Kohli in front LBW.

Per the statistician Mazher Arshad, the dismissal continued a poor trend of semi-final scores from arguably the world's best batsman:

Virat Kohli's average in three World Cup semi-finals is just 3.67.

9 vs Pakistan, 1 vs Australia, 1 vs NZ

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 10, 2019

At five for two, India needed to steady themselves. However, Henry struck again in the fourth over, as KL Rahul edged behind to Tom Latham, putting India in deep trouble.

The New Zealand Twitter account revelled in the start the team made: 

India's top three - 1 1 1 - it's an emergency! @nzpolice

The two P's Pant & Pandya at the crease now, still with plenty of batting to come. Good start but more left in this tale!#INDvNZ #BACKTHEBLACKCAPS #CWC19
LIVE 📲 | https://t.co/aU5ayqheAz pic.twitter.com/5JUEcq3KAW

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 10, 2019

The thrills didn't stop either, as Heny picked up his third wicket in the 10th over. This time, he owed a big thanks to Jimmy Neesham, who pulled off a fantastic catch low to his left to dismiss Dinesh Karthik: 

That is off the chart! 📈

Neesham pulls off a blinder at backward point to dismiss Karthik!

Follow over-by-over commentary from Old Trafford as #TeamIndia and #BackTheBlackCaps contest the first World Cup semi-final live on Sky Sports #CWC19 here: https://t.co/oW7zuy1LHm pic.twitter.com/Ywa5jpb1UB

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2019

New Zealand finally faced some resistance from Rishabh Pant and Hardik Panya, who slowly built a partnership. However, they tried to get after the New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner, and the left-armer got both for 32 when trying to play aggressive shots.

Presenter Zainab Abbas commented on how the pressure appeared to be getting to the India players: 

Santner has bowled superbly,but some of the shot selection here is questionable,dot ball pressure obviously getting to them but idea has always been to carry the bat till the end..Nz on top! #INDvNZ

— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) July 10, 2019

At this point, Jadeja came in and injected some hope into the India cause, as he counter-attacked with some big shots. The all-rounder was able to move to 50 from just 39 balls, and with the experienced Dhoni alongside him, India were still in with an outside chance.

As the tension mounted heading into the latter overs, Jadeja continued to keep his cool and accelerated his scoring.

Boult was able to retain his composure in the final stages, though, and when Jadeja tried to launch him over the boundary, he skewed his effort to Kane Williamson, who held onto the catch.

The onus was then on Dhoni to deliver in the latter stages and after hammering a six to keep India's slender hopes alive, he was brilliantly run out by Martin Guptill for 50 the very next ball. With that, India's hopes had all but gone, and they eventually slipped to 221 all out.

Oddsmakers have given England a slight edge over Australia ahead of Thursday's 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final.

While the Baggy Greens finished ahead of the host nation in the group stage, Bet365 (h/t Oddschecker) has handed them odds of 6-5, compared to 4-6 for their opponents.

Sky Sports will provide full coverage of the contest, which is set to start at 10:30 a.m. BST. The match will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Sports writer Mazher Arshad noted Australia's excellent record in World Cup semi-finals:

Most semi-final defeats in the Cricket World Cup

6 New Zealand
4 Pakistan
3 India
3 South Africa
2 England
1 Kenya
1 Sri Lanka
1 West Indies
0 Australia #CWC19

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 8, 2019

However, their results at Edgbaston this century have not been good, per Nick Hoult of the Daily Telegraph:

So it’s an England-Australia World Cup semi final Edgbaston. Remember Australia have not won at Edgbaston against any opposition in any form of the game since 2001 #bogeyground

— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) July 6, 2019

The Aussies cruised to a 64-run win when these two teams met in group play at Lord's, courtesy of a century by Aaron Finch and some excellent work by their bowlers.

Mitchell Starc led the way by taking four wickets, including the dismissal of Adil Rashid which ended the contest:

That meeting came during a slump for the hosts, though, and England have since rediscovered their form. Their last two matches saw them beat India and New Zealand, the other two semi-finalists at the World Cup.

Australia's last outing was a 10-run loss against South Africa, which set up the last-four clash against England.

Both teams bring explosive batting to the table, as Australia have two of the top five run-scorers so far―David Warner and Finch―and England have four players in the top 15.

Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Jason Roy can all do tons of damage, and there's more depth after that quartet, with Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler also capable of having a huge day.

The inclusion of Jofra Archer has proved crucial, as he leads the England team with 17 wickets. But Starc leads the tournament with 26.

Australia's fielding at Lord's was phenomenal, and it played a huge role in their win over England. But the host nation had their chances during Australia's innings, and if they limit those mistakes on Thursday, their depth could prove the difference.

This should be a tight semi-final between two rivals who know each other very well.

          

Prediction: Australia overcome their Edgbaston hoodoo and break the hearts of the host nation in a thriller.