After 4 weeks of enthralling cricket in the deserts of the UAE, we are finally one game away to find out a new king of T20 cricket. The Tasmanian battle tonight will decide who will secure the throne.
Before this all-important game of the tournament, FE looks at the combined best XI from the two sides today.
David Warner
There were plenty of questions about his off form. But he always performs when it matters. 236 runs at an average of 47.2 and a strike rate of 148.42 easily make him the best Aussie batsman.
Daryl Mitchell
He can be considered as the Kiwi counterpart of David Warner. His promotion to the top order proved as a shock. But it really helped them throughout the journey.
New Zealand's highest scorer with 197 runs at an average of 39.4 and strike rate of 140+, Mitchell set the tone for the win against India and his best came in the semi-finals where he was the protagonist of an incredible run chase.
Kane Williamson (C)
It might come as a surprise given that his stats are not that much better. But as a captain, he has been the best in the business so far. So he is the captain of our combined XI.
Aaron Finch
He has been a hit or miss scenario in this world cup. He gives the flying start and the necessary momentum for a big score. But his inconsistencies are a concern. Still, he tears apart any bowling line-up when in song.
His performances of 0(5), 37(23), 44(49), 40(20), 9(11) and 0(1) proves the point that he is worth the risk.
Jimmy Neesham
He has been arguably one of the best all-rounders and finishers of the shortest format of the game. He scored 73 runs with an average of 36.5 and a strike rate of 173.81. He also took 3 wickets with a good economy. He gives his team a good balance.
Matthew Wade (WK)
His inclusion was one of the most talked-about topics. But proving all equations wrong, he has been quite handy in that finisher role.
He batted 3 innings so far and got out once. He scored 74 runs with a strike rate of 164.44. He also made 8 dismissals, the most in this world Cup.
Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Tim Southee
All three of them probably formed the best bowling line-up in this world cup. They combined took 28 wickets between them. Southee and Boult were the most economical bowlers in the powerplay. They always gave New Zealand a headstart in the bowling.
The opponents never really could capitalise against them. Ish Sodhi is the middle over wicket-taker. He controls the middle overs.
Adam Zampa
Zampa took 12 wickets, the most in the super 12's. Surely there couldn’t be any top bowling pickups this tournament without him. A genuine wicket-taker, Zampa’s 19/5 against Bangladesh is the best bowling figure in this World Cup.
Josh Hazlewood
He has also been quite effective for Australia in this edition. He has been efficient with his accurate bowling, taking 8 wickets with an average of 19.87 and an economy of 7.95.
He mainly concedes in the death overs. But his powerplay and middle-overs bowling really help the team.
