The Super 12 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup concluded on Sunday with India vs Zimbabwe encounter, and now the tournament moves into its final stage as the semi-finals and the Final is set to be played this week. The first semi-final will be played on Wednesday between New Zealand and Pakistan at the SCG and the second one will be played between India and England on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. In this article, we will discuss the Pitch Report of the Sydney Cricket Ground for the NZ vs PAK semi-final.
While New Zealand topped the Group 1 points table, the Pakistan side had a lucky entry into the semi-finals. Having just 4 points on the points table with just one game to go, Pakistan didn’t just need to win their game against Bangladesh but also needed South Africa to lose their last game to the Netherlands. As Pakistan desired, the Netherlands managed to defeat South Africa. Subsequently, the Babar Azam-led side defeated Bangladesh comprehensively and booked their ticket to the semis.
SCG T20 WC 2022 Records
SCG has hosted 6 games in the ongoing T20 World Cup. 5 out of those have been won by the sides batting first whereas only one side managed to win a game here while chasing. The average first-inning score at this venue is pretty high.
| Total matches | 6 |
| Matches won batting first | 5 |
| Matches won bowling first | 1 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 179 |
| Highest total recorded | 205/5 (20) by RSA vs BAN |
| Lowest total recorded | 101/10 (16.3 Ov) by BAN vs RSA |
| Highest score chased | 144/6 (19.4) by ENG vs SL |
| Lowest score defended | 167/7 (20) by NZ vs SL |
Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch Report for NZ vs PAK semi-final
The Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch has been of great assistance to the batters in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Totals around 200 have been a common sight at this venue during the Super 12 stage. Though the batters dominate at the SCG during the first innings, the bowlers tend to restrict the batsmen in the second innings. Out of the 6 T20 WC games played here, 5 have been won by the teams defending a total. Hence, it is clear that chasing a total at SCG could prove to be tricky. A total of around 180 would be a competitive total at the SCG and any side after winning the toss would look to bat first.
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Both New Zealand and Pakistan played one game each at the SCG earlier in this WC. Pakistan managed to defeat South Africa in a rain-affected match whereas New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka.