16 teams remain in the Decades Tournament. The draw for the knockout phase is complete. 8 of 11 group winners will play at home against the 5 runners up and 3 winners with the worst run rate (Australia pre-war, England 1950s and South Africa 2000s). The draw for the knockout phase is as follows:
The knockout phase starts with 2 fascinating games. England 2020s will take Bazball back to Lords where they will take on the Rest of the World 2000s. Ben Stokes will be hoping that Ben Duckett and Harry Brook will be fit and can carry their form into this round. Duckett scored 3 70's and an unbeaten 136 in the group stage. Meanwhile Brook has made 91 not out twice, 61 not out against New Zealand and then scored 104 and 53 against India. They will also hope that Will Jacks is back to full fitness and available, after taking 17 wickets in the group stage.
Stephen Flemings Rest of the World will be confident they can beat England however. Fleming himself was in good form, hitting 205 against South Africa while Mohammed Yousuf opened the group with 2 unbeaten centuries against Australia. Their talisman with the ball is of course, the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar who took 18 wickets in the group stage.
The 2nd game sees the 1960s South Africans take on the Pre-War Australians at Durban. Australia have only played one game in this tournament, but beat a handy England team on a scruffy Sydney pitch, in a game blighted by bad weather and poor light. Warren Bardsley top scored in that game with 87, while off spinner Hugh Trumble took 10 wickets (with 5 in each innings).
South Africa come into the knockout phase as one of the tournament favourites. They had 2 big wins against Australia and the West Indies in their group. Captain Eddie Barlow hit hundreds in each game and with Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Colin Bland in reserve, they will be confident of scoring runs. They also boast one of the best pace attacks in the tournament and will be more than a handful at Kingsmead.
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