South Africa come into this game knowing that nothing short of a win will suffice if they are to keep their dreams of a top four place alive. They face a New Zealand outfit that has yet to taste defeat in the tournament so far, but Faf du Plessis’ men will test them here.
Afghanistan continue to struggle to compete at this level and that has largely been due to the pitches not favouring their spin trio and their batsmen being unable to cope with elite bowling attacks.
This match is virtually a must-win game for both of these teams and they need the points to close on the top four places. Bangladesh have an outstanding record against the Windies lately having won their last four meetings and the Windies are going to have to come up with a different game plan against them.
Arguably, the biggest fixture in the Cricket playing world is at Old Trafford on Sunday when India take on arch rivals Pakistan.
India have edged the head-to-head meetings in recent years between these two bitter rivals but Pakistan have made a habit of springing a surprise in key matches.
Sri Lanka somehow sit on four points from four games as they have benefited from two abandoned matches despite being one of the poorest teams in the tournament.
This match could be dubbed the battle of the wooden spoon as the two lowest-ranked sides in the World Cup so far clash in Cardiff. South Africa realistically have to win every one of their remaining games to stand any chance of progressing to the semi-finals, whilst Afghanistan may see this match as their best chance of registering a historic first World Cup victory.
These two teams played a hugely entertaining ODI series earlier this year in the Caribbean and won two games apiece with another match washed out.
Despite the rain affecting several games in the Cricket World Cup, the boys refuse to allow their Silly Points to be washed out as Martyn and Rob combine for the latest Cricket World Cup special podcast. The chaps look at the key stats around the clash between India and New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Thursday, and England's game against West Indies at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Friday.
New Zealand may sit in top spot but that flatters them somewhat as the schedule has been kind to them having met Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan so far. India have a 100% record themselves but they have beaten South Africa and Australia, and the reality is that their performances have been a level above the Blackcaps.
With 15 matches now done and dusted in the ICC Cricket World Cup, there are a few trends to look back on that may inform us about what is ahead in the tournament. Discussed by The Stats Zone’s head honcho Rob Esteva and Martyn Hindley in the latest edition of podcast Silly Point, here are four key points to share.
Even at this early stage this looks to be a crunch match on paper, but already the weather forecast looks certain to deny too much play at Taunton. Australia have won 14 of their last 15 ODI matches against Pakistan, and eight of those have been in succession so they will carry that confidence with them.
This will be fascinating match in Bristol on a pitch which has proved to be high-scoring in recent matches played there. While the weather may play a part with a fair chance of rain throughout the day, Bangladesh will be confident despite losing their last two matches.
Martyn Hindley and Rob Esteva resume podcast responsibility in the absence of the holidaying Sachin Mehrish as they preview Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka while casting an eye on the upcoming clash between Pakistan against Australia. Also discussed is Sunday's titanic clash which saw India put a marker down, plus a look at the value of wickets in hand and runs at the top of the order before finishing up with another Stat of the Day gem from Rob.
Sport News 24/7Enter your email to receive our newsletter on all things sport, data and analysis!
