In the group matches New Zealand have performed like a well oiled machine reading the sub continent conditions and the pitches so well that they have got the better of all their opponents to be the only team to come through the qualifying stages unscathed.

On that record alone New Zealand could consider themselves as favourites to beat England. However captain Kane Williamson was pretty optimistic about his team’s chances. “In terms of my perspective and the coach’s we will pick horses for courses against the opposition. That philosophy won’t change. In terms of favourites I think it’s impossible to give someone a favourite tag in T-20 cricket,” said Williamson at the pre-match press conference.

“The nature of this game is such that any given team that plays best wins. Anyone can beat anyone. Going into the tournament both pools were very strong and everyone had the desire to go and believed they could. Here we are for the knockout game and the guys are looking forward to it.”

Williamson said that he was aware of the threat that England possess to his team.

“I am not surprised at all. Having played bit of county cricket, I have seen all these guys quite a lot. How good players they are. They are a big threat,” said Williamson.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson

“We saw that in the ODI series that we played in England. When I saw the team on paper I knew it will be a tough challenge, you need to play tough cricket. I am not surprised that they are in the semi-finals. There are so many good cricketers in that country you try to improve as a side England have done that and they are very much contenders.”

England have a slight advantage on the pitch and conditions having played their last two group games against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka at Delhi, whereas for New Zealand they have played all over India.

“I suppose England have been fortunate to play in these conditions a couple of times, but in T-20 anything can happen,” said Williamson. “Coming into this tournament in both pools each team was confident that they will go all the way. I am sure England is no different. We have seen more of India than most opposition’s. It’s one of those things just happened by coincidence. Guys have just embraced the flights and enjoyed the variety of hotels.”

Williamson said that he was going with an open-minded approach to the semi-finals.

“My perspective I am trying to do the best job I can with many other leaders who assist us. It’s important to come up with sound game plans and ultimately it’s up to the players to execute those plans. We have done that so well in this tournament. Going into this tournament, it’s a big exciting game,” Williamson said.

England captain Eoin Morgan rated New Zealand as the team that has played the best cricket in the group stages and is looking ahead for a tough game.

“We’ve got a tough game tomorrow against a really strong New Zealand side, which have played probably the best cricket of the group stages. So we’re going to have to come up with a very strong game of cricket tomorrow to beat them,” said Morgan.

“We’ve come into this tournament with an open-mindedness about the conditions we’re coming up against, and that’ll be no different tomorrow. We’re playing on a fresh wicket which has a really good covering of grass. It’s changed over the last few games a little bit.”

“We’ve become quite settled in Delhi, and it’s been good to us. We’ve had fantastic support and following. Ultimately we’ve grown used to the pitch a lot more than the first game we were here, which was probably a little bit drier,” he said.

Having been in two semi-finals before Morgan said what England had learnt is that in getting to the knockout stage in any tournament means that you have done the hard work.

“It is almost now that you have earned a licence to go out and express yourself as much as you can. To me that attitude means getting the best out of yourself. If you have guys coming out who are very relaxed about performing and performing on the big stage that takes a lot of weight off your shoulders,” Morgan said.

“The guys that we’ve selected have done outstandingly well and shown a great amount of attitude in learning. It’s not always easy to come up against very strong sides who knock you back on a day-to-day basis, but every question that’s been asked of us we’ve come back with either a counter-answer or a more aggressive option,” he said.

The two sides have played each other in 13 T20Is with England winning eight, New Zealand four and one no-result.

Australia, who won the toss, lost four wickets for 29 runs to be 193 for six in the 37th over.

But wicket-keeper Wade and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (40 not out), neither of whom played in the World Cup final, turned the tide.

Their unbroken stand of 112 in 13 overs saw Australia to 305 for six after leg-spinner Adil Rashid had taken four for 59.

Left-hander Wade, who took nine balls to score his first run, faced 50 deliveries in total including 12 fours as he atoned for his part in the run-out of Shane Watson.

England, who suffered a 111-run thrashing by Australia at the World Cup, threatened at times during their chase but were eventually dismissed for 246 with 27 balls left in their innings when last man Steven Finn was bowled by Pat Cummins — one of four Australia bowlers who took two wickets apiece.

“Me and Mitchell just knuckled down and took our innings deep,” said Wade, who also held three catches as Australia beat England for the 10th time in 11 ODIs.

England captain Eoin Morgan insisted side should have succeeded in their run-chase.z_p20-Wade.jpg

“We lost it in the 10 or 15 overs in the middle of the chase where Australia bowled pretty well” he said.

“We got off to a fantastic start and when we get off to a start like that we should be chasing down 305.”

Morgan added: “I was pleased with Adil Rashid, he has come on in leaps and bounds. For him to come out and hold his nerve, I was very impressed.”

After Australia captain Steven Smith opted to bat, openers Joe Burns (44) and David Warner (59) made a solid start.

Warner had a reprieve on 18 when Chris Woakes failed to hold a hard-hit caught and bowled chance.

England, who had won both the preceding Ashes Test series an Monday’s lone Twenty20 against Australia in Cardiff, started to choke off the supply of runs.

Burns fell when he hit a Rashid full-toss back to the bowler to end a first-wicket stand of 76.

Warner, unusually, was scoring at under a run-a-ball and went when, beaten in the flight by Rashid, the left-hander edged an intended drive to Woakes at short third man.

George Bailey and Smith both hit sixes off Rashid.

But Smith, one ball after clearing the rope, hit a Rashid full-toss to Ben Stokes at mid-wicket and was out for 44.

Rashid struck again when the 27-year-old Yorkshireman had Bailey lbw for 23 with a quicker ball that skidded on.

When Watson, responding to a poor call by Wade, was run out, Australia were 193 for six.

But Wade and Marsh added 93 runs in the last 10 overs, with their stand a seventh-wicket record for Australia against England in ODIs.

Roy fifty

Jason Roy, driving the ball stylishly, and Alex Hales, put on 70 for England’s first wicket before Hales carelessly holed out off Marsh.

But South Africa-born Roy went on to complete a maiden fifty at this level, off 49 balls, including 10 fours.

Roy’s innings ended when, backing away, he sliced off-spinner Maxwell to point on 67.

Taylor made a near run-a-ball 49 before, advancing down the pitch to medium-pacer Watson — who played on this ground for Hampshire — he was bowled.

England then lost three wickets for no runs in four balls — including Morgan for 38 — with Nathan Coulter-Nile taking two in two, before Rashid prevented the hat-trick.

The five-match series continues at Lord’s on Saturday.