Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule: Fixtures for All Upcoming Group Matches
The race for the quarter-finals of the 2015 Cricket World Cup is quickly heating up as we enter the final two weeks of group-stage action, with a number of tasty encounters still on the horizon. Ireland's battle with South Africa will undoubtedly steal the headlines, and so should the clash between India and West Indies.
Four teams have emerged as clear front-runners for the title, with India, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa likely candidates to make the semi-finals. But the battle behind those four is as close as ever, and at this stage of the tournament, every single run counts.
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Here's what the schedule for the remaining group-stage fixtures looks like:
| March 3 | 3:30 a.m. | South Africa v Ireland | Canberra |
| March 4 | 1 a.m. | Pakistan v UAE | Napier |
| March 4 | 6:30 a.m. | Australia v Afghanistan | Perth |
| March 5 | 10 p.m. (day before) | Bangladesh v Scotland | Nelson |
| March 6 | 6:30 a.m. | India v West Indies | Perth |
| March 7 | 1 a.m. | South Africa v Pakistan | Auckland |
| March 7 | 3:30 a.m. | Zimbabwe v Ireland | Hobart |
| March 8 | 10 p.m. (day before) | New Zealand v Afghanistan | Napier |
| March 8 | 3:30 a.m. | Australia v Sri Lanka | Sydney |
| March 9 | 3:30 a.m. | England v Bangladesh | Adelaide |
| March 10 | 1 a.m. | India v Ireland | Hamilton |
| March 11 | 3:30 a.m. | Sri Lanka v Scotland | Hobart |
| March 12 | 1 a.m. | South Africa v UAE | Wellington |
| March 13 | 1 a.m. | Bangladesh v New Zealand | Hamilton |
| March 13 | 3:30 a.m. | England v Afghanistan | Sydney |
| March 14 | 1 a.m. | India v Zimbabwe | Auckland |
| March 14 | 3:30 a.m. | Australia v Scotland | Hobart |
| March 15 | 10 p.m. (day before) | West Indies v UAE | Napier |
| March 15 | 3:30 a.m. | Pakistan v Ireland | Adelaide |
It's hard not to be awed by the great form of the Black Caps, who overcame a fantastic bowling performance in their last match against the Baggy Greens.
Brendon McCullum has been nothing short of amazing, and even a nasty blow to his arm couldn't slow him down against Australia. His hot form led to plenty of jokes on social media, like this one from Test Match Special:
The New Zealand captain has a strike rate of 188.18 after four matches, and while his highest score has "only" been a 77, his energy at the top of the order radiates through the rest of the squad.
New Zealand's bowling hasn't been too shabby, either. Trent Boult, Daniel Vettori and Tim Southee have all been in excellent form, and via the ICC's official Twitter account, McCullum feels more than confident about his bowling attack:
The Black Caps may have the most balanced team of any, but India aren't too far behind. Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan have both been excellent with the bat, and their bowling attack has been lights out throughout the group stages.
The Men in Blue have seven bowlers currently sporting an economy under 5.00. Even South Africa's AB de Villiers was left impressed by what the group is doing, as shared by India Today:
De Villiers and JP Duminy have both been in sterling form with the bat, and backed by Morne Morkel and a strong group of bowlers, the Proteas are rounding into form heading into the knockout stages. A big test against Ireland will tell whether the team is ready to challenge the likes of New Zealand and India.
And don't forget about Australia, who looked dead in the water after a bowling display from the Black Caps but played their bitter rivals very closely in the second innings. After the match, Bleacher Report's Tim Collins made the case Starc may be emerging as the single best ODI bowlers in the sport right now:
"In a 50-over career that has spanned just 35 games, Starc has five five-wicket hauls. To put that into perspective, Glenn McGrath claimed seven such hauls, two more than Starc, in 250 games. Shane Warne claimed one in 194 games.
Among other leading Australians, Brett Lee claimed nine in 221; Craig McDermott one in 138; Jason Gillespie three in 97.
Current team-mate Johnson has three in 147.
And Pakistan's Waqar Younis, the man with the most five-wicket hauls inODI history at 13, needed 262 matches to reach that figure.
On current pace, if Starc were to play 262 games, he'd finish with 37—almost three times the current benchmark.
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Behind the foursome, Sri Lanka showed against England they're starting to find their groove, and with Lasith Malinga always a threat with the ball, they might be the one team favourites will hope to avoid in the next round.
Ireland have looked very solid so far but have yet to face a truly elite team, and the West Indies continue to look poor against top nations and good against the rest. The Windies' batting is explosive—they'll be another team the true contenders would rather not face.
England need a minor miracle to qualify for the quarter-finals, as their tournament has been one big disappointment, and Bangladesh have just one win under their belt so far—it's difficult to gauge the team, who are likely to qualify in part thanks to their draw against Australia, the result of their match being canceled.
All statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.
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