England rout Kiwis to enter World Cup semis

CHESTER-LE-STREET: England booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals with a 119-run demolition of New Zealand at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.

Eoin Morgan’s side scored 305-8 in their 50 overs as Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 106 and Jason Roy hit 60.The tournament hosts then bowled out New Zealand for 186 to guarantee a top-four finish in the 10-team group stage.England, who have never won the competition, are into the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1992.

Earlier, England’s World Cup hopes were in the balance on Wednesday after New Zealand fought back following opener Jonny Bairstow’s second successive century of the tournament. The hosts, in a match where victory for either side would see them into the semi-finals, were set for a huge total at 194-1 off 30 overs at Chester-le-Street. But in the last 20 overs they managed just 111 runs and lost seven wickets against a Black Caps attack missing star fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, out with a hamstring injury, to finish on 305-8.

England captain Eoin Morgan revived the innings with 42 and an eighth-wicket partnership of 29 between Liam Plunkett (15 not out) and Adil Rashid (16) ensured the hosts went past 300. New Zealand were left with a stiff, but not impossible, chase, given the most any team have made batting second to win a World Cup match is Ireland’s 329-7 against England at Bangalore in 2011.

“I am really pleased (with the hundred),” said Bairstow. “Obviously I have had a couple of low scores in the competition as well. I felt like I needed to contribute and needed runs. I am disappointed not to go on and get a big one but pleased I got a hundred.

“You want to fire against the best in the world and consistently do it. We know what quality bowling they have got. We will be looking to implement things we have seen in that innings in our bowling innings.”

England

J. Roy c Santner b Neesham 60

J. Bairstow b Henry 106

J. Root c Latham b Boult 24

J. Buttler c Williamson b Boult 11

E. Morgan c Santner b Henry 42

B. Stokes c Henry b Santner 11

C. Woakes c Williamson b Neesham 4

L. Plunkett not out 15

A. Rashid b Southee 16

J. Archer not out 1

Extras: (b4, lb4, w7) 15

Total: (eight wickets, 50 overs) 305

DNB: Mark Wood

Fall: 1-123 (Roy), 2-194 (Root), 3-206 (Bairstow), 4-214 (Buttler), 5-248 (Stokes), 6-259 (Woakes), 7-272 (Morgan), 8-301 (Rashid)

Bowling: Santner 10-0-65-1 (w2); Boult 10-0-56-2 (w1); Southee 9-0-70-1; Henry 10-0-54-2 (w2); De Grandhomme 1-0-11-0; Neesham 10-1-41-2 (w2)

New Zealand

M. Guptill c Buttler b Archer 8

H. Nicholls lbw b Woakes 0

K. Williamson run out (Wood) 27

R. Taylor run out (Rashid/Buttler) 28

T. Latham c Buttler b Plunkett 57

J. Neesham b Wood 19

C. de Grandhomme c Root b Stokes 3

M. Santner lbw b Wood 12

T. Southee not out 7

M. Henry b Wood 7

T. Boult st Buttler b Rashid 4

Extras: (b2, lb6, w6) 14

Total (all out, 45 overs) 186

Fall: 1-2 (Nicholls), 2-14 (Guptill), 3-61 (Williamson), 4-69 (Taylor), 5-123 (Neesham), 6-128 (De Grandhomme), 7-164 (Latham), 8-166 (Santner), 9-181 (Henry), 10-186 (Boult)

Bowling: Woakes 8-0-44-1 (1w); Archer 7-1-17-1 (1w); Plunkett 8-0-28-1 (1w); Wood 9-0-34-3 (2w); Root 3-0-15-0; Rashid 5-0-30-1, Stokes 5-0-10-1 (1w)

Result: England won by 119 runs

Man-of-the match: Jonny Bairstow

Toss: England

Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (IND), Rod Tucker (AUS) TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Match referee: David Boon (AUS).