Cricket World Cup 2015 Tables: Pool A Play-off Outlook After March 8 Results
Australia's 64-run win over Sri Lanka during Sunday's 2015 Cricket World Cup action saw the Baggy Greens jump over their opponents on the Pool A standings, booking their spot in the quarter-finals in the process. The co-hosts join rivals New Zealand as the first two teams to qualify from the group.
Sri Lanka now sit in third and could mathematically still miss out on the knockout stages, but in all likelihood, they too will qualify, setting up a likely date with South Africa.
New Zealand trashed Afghanistan by six wickets on Sunday, ending the latter side's chances of advancing from Pool A. The full results from Sunday's action:
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- New Zealand (188/4) defeat Afghanistan (186) by six wickets (with 83 balls remaining)
- Australia (376/9) defeat Sri Lanka (312) by 64 runs
The current standings in Pool A:
| New Zealand | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +3.090 | 942/146.3 | 835/250.0 |
| Australia | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | +1.597 | 1286/200.0 | 837/173.1 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.151 | 1425/245.4 | 1488/250.0 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | +0.182 | 829/148.1 | 812/150.0 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.201 | 966/200.0 | 963/159.4 |
| Afghanistan | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.881 | 933/249.3 | 1318/234.3 |
| Scotland | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.423 | 854/200.0 | 982/172.3 |
Play-Off Outlook
Undefeated New Zealand had already qualified for the quarter-finals and clinched the top spot in Pool A with their win over Afghanistan, while neighbours Australia booked their spot in the next round with a win over Sri Lanka and will likely finish the group stage in second place.
As shared by the ICC's official Twitter account and Test Match Special, Sunday's clash between Sri Lanka and Australia was all about personal milestones and records:
The Aussie bowlers continued their fine work despite the offensive fireworks from their opponents, and Mitchell Starc once again led the way. The pacer grabbed two wickets and surrendered just 29 runs in 8.2 overs, finishing with an economy of 3.48.
Sri Lanka have been somewhat inconsistent throughout the tournament, but on their day they remain a dangerous outfit. Lasith Malinga hasn't been at his best but is still one of the most feared bowlers in the world, while the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara rank among the top batsmen in the game right now.
The latter in particular has been in fantastic form, via ESPN Cricinfo's Freddie Wilde:
Sri Lanka's final group-stage match is against winless Scotland. Barring a meltdown for the ages, Angelo Mathews' team should qualify with relative ease, and looking at the remaining schedule, third place seems realistic.
Bangladesh and England will meet on Monday, and both teams still play one match after that. The Tigers will face New Zealand, who might rest some of their starters, while England take on Afghanistan, who were trashed by the Black Caps on Sunday.
Ultimately, everything comes down to Monday's clash. If Bangladesh win, England are out and the Tigers can still leap over Sri Lanka with a win against New Zealand. England national team coach Peter Moores doesn't see that happening, however, per England Cricket:
On the other hand, TV personality Piers Morgan thinks the continued struggles of the squad could reach their climax on Monday, leading to Moores' sacking before long:
The Three Lions have disappointed tremendously so far and are going up against a team that has won seven of its last eight; logic dictates their bid to make the quarter-finals should come to an end against the Tigers.
If that happens, we'll have our four quarter-finalists from Pool B, and unless Australia slip up against Scotland, the top two should be set. The final battle will then be between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to avoid finishing the group stage in fourth, which would likely result in a meeting with defending champions and ODI juggernaut India.
All statistics courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.
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