Morgan hopes knowing New Delhi pitch will be an advantage
Date
3/29/2016 4:09:02 PM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) England's captain Eoin Morgan strectches during a training session on the eve of the first World T20 cricket tournament semi-final match between England and New Zealand at the Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground in New Delhi on March 29 2016. (AFP / Prakash Singh)
By C.RAJSHEKHAR RAO
NEW DELHI: Captain Eoin Morgan is hoping that England's experience of twice winning in New Delhi will give it an advantage against New Zealand in the first semifinal of the World Twenty20 on Wednesday.
England which defeated Sri Lanka by 10 runs and Afghanistan by 15 runs here takes on a team that has won all its four league games at different venues and plays in the capital for the first time.
"We've become quite settled in Delhi" Morgan said. "We've got fantastic support fantastic following and have grown used to the pitch a lot more than the first game we were here. It's probably a little bit drier and completely different circumstances to the one at Wankhede (in Mumbai)."
England's first win was with a 230-run chase against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium before the two close victories in New Delhi which Morgan feels highlighted the depth in the team as contributions came from different quarters.
"I think it shows the amount of character that we have within the group. I think we haven't had to repeat the same thing twice so it shows different sides to every person's personality. I think that shows the group as a whole can be very powerful if you play together" Morgan said.
Joe Root's 44-ball 83 boosted 2010 champion England to a two-wicket win over South Africa Moeen Ali's 41 not out rescued England from 57-6 to post 142-7 against Afghanistan while Jos Buttler (66 not out) and Chris Jordan (4-28) starred against defending champion Sri Lanka.
Morgan feels four seamers are working well and he is not bothered by the fact the Kiwis are considered favorites after four straight wins.
"We've come into this tournament with an open mindedness about the conditions that we come up against. And I think that will be no different tomorrow. We are playing on a fresh wicket which has a really good covering of grass" he said.
New Zealand started with a 47-run victory on a turner at Nagpur against India which was considered the favorite coming into the tournament and the team's adaptability gives captain Kane Williamson a lot of confidence.
If left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (4-11) led a three-man spin attack against India and Mitchell McNeghan's left-arm pace bowling got 3-17 versus Australia other bowlers too have done well giving Williamson enough choices.
"England have been fortunate to play here a couple of times but anything can happen in T20 cricket" Williamson said. "We have gone with 'horses for courses' in the tournament.....we will look closely at the conditions before deciding on the composition of our side."
After the impressive win over India New Zealand also defeated Australia by eight runs at Dharamsala Pakistan by 22 runs at Mohali and Bangladesh by 75 runs at Kolkata to remain the only unbeaten side in the tournament.
The winner of Wednesday's game will play the winner of the second semifinal Thursday between West Indies and India at Mumbai.
The final will be played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Sunday.
AFP