The stakes will be very high when New Zealand face England at the T20 World Cup in Brisbane on Tuesday.
New Zealand have been in top form and can become the first team to reach the semi-finals with victory at the Gabba. England, on the other hand, can't afford any slip up now after suffering a shock defeat to Ireland on the DLS method after a rain-interrupted match in Melbourne, before their match with hosts Australia at the same venue was also washed out.
With so much riding on the game, the weather could once again have the final say. There is 100 per cent chance of rain in Brisbane on Tuesday.
If the weather does not relent and it turns out to be another washout, England will then be able to finish on a maximum of six points in Group 1 provided they beat Sri Lanka in their final game on Saturday – a tally that is not guaranteed to secure qualification for the semi-finals.
"It would be nice to get the full 40 overs in, so keep our fingers crossed that we get the right conditions to be able to do that," England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said.
"In World Cups you want to see the best sides competing against each other in an equal game. Hopefully tomorrow the rain stays away and we can manage to do that."
Anything less than victory against New Zealand will leave England dependent on beating Sri Lanka in Sydney and hoping other results go their way.
"Tomorrow kickstarts hopefully our momentum and our campaign," said Collingwood. "We put in a good performance tomorrow and that will give us a lot of confidence."
The Black Caps are in a much more comfortable position. New Zealand sit top of Group 1 of the Super 12 stage after two wins and one washout and need one more win from their last two games, against England on Tuesday and Ireland on Friday, to clinch a place in the final four.
Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson said his team are focusing on the game and continuing the great form shown by the pace department.
"What you always expect from England is that they come out very hot," said Ferguson. "They pride themselves probably on that aggressive nature and bat very deep."
Boult has been superb in the tournament so far, taking six wickets including a career-best 4-13 against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Southee took 3-6 as New Zealand started with bang, routing Australia in the tournament opener.
"Tim and Trent have had a blinder in these first two games," said Ferguson.
"When the ball's swinging, there's not much better in the world. So I think from that point of view, nothing needs to change too much, and we just need to adjust to the conditions on the day. England are going to have a lot of firepower and we need to combat that."
Ferguson said New Zealand know that a win would seal a semi-final place, but they were not looking that far ahead yet.
"Clearly, there's a long way to go for us. We need to make sure we take it game by game," he said.
"It's very much one game at a time. Tomorrow is a big focus for us, after that we'll cross the next bridge when it comes."
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UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
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L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
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