RICHIE Wyld’s over 40s Cricket World Cup campaign will end in a third or fourth place finish after the Australia were defeated by New Zealand in their semi-final.
The loss means the Mildura Settlers star and his Aussie teammates go head-to-head with England in the third-place play-off contest, with the Kiwis to face home side South Africa in the Cape Town final.
Wyld was one of his side’s better performers in the semi-final defeat, recording the second highest score of 32 as Australia reached 7/177 from their 45 overs.
They were powerless to stop former New Zealand Test batsman James Marshall, whose unbeaten 103 led the Kiwis home in a tight two-wicket victory with 17 deliveries in hand.
The English contest will have even more significance for three-time Innes Medal winner Wyld, who grew up in Nottingham and played Notts Country second XI cricket before heading to Sunraysia.