New Delhi: The race for the final 4 heats up as South Africa defeats New Zealand by 190 runs on Wednesday.
New Zealand with this loss have slipped to number 4, and have opened the doors for the likes of Pakistan and Afghanistan to intensify their fight for their bid for the semifinal berth.
Check out the complete points table below:
| Rank | Teams | M | W | L | N/R | Points | Net RR |
| 1 | South Africa | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | +2.29 |
| 2 | India | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +1.40 |
| 3 | Australia | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | +0.97 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | +0.48 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -0.02 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -0.71 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | -0.27 |
| 8 | Netherland | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | -1.27 |
| 9 | Bangladesh (E) | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | -1.44 |
| 10 | England | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | -1.65 |
Race to semifinals
The race for the semifinals in the ICC World Cup 2023 is now going on with its full force as 7 teams are now still in the race to get the job done.
The South African team, with 12 points in 7 matches, have jumped to the top spot and are now only one win away from sealing their place in the top 4.
A 4th century for Quinton de Kock in this world cup , What A Player!!! 💯👏
#NZvsSA #SAvsNz #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/yjnQ5bHIvd— Maham Gillani (@DheetAfridian) November 1, 2023
The hosts, India, have slipped to the second spot but have one match in hand while having same 12 points as South Africa in their account.
They will be playing against the Sri Lankan Lions on Thursday, and if they manage to keep their undefeated streak in the tournament intact against them, they will not only take their first position back but will also become the first team to qualify for the semifinals.
The five-time champions Australia have jumped to the number 3 spot after New Zealand’s loss and are likely to finish in the top 4 with comparatively easy fixtures ahead of them.
The New Zealand team on Wednesday suffered their third loss in a row, and have now slipped to the number 4 spot. They now need to win all the remaining matches to qualify and hope Pakistan and Afghanistan lose one match each.
The second chance
New Zealand’s loss against South Africa has given a second chance to the teams in the bottom half.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka can have a realistic chance of making it to the top 4 only if they can manage to win their remaining matches and New Zealand fails to do so.
