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DETROIT – Even if Nate Lashley is going to run away with the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic, Doc Redman has plenty to play for in the final round.

The former U.S. Amateur champ has faced an uphill battle since turning pro more than a year ago, and currently only has status on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada. But Redman shot a 62 Monday to earn medalist honors in the qualifier, and he’s made the most of an unexpected opportunity. That includes a third-round 67 that left him in a tie for fifth at 14 under, nine shots off the lead.

“It’s been nice to see the results come together. It’s been a grind,” Redman said. “This was kind of an unexpected bonus, so just trying to make the most of it and keep the pedal down.”

Redman’s current travel plans include a trip to Minnesota on Monday for another shot to qualify for the 3M Open. Failing that, he’ll head across the bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario for a Mackenzie Tour event, where he’s currently sixth in the Order of Merit with the top five at season’s end earning Korn Ferry Tour cards for 2020.

But that could all change with a big finish at Detroit Golf Club. A top-10 result would earn him a tee time next week at the 3M, while Redman finished T-18 at the Wells Fargo Championship on a sponsor invite in his only other Tour start this year. That means he also has a chance to earn enough non-member points this week to ensure a spot in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in August, where he’d have a shot at a PGA Tour card for next season.

“It’s comforting to know that I’ve definitely got a job somewhere next year,” he said. “Tomorrow is just a matter of sticking to the game plan and seeing what happens. It’ll be a fun opportunity.”

Haiti down Canada in historic Gold Cup upset

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 June 2019 19:33

Haiti came back from two goals down at half-time to score three times in a superb second 45 minutes and knock Canada out of the Gold Cup 3-2 on Saturday.

Jonathan David and Lucas Cavallini, who between them had scored nine goals in their last three games, added another one each in the first half as Canada dominated the quarterfinal in Houston, Texas.

But the Haitians, who had won all three of their group games, moved into the semifinals with a blistering second half performance.

The comeback began five minutes after the break when Duckens Nazon took advantage of a poor pass back from Marcus Godinho to score and then Herve Bazile equalised from the spot after 70 minutes.

Wilde-Donald Guerrier completed the turnaround six minutes later when he latched onto a lovely pass from Nazon and superbly beat the goalkeeper.

Haiti, who last won the forerunner to this tournament in 1973, will face either Mexico or Costa Rica in the semifinal on July 2 in Glendale, Arizona.

U.S. win sets ratings record for WWC quarterfinal

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 June 2019 15:51

The Americans' 2-1 victory over France set a record for the most-watched Women's World Cup quarterfinal match on U.S. English-language television.

- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule

Fox drew 6.12 million viewers for Friday's match, and peaked at 8.24 million. The game was the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in the country since last year's men's World Cup final.

In addition, the match averaged 211,000 viewers online, making it the most-streamed Women's World Cup game ever.

The U.S. 2015 quarterfinal win over Chile -- which aired in prime time -- averaged 5.74 million.

The Americans will face England in the semifinals Tuesday.

Source: PSV make bid for U.S. youth Gloster

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 June 2019 17:21

PSV Eindhoven have stepped up their pursuit of Hannover 96 defender Chris Gloster, making a bid for the U.S. Under-20 international, a source with knowledge of the situation has told ESPN FC.

- When does the transfer window close?

The source said the bid was submitted late on Friday and that Gloster had met with Hannover manager Mirko Slomka and informed him of his desire to join the Eredivisie side. With Gloster's contract having just a year to run, Hannover runs the risk of losing Gloster for free. And the source said the hope is that a deal can be finalized next week.

Gloster, 18, spent the bulk of last season with Hannover's reserve team, which plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Nord. He began the campaign with the U19s.

He made 16 appearances with the reserves and four with the U19s. But the left-back enjoyed an impressive series of games at the recently concluded FIFA U20 World Cup that was held in Poland, helping the U.S. reach the quarterfinals. Those performances have now helped him catch the eye of PSV.

With the U.S. senior team struggling to fill the left-back role, a move to the Netherlands could enable Gloster to move up the national team depth chart.

Hannover will spend the 2019-20 campaign in the 2. Bundesliga following a campaign that saw them finish next-to-last in the top tier with just 21 points, seven points adrift of the relegation playoff spot.

U.S. forward Weah leaving PSG for rivals Lille

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 June 2019 15:09

United States international Tim Weah is swapping Paris Saint-Germain for Ligue 1 side Lille, the clubs announced on Saturday.

- When does the transfer window close?

Weah, 19, has signed a five-year deal with the French runners-up, who had been negotiating the move with PSG since early June.

The American scored four goals from 16 appearances across all competitions during a loan spell with Celtic over the second half of last season and has Scottish and French league winners' medals after his split campaign between Paris and Glasgow.

Weah recently said it is his dream to establish himself alongside Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani from next term but he could find himself playing Champions League football with Lille instead.

Lille enjoyed great success in signing Jonathan Ikone in a similar move from PSG last summer, who went on to combine well with Nicolas Pepe and Jonathan Bamba to earn them a surprise second place in the Ligue 1 table.

Weah scored two goals and added two assists as the U.S. fell at the quarterfinal stage of the Under-20 World Cup in Poland.

Saturday's night Gold Cup quarterfinal between Mexico and Costa Rica was supposed to be a straightforward match for El Tri.

With new manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino cruising into the knockout round with seven consecutive wins, Mexico was expected to waltz past Costa Rica. Instead, Los Ticos stifled El Tri through an organized and defensive approach, forcing a draw and two halves of extra time which finished at a level 1-1 scoreline.

In an ensuing round of penalties, it was Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa who saved Mexico with a stop in the first round of sudden death, thereby giving El Tri a place in the semifinal round. Shaken up, Mexico will head to Phoenix to face Haiti for a spot in the Gold Cup final.

Positives

There is no doubt about it: Ochoa is the best goalkeeper available to El Tri. Game after game, the 33-year-old continues to be an immovable wall that has been turning heads across the globe since the 2014 World Cup.

In the midfield, the tireless work of Edson Alvarez also helped paper over some cracks that were beginning to form in the recent quarterfinal. The defensive midfielder was once again superb, and it's no surprise that European teams are keeping an eye on him.

Up top, Rodolfo Pizarro was a much-needed source of energy in the final third. The winger is a game-changer, but that said, a disconnect in general became apparent for most members of the attack.

Negatives

It could possibly be due to Costa Rica parking the bus or an over-confidence heading into the game, but Mexico mistimed far too many passes in the final third. Players such as Jonathan dos Santos, Andres Guardado, Uriel Antuna and Luis Rodriguez appeared to be on a different page while they made their runs forward and looked for passes.

Failing to break down Costa Rica's defense is another significant worry. This won't be the last time Martino will have to deal with a CONCACAF squad that will be more than happy to place the entire squad behind the ball.

Manager rating (out of 10)

5 -- This was Martino's least impressive performance in his early tenure with Mexico. The manager held on to his substitutes for far too long and lost his cool after arguing with match officials. Due to a yellow card being given to him for a second consecutive game, the Argentine is set to miss the semifinal against Haiti.

As for his tactics, Martino should have altered his approach that became predictable for Costa Rica throughout the full 90 minutes and extra time. Optimistic Mexico fans will hope that this will lead to some personal constructive criticism for Martino.

Player ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Guillermo Ochoa, 10 -- Ochoa stepped up with a few saves in regulation time, a highlight-worthy stop in the second half of extra time and another save that clinched the win through penalties. Time and time again, Ochoa has emerged as a hero for Mexico.

DF Luis "Chaka" Rodriguez, 5 -- It was difficult to feel confident about the right-back who occasionally lost the ball and struggled to halt Costa Rica's counters. Chaka does a decent job in the attack with his passes but leaves much to be desired in the backline.

DF Carlos Salcedo, 6 -- Salcedo didn't have great chemistry with Nestor Araujo in the heart of defense and looked frustrated after struggling with pacey runs from the opposition. His true saving grace was scoring in the sudden death round of penalties.

DF Nestor Araujo, 5 -- There was something off about the 27-year-old, who tends to be a more reliable presence in defense. Araujo didn't form a good partnership with Salcedo and had a tough time stopping counters.

DF Jesus Gallardo, 7 -- A decent game for Gallardo. The high-pressing right-back was regularly involved in the attack and provided some dangerous crosses as well. Gallardo also scored in the round of penalties.

MF Jonathan dos Santos, 5 -- After earning an early yellow, Dos Santos became absent in the match. The LA Galaxy player eventually started to become more proactive in the late stages of the second half, but it was too little too late before he was substituted out in the 90th minute.

MF Edson Alvarez, 8 -- Alvarez was one of the hardest-working players on the field. The defensive midfielder was constantly involved in duels that helped gain possession back for Mexico.

MF Andres Guardado, 6 -- Not much to say about Guardado. The captain, who had injury doubts beforehand, had an average evening that featured a wide-ranging list of conservative and inaccurate passes in the final third.

FW Uriel Antuna, 4 -- Will the hype die down? Mexico's breakout player of the tournament looked lost in the company of Costa Rican defenders. The 21-year-old had no real impact in the game.

FW Raul Jimenez, 7 -- Credit where credit is due, and Jimenez should be given plenty of it for Mexico's only goal before penalties. No matter if he finds the back, El Tri benefits from having a lively No. 9 who loves to drop back and connect with the attack.

FW Rodolfo Pizarro, 8 -- Pizarro will likely go down as an unsung hero. Although he had some inaccurate opportunities on net, the 25-year-old was at times the only player who attempted to take chances with aggressive runs and bold passes in the second half. Pizarro also finished with an assist for Jimenez's goal.

Substitutes

MF Carlos Rodriguez, N/A -- Substituted in for Guardado in the 84th minute.

FW Roberto Alvarado, N/A -- Substituted in for Antuna in the 85th minute.

MF Luis Montes, N/A -- Substituted in for Dos Santos in the 90th minute.

DF Hector Moreno, N/A -- Substituted in for Araujo in the 106th minute.

England have called up Fran Wilson for the opening ODI of the Ashes against Australia, starting on Tuesday in Leicester.

Wilson played just once in England's recent 3-0 ODI sweep against West Indies but took the catch of the series to dismiss Hayley Matthews in the third match. She also ran out Chedean Nation while on as a substitute fielder for injured captain Heather Knight in the only T20I of the tour - the other two matches were washed out. Wilson scored 91 for England Academy against Australia in a warm-up match at Loughborough on Friday.

Allrounder Jenny Gunn, who made one appearance against West Indies - in the same ODI as Wilson - has also earned a place in England's 14-strong squad, along with top-order batsman Lauren Winfield.

With England on a 14-match winning streak across all formats, Knight, who has recovered from the hamstring injury she suffered during the T20I against West Indies, said of the Ashes: "You play cricket for series like this, they're special, so we're all just raring to go.

"It wasn't an easy squad to pick. We've won 14 games in a row and during that time time different people have performed and stuck their hand up. That bodes well for the Ashes and hopefully we can maintain that form throughout this series.

"We're really happy with this group. There's a good feeling amongst us and we want to go out there and regain the Ashes. That's our primary focus for the next month."

With England Women's Academy playing against Australia A throughout the ODI series, players may be called up from there as back-up options.

The Ashes, held by Australia, will be contested over three ODIs, a stand-alone four-day Test and three T20Is. ODIs and T20s are worth two points each for a win, while four points are up for grabs in the Test.

England: Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Jenny Gunn, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor (wk), Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt.

Australia 243 for 9 (Khawaja 88, Carey 71, Boult 4-51) beat New Zealand 157 (Starc 5 for 26) by 86 runs

As it happened

Big-game temperament, they said. On a decent run of form, with players coming back in who will strengthen them further. Know how to win a World Cup (or five). Plenty of observers warned the real Australia would turn up at this tournament, though fewer predicted they would be the first team to secure a semi-final place. But after brushing aside the early pace-setters in this round-robin format, Australia look increasingly - and menacingly - close to their best once again.

Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of Alex Carey's match-turning innings

New Zealand removed Australia's openers cheaply, chipped away at the middle order and then finished off the innings with a Trent Boult hat-trick - the first in ODIs at Lord's. That Australia managed to make as many as 243 for 9 was largely down to a century partnership between Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, the latter batting more fluently than anyone else on the day. Mitchell Starc then corralled a record third World Cup five-for, as a relentless, ruthless and (admittedly) slightly hotchpotch attack dismantled New Zealand.

The key wicket, that of Kane Williamson, was claimed by Starc, whose 5 for 26 saw him overtake his tournament-leading tally of 23 wickets from the 2015 World Cup. New Zealand's captain had not previously been dismissed by Starc in ODIs - a record which included their group-stage encounter four years ago, when Williamson thundered the final six that sealed a barnstorming one-wicket win in Auckland. At Lord's, it never got anywhere near so close.

Having recovered from 92 for 5, Khawaja anchoring the innings from the fifth over to the 49th - when he became the first part of Boult's late-swinging yorker tryptich - Australia simply preyed on New Zealand's insecurities with the bat. Williamson's 40 included being dropped twice and Ross Taylor was the only other player to get past 20 as the challenge of going at almost five an over on a tacky pitch proved too much.

WATCH on Hotstar (US only): Full match highlights

Australia captain Aaron Finch was able to cycle through as many as four part-time bowlers, including himself, as his three premier quicks plus the orthodox spin of Nathan Lyon kept New Zealand tied down. Never was the sense greater that momentum was with Australia than when Steven Smith was brought on to bowl an over of legspin and promptly claimed his first ODI wicket in five years, as Colin de Grandhomme picked out long-off.

Finch, Smith, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell combined for figures of 9-0-43-1 and that in itself provided a measure of Australia's eventual dominance. None of the big four went at more than 3.60 an over, with Jason Behrendorff backing up his five-star performance against England by removing both New Zealand openers in an opening spell that was extended to nine overs; and Nathan Lyon claimed his maiden World Cup wicket to suggest Australia have found the right balance for the slower surfaces that have predominated in the tournament.

New Zealand were left to ponder another stuttering batting display, which leaves them facing a potentially nervous final group game against England next week. The move to bring in Henry Nicholls for Colin Munro at the top of the order brought only limited success - although an opening stand worth 29 was still New Zealand's third-best of the competition - while despite starting well with the ball, Ish Sodhi's legspin was underused and Williamson resorted to bowling himself for seven overs during the pivotal stand between Khawaja and Carey.

Williamson perhaps reasoned that his offbreaks were more likely to trouble the pair of Australia left-handers - with both Sodhi and Mitchell Santner turning the ball into the batsmen - but it reinforced the nagging sense that New Zealand are overly reliant on their captain.

He did eventually remove Carey, caught at cover looking to press the accelerator in the final Powerplay, though by that time Australia had fought their way back into the contest. Khawaja was largely becalmed, scoring only two boundaries in his first 100 balls, but he proved an adept foil for the more dynamic Carey, who continued his excellent form by scoring more than two-thirds of the runs during their 107-run stand.

On a day highlighted by several brilliant catches - Martin Guptill's to dismiss Smith, James Neesham's off his own bowling to remove Glenn Maxwell, and Smith off Tom Latham all deserved a mention in dispatches - it was a missed chance that may have proved most significant. Khawaja's second ball, driving at Boult, flew hard and low off the outside edge only for Guptill to shell it going one-handed to his right from second slip.

On a roasting day in the capital, Australia had chosen to bat but, for only the second time in the tournament, Finch and David Warner could not provide a significant foundation. Boult rapped Finch on the knee roll and Warner was the first of a brace of short-ball breakthroughs for Lockie Ferguson, with Smith then plucked brilliantly by Guptill after pulling sweetly but within range of short fine leg; but although neither Stoinis nor Maxwell could produce the goods in the middle order - Australia's one area of minor concern - they nevertheless found a way to get away.

The innings juddered to a halt as Boult struck the stumps of Khawaja and Starc, then had Behrendorff lbw to complete the first World Cup hat-trick by a New Zealander. But it was Australia who ended the day emphatically on top.

At least the atmosphere was nicer for New Zealand. The sun shone, they dominated the early exchanges, and at the death of the game as a contest - Ross Taylor's top-edged smear off Pat Cummins in the 32nd over of their run-chase - at least there was no send-off to match Brad Haddin's gobful to the vanquished Grant Elliott at the MCG four years ago. As the Aussies have been learning since Cape Town, if your teeth are sharp already, there's no need to back up your bite with extra bark.

To claim that New Zealand were killed with kindness would do a disservice to the malevolent wicket-harvesting machine Australia they have put together since their arrival for the Lord's leg of their campaign. But in their first World Cup meeting since that World Cup final defeat, it will trouble New Zealand that the result was every bit as thumping.

They had even shuffled their cards for the first time in the tournament - bringing in Ish Sodhi as a second spin option and jettisoning the run-shy Colin Munro, who just hasn't been able to catch a break since their opening game of the tournament - but they found no immediate means to avoid another speed-bump in their previously serene glide towards an eighth World Cup semi-final.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Trent Boult's hat-trick

"For us, it is about moving on," said Kane Williamson, New Zealand's captain. "Keep taking on the challenge with that great attitude, and play with that freedom that gives us the best chance of having success; but at the same time respecting the fact that anybody can beat anybody in this tournament. Despite having some success early, that doesn't change, as we've seen."

It will still require an extraordinary turn of events to deny New Zealand that semi-final berth - Pakistan's failure to put Afghanistan in their place until the final over of their cliffhanger at Headingley means that they missed an opportunity to improve their wavering net run rate. As a consequence, it will require a landslide swing in NRR to push them out of the top four in the event of two England wins in their final games. And seeing as India and New Zealand themselves are the two teams in England's way, their fate remains decidedly in their own hands.

"I think that [net run rate] is of one of those outcome things," Williamson added. "If we are playing our best cricket, then the net run rate, perhaps the opportunity to win, are all factors, and that's what we want to be focussing on.

"So when the game was slipping away, we did want to build a partnership. We did want to try and take the game to a position where we might be able to fire a few shots, which obviously would have helped in that instance and given us more of a chance to perhaps have the opportunity to get over the line. But neither of those were a possibility today.

"Once again, it is about moving on, and going to Durham and looking forward to a new surface, new opposition. Us as a side need to be really positive and play with that freedom, because when we do that, that is when we play our best cricket, and that's the sort of mindset we need to have."

And yet, their trajectory is not encouraging. The contemptuous ease with which New Zealand dispatched Sri Lanka in their opening fixture in Cardiff - a ten-wicket win with 203 balls left unused - feels as long ago as the dismal weather that haunted the Western leg of this ever-evolving competition. Aside from a dissimilar swatting of an unawakened Afghanistan, the rest of their fixtures have been a battle - one that they've rarely been less than fully alive to, which is more than can be said for several less promisingly placed opponents - but a battle nonetheless.

And most troublingly, it's been a battle, like chess, in which the capturing of the king has proved decisive. Three of New Zealand's victories have come when Williamson himself has not been dismissed for less than 148. Both of their defeats, as well as that two-wicket crash landing against Bangladesh at The Oval, have come after he has been dismissed for scores of 40, 41 and 40.

His first century, against South Africa, held the innings together after a collapse of three wickets for eight runs, and his second, against West Indies at Old Trafford three days later, had come after both openers had been dismissed for golden ducks - and even that would have been in vain had Carlos Brathwaite got more elevation on his heave for glory.

In those circumstances - and again, taking in mitigation the incredible battling resolve that they have brought to each of their contests (even today's) - New Zealand may well be counting their blessings that India's formidable bowlers were denied the chance to get stuck in at Trent Bridge. More bullish sides would claim that the rain denied them a shot at victory. More realistic sides would happily accept that a point gained, and the breathing space it gives in the final semi-final shake-down, is priceless.

But, just as he has kept calm and carried on throughout a mighty personal campaign, Williamson isn't about to lose sight of the virtues that have carried New Zealand this far. A train up to Durham awaits in the morning, then the girding of his team's loins for a final qualification push that may yet be academic, depending on how England fare in the interim at Edgbaston.

"I don't think we need to focus on recalibrating," he said. "Maybe there's a dent in momentum. But then at the end of the day, it is coming back to the cricket that we want to play.

"Playing with those smarts, I think cricket smarts throughout this tournament has been perhaps the most important thing. Even perhaps more than something like the word 'freedom', which everybody wants to be able to achieve day-in, day-out. But on these surfaces that have varied a bit, which has been great, great viewing, but you do need to be smart and adapt really quickly on them to give yourselves the best chance of success."

His side have certainly done that, in spite of recent appearances at Edgbaston and Lord's. And you can bet that, when they come up against the team that has been striving more than any other for that "freedom", Williamson's methods won't budge an inch.

Australia still searching for perfect game - Starc

Published in Cricket
Saturday, 29 June 2019 21:04

If Mitchell Starc's performances are a barometer of Australia's World Cup prospects, then you might as well hand them the trophy here and now.

With his second five-wicket haul of the tournament - and his fourth of four or more - Starc marched past the 22 wickets in eight games with which he sealed his Player of the Tournament title in the 2015 campaign, and has moved to within three of overhauling the all-time record for a World Cup campaign, the 26 that Glenn McGrath claimed in another of Australia's five World Cup wins, in the Caribbean in 2007.

And yet Starc remains unmoved by the prospect of individual milestones. Asked what it would mean to overhaul the great McGrath, he replied: "Not much if we don't win the World Cup." With every passing performance, the odds on that turn of events lengthen.

For New Zealand, there was a bleak inevitability to Starc's interventions at Lord's. His first spell may have been wicketless but it came against a pair of openers whose only instinct was survival - and seeing as he chipped in with a 96mph thunderbolt in his third over, it seemed from the sidelines to be a prudent course of action.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Starc dazzles with a five-for

But with his team-mates keeping up those restrictive methods, Starc was able to return with a vengeance for his latter spells. Recalled for the 26th over, just as New Zealand had started to realise that discretion means little without a touch of valour, he struck with his fourth ball to dislodge the main man, Kane Williamson.

Ten overs later, he repeated the trick - this time sinking Tom Latham at midwicket - and with four overs still up his sleeve, there was now no reason not to keep him going in search of a clean kill. By attacking the stumps with lethal pace and late swing as a bonus, he once again displayed a method that, so far, only India's star-studded batting has managed to counter.

"[Attacking the stumps] is part of my game-plan," said Starc. "Again, it was a worn wicket today, so we were all fortunate that Finchie won the toss and we got to bat first. I believe they bowled well at the start. But I guess we keep learning from the opposition when we do bowl second, and I guess that fuller length and that straighter line for me, attacking those stumps, it is pretty much part of my game-plan.

"I think as a bowling unit today, we were fantastic to keep such a good side to under 160. So it was a great performance by everyone."

The simplicity of Australia's methods with the ball make their earlier struggles to find serviceable back-ups to Starc and Pat Cummins something of a mystery. But with Jason Behrendorff adding another oppressive left-arm option to their ranks, and with Nathan Lyon's Test-honed killer instincts delivering another inch-perfect spell on a worn surface, there was never any real opportunity for New Zealand to free their arms and catch up with an escalating rate.

Starc, however, does not yet believe they have stumbled upon the magic formula for guaranteed success.

"I think the fantastic thing about our 15 guys is we've got guys that can open the bowling. We have got several guys that make up good combinations. We've had all 15 part take part so far in the tournament. Guys are ready to go if called upon. The guys that were picked today did another fantastic job, [but] I don't think we've quite played the perfect game, if you like.

WATCH on Hotstar (US only): Full highlights

"We're finding ways to scrap and to restrict teams, and we keep improving every game. But I think the turning point was probably that Indian game where we had a good chat as a bowling group and a batting group and we've just continued to improve as a whole group of players from that game, so it's been fantastic."

Until the start of the World Cup, Starc had been an onlooker as Australia set about their quiet resurgence of white-ball fortunes. He missed the 3-2 series win in India with a pectoral muscle strain, and was still on the road to recovery when they went on to beat Pakistan 5-0 in the UAE in March. But having returned to Australia's set-up he has recognised a side that had renewed belief.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): New Zealand's innings

"From all reports, it's been a fantastic feel around the group in the UAE and India," he said, "and to play some fantastic cricket heading into that April break, was probably the momentum that the group was after heading into this tournament.

"So I think our chances are as good as any other team. We've always spoken about peaking towards the back end of the tournament, and we're still searching for that perfect performance. We're not quite there yet. We're showing glimpses of what we are capable of with the ball and with the bat and in the field, but we have still got room to improve, and that's exciting for this group.

"And if we can do that - well, we've got to play our best game in the semi now and hopefully better that in the final - and that's what tournament play is all about."

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