World Cup: New Zealand virtually knock Pakistan, Afghanistan out of race to semis
Trent Boult led the way with a haul of 3/37 as New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in Bengaluru on Thursday
The Black Caps won with more than 26 overs to spare, and have all but confirmed their place in the semi-finals
New Zealand’s victory comes as a big blow for Pakistan, who were hoping to make only their semi-final appearance this millennium
Pakistan now need to beat England by a staggering 287 runs, or with 284 deliveries to spare, for them to beat New Zealand to the semis
For Afghanistan, the task is even more absurd — they have to defeat South Africa by 438 runs in Ahmedabad on Friday
New Zealand will already be setting their sights on their semi-final clash against India, and will back themselves to make a third straight World Cup final