New Zealand will look to continue their confident match towards the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-finals when they take on Pakistan in the group stage encounter in Edgbaston on Wednesday. The Kane Williamson-led side are currently at the top of the points table with 11 and an impressive net run rate of +1.306.

New Zealand will be quite confident after their thrilling five -run win over West Indies. Skipper Kane Williamson continued his impressive run with a second successive century to guide the Kiwis to victory, despite a fighting maiden ODI hundred by Carlos Brathwaite.

Sent into bat, Williamson rescued New Zealand with a career-best 148, steering his side to a competitive 291 for eight after being reduced to two for seven by West Indies in the first over.

Chasing the total, Chris Gayle (87) and Shimron Hetmyer (54) cracked fifties but the West Indies were looking down the barrel at 164 for seven in the 27th over. Brathwaite then blasted nine fours and five sixes on way to a 82-ball 101 to take his side close to victory at Old Trafford.

Brathwaite smashed three sixes and a four in the 48th over to bring the equation down to eight from 12 balls. He took two runs to complete his hundred but then holed out to Trent Boult at long-on in the last ball of the 49th over bowled by Jimmy Neesham to sink to his knees as West Indies fell short by five runs.

Against Pakistan, New Zealand are expected to include Ish Sodhi as their second spin option along with Mitchell Santner. As a result, all-rounder Colin De Grandhomme may miss out on a spot in the playing XI.

New Zealand Predicted XI: Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson , Ish Sodhi, Colin Munro, Trent Boult, Tom Latham (wk), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson.

(With agency inputs)

First Published: Jun 25, 2019 18:33 IST