NZ plays Australia at Lord's, Pakistan needs win in Leeds

By Associated Press 29 June 2019, 12:00AM

LONDON (AP) — New Zealand needs one more win to join defending champion Australia in the Cricket World Cup semifinals. They meet on Saturday at Lord's in a day-night match.

Pakistan needs to beat Afghanistan in Leeds to stay in semifinal contention. A win would lift Pakistan above England and into fourth in the standings.

New Zealand and Australia have lost only once each in this edition, but the Kiwis had a washout.

They have won their last two matchups against Australia, but they haven't won three in a row in more than 12 years.

Australia has a 7-3 win-loss record against the Kiwis in World Cups, the last of them in the 2015 final.

David Warner, with 500, and captain Aaron Finch, with 496, lead the run-scorers in this World Cup, and are close to catching Ricky Ponting (539 in 2007) for second most by an Australian in a single edition. Matthew Hayden leads with 659, also in 2007.

Despite also being neighbors, Pakistan and Afghanistan have met only three times in one-day internationals, neither in their own countries. Pakistan has won all three, the last two in the Asia Cups of 2014 and 2018.

This will be their first meeting in a World Cup.

Fast bowler Wahab Riaz has 32 wickets all-time in World Cups, and needs two more to equal Imran Khan for second place for Pakistan. Wasim Akram leads with 55.

Gulbadin Naib needs one more wicket to equal the record for most by an Afghani in a single edition, 10 by Shapoor Zadran in 2015.

Afghanistan has lost all seven of its matches, so far, its longest losing streak in ODIs.

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More AP cricket: www.apnews.com/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 29 June 2019, 12:00AM

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