It's just over half way through the Group Stage of the Cricket World Cup with 24 of 45 games completed so far and the tournament is now really starting to take shape. There have been a few big upset results so far but overall there isn't too many surprises on the competition ladder and to my eye there is probably only 5 teams which are in with a chance to make the Top 4 and play in the finals from here.
The Bolters
Since my last update the biggest bolter is Australia. Considered one of the early tournament favorites they dropped their first 2 games before getting it together to beat Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Netherlands in fairly commanding fashion. Their Net Run Rate is also now very positive and they are looking a much bigger chance to make the finals from here. Their next game is against the only Top 4 side they haven't yet played - New Zealand and if they can win that game they will most certainly play in the finals.
The surprise packet is Afghanistan. They weren't expected to do much this tournament but have knocked off both England and Pakistan in recent matches. It's unlikely they can make the finals but they are clearly playing a spoiler role and can't be taken lightly. They appear to be loving the Indian conditions.
The Disappointments
The biggest disappointment would have to be England who were upset in the opening game by New Zealand before going on to flop badly against massive underdog Afghanistan and then followed up that loss by being trounced by South Africa. England were one of the pre-tournament favorites but they have failed badly this campaign and have very little hope of making the finals from here.
Not far behind England in the disappointment stakes is Pakistan. They were my dark horse for this tournament but after losing to India, Australia and then failing against Afghanistan in consecutive games they are looking very vulnerable sitting in 5th on the ladder. It's not too late for Pakistan to make a run at the Top 4 but with 3 losses on the trot they need to turn it around very quickly.
Overall, the standout performer for the tournament is India which is no surprise to anyone. They are undefeated with 5 wins from 5 games and it genuinely would not be a shock for them to go through the whole tournament undefeated. Both New Zealand and South Africa have 4 wins each and have good ladder position but have shown some vulnerability. South Africas loss to the Netherlands was fairly incomprehensible so this might not be the tournament where they are likely to shake off the "Chokers" tag.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Netherlands are all sitting on just 1 win each. It would be a pretty safe bet to rule a line through these 3 teams at this point.