Women’s T20 World Cup State of Play: Both groups prepare for big finish as Proteas, White Ferns add wins

Bangladesh became the third team unable to qualify for the semi-finals, with South Africa’s seven-wicket win turning Group B into a three-way tussle for qualification.

And New Zealand’s victory over Sri Lanka means that Group A is set to come down to the wire. Here’s how the two groups are shaping up, with some big matches still to come.

Group A

Australia (6 points | +2.786 NRR)

Alyssa Healy’s side are favourites to win the tournament, but will be sweating on the fitness of their captain, who limped off in the win over Pakistan.

The six-time champions are three from three and all-but confirmed of a semi-final spot, with a significant swing required to deny Australia a top two finish – for that to happen they would need to lose to India by at least 61 runs while New Zealand also must win their remaining match by a near-impossibly large margin.

India (4 points | +0.576 NRR)

India’s hammering of Sri Lanka has given them a big chance of reaching the semi-finals even after their disappointing opening loss to New Zealand.

The huge net run rate boost that Harmanpreet Kaur’s side gained in their win on Wednesday means that they may not need to beat Australia in their final group fixture, depending on results elsewhere.

But even if they do need a win over the defending champions, it is now highly unlikely to be by a significant margin, as had looked possible prior to their trouncing of Sri Lanka in Dubai.

New Zealand (4 points | +0.282 NRR)

The White Ferns are firmly in the mix for qualification for the semi-finals, despite a heavy loss to Australia in their second game.

The 60-run margin of defeat against their neighbours saw New Zealand undo the net run rate advantage gained in their opener, but a win over Pakistan in the final group game could well be enough.

Exactly what New Zealand require to qualify will be determined by the outcome of the India versus Australia contest on Sunday evening.

Pakistan (2 points | -0.488 NRR)

Pakistan’s opening-day win over Sri Lanka blew this group wide open, but their tournament has struggled to live up to those heady heights since.

It is still possible that they can qualify, but they must hope that Australia beat India on Sunday and then they themselves must beat New Zealand in their final group game by enough of a margin to end the group with a higher net run rate than any of the teams tied on four points.

Sri Lanka (0 points | -2.173 NRR) – Eliminated

Sri Lanka were one of the form teams coming into this tournament and had enjoyed victories against a host of higher-ranked nations in the last 18 months.

And so the failure to compete in Group A will be hugely frustrating for Chamari Athapaththu and her side.

Sri Lanka are the first team in the tournament to play all four of their matches, and have lost all four to end the World Cup with plenty of regrets.

Remaining fixtures in Group A

India v Australia – Sunday 13 October (18:00 local time), Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Pakistan v New Zealand – Monday 14 October (18:00 local time), Dubai International Cricket Stadium

Group B

South Africa (6 points | +1.382)

South Africa’s job is done, and now they must sit back and wait to see if they are one of the two qualifiers for the semi-finals.

The margin of the crushing win over Scotland gave them a huge boost in NRR terms, but they still aren’t safe of being denied a top two spot.

Should England beat Scotland heavily and then go on to lose to West Indies, then it is possible that NRR could deny the Proteas.

West Indies (4 points | +1.708 NRR)

The West Indies are a dangerous proposition when they click with the bat, and have the top-order power to take down the best in the world.

Defeat to South Africa in their opening match was a huge setback for their qualification hopes, and yet the power game of Hayley Matthews’ side has seen them blast back into contention with two mammoth wins over Scotland and Bangladesh.

West Indies still have a significantly better run rate than South Africa, and so the equation for West Indies now is relatively simple – they must beat England on Tuesday.

England (4 points | +0.653 NRR)

England are in a good position in Group B after starting their campaign with two wins, including victory over South Africa in a rematch of the 2023 semi-final.

Heather Knight’s side will be confident of qualifying, but will want a big net run rate boost against Scotland to make things slightly more comfortable going into the final group match against West Indies.

Bangladesh (2 points | -0.844 NRR) – Eliminated

Bangladesh ended a decade-long wait for a win at an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the tournament opener against Scotland.

But that result feels a long time ago, with three straight losses proving terminal to the Tigresses hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.

The loss to South Africa on Saturday sealed Bangladesh’s fate as their campaign ended at the group stage once again.

Scotland (0 points | -2.671 NRR) – Unable to qualify

Scotland are making their first-ever appearance at an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and have showed flashes of quality in their three defeats.

But zero points with one game remaining means that Scotland are already guaranteed to end their campaign at the group stage, even if they were to pull off a huge upset and beat England in their fourth and final match.

Remaining fixtures in Group B

England v Scotland – Sunday 13 October (14:00 local time), Sharjah Cricket Stadium

England v West Indies – Tuesday 15 October (18:00 local time), Dubai International Cricket Stadium

All matches at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah.

Fans can purchase tickets online or directly at the stadiums, for more information on where to buy click here.