England celebrating their World Cup victory
The World Cup returned to England as they hosted the 2019 World Cup. Ten teams participated in this edition of the World Cup with each team playing each other in the round robin league stage and the top four advancing to the semi-finals. Thus the format were the same as that of 1992 World Cup.
A qualifying round was introduced which was played in Zimbabwe. West Indies and Afghanistan qualified with hosts Zimbabwe missing the World Cup bus for the first time since 1983. Other teams like India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh getting a direct entry. The upset in the league stage came when Bangladesh getting the better of South Africa and West Indies. Mohammad Shami becoming the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to take a World Cup hat-trick. Shami achieved this feat against Afghanistan.
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The other results in the league stage were on expected lines. A lot of permutations and combinations took place as to who will be reaching the semi-finals and how. But in the end India, England, Australia and New Zealand scape through to the last four stage with Pakistan missing the slot by virtue of their inferior run rate to New Zealand.
The semi-final line up looked like this : India vs New Zealand and England vs Australia. New Zealand set India a 240 runs target. India got to a poor start before a strong partnership by Ravindra Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni almost guiding the team to the finals. Run out of M. S. Dhoni ended that hope and India fell short by 18 runs. In the other semi final encounter England played a smart cricket to hand Australia their first semi final defeat in the World Cup.
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Thus it was New Zealand vs England in the Grand Finale and a new world champions were to be emerged. The final was one of the greatest Grand Finale in the history of sport. With the score ending in tie (241 each to New Zealand and England) the match went to a Super over. Incidentally that super over also failed to break the deadlock with both the teams scoring 15 runs each. Since England hit more boundaries than the Kiwis, they were adjudged the winners.
For the second successive time New Zealand has to contend with the runners-up slot against the host nations. England won the World Cup for the first time. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was adjudged the player of the World Cup.
