England's close alliance to host India has given them a comfortable ride at the Twenty20 World Cup.

That's the belief of former England captain Mike Atherton ahead of the semifinal between England and New Zealand in Delhi on Thursday morning (2.30am NZ time).

Atherton clearly believes the 2014 powerplay at the International Cricket Council that produced big brother status for heavyweights India, Australia and England is playing out at this World Cup.



While there are now plans to break down their administrative dominance, England are reportedly reaping the benefits.



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They have sat in Delhi and Mumbai while the Black Caps have been on a tour of India, playing their four pool games in different venues and now forced to adapt again for their De;lhi debut at the tournament.



"New Zealand have had to play very traditional sub-continental style cricket, whereas England have been unfettered and blessed by circumstance in Mumbai and Delhi," Atherton wrote in his latest column for The Times.

Gareth Copley England captain Eoin Morgan warms up for a nets session at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, which has become a second home for them at the T20 World Cup.

"Circumstance or administrative brotherly love? Take your pick, but it is probably fair to say that the closeness of the relationship between the boards of England and India of late has done Morgan's team little harm where the itinerary is concerned.

"While New Zealand's players have been racking up thousands of air miles, England have been sitting pretty in conditions that have required little adaptability. They have benefited from both the (relatively) fast-paced pitches and teeming metropolises of Delhi and Mumbai, where there is enough to occupy young and restless minds.



"This intimate knowledge of Delhi, where they have already beaten Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, must be of huge benefit to England, both to the bowlers, who have an idea of the best pace to bowl, and areas of the ground to defend and, especially, to the batsmen, who will have a feel for the size of the boundaries and the pace of the pitch. It took England a game to adapt in Delhi; New Zealand do not have that luxury."

The issue isn't lost on the New Zealanders. It even drew a rare bit of public humour from Black Caps captain Kane Williamson when he was asked about the inequality of the travel equation between the two teams at this tournament.

"That's great," Williamson said with a half a smile

"We've been able to see more of India than most opposition sides. It's one of those things. Surely it just happened by co-incidence? They guys embraced it, embraced the flights and enjoyed the variety of hotels."

Atherton was rich in his praise for Williamson and the New Zealand team that have cleverly read the varying conditions to go through pool play as the only unbeaten team.

He was also delighted with England's progress and predicted a thrilling semifinal.

"Kane Williamson's side have lost none of the blue-collar grit and resilience possessed by previous teams, but in recent times their cricket has been adorned with more than a little aristocratic swagger too," Atherton wrote in The Times.

"The same could be said of Eoin Morgan's England, although in this instance the transformation has been more dramatic and recent. It took an embarrassing 50-over World Cup 12 months ago for the selectors to recognise belatedly that, in personnel and attitude, England had been stubbornly playing cricket from another age - and not in a good way.

"Now, a World Cup semi-final between these teams shapes as a potential classic, in a way that might not have been the case years ago.





"Both sides possess players who would demand selection in any tournament best XI. Williamson would have a strong claim to the captaincy, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner to spinning berths. Joe Root and Jos Buttler are the two, who, along with Ben Stokes, typify this youthful and dynamic England and would be ignored foolishly.





"Where do both sides stand right now? Unbeaten, New Zealand have looked the strongest, most resourceful side in the tournament, led by the most impressive captain. Williamson gave the earliest possible clue that he would be his own man, when, before the first game in Nagpur against India, he left out Tim Southee and Trent Boult, two of his most experienced, senior and capable cricketers. It was a brave decision that was fully vindicated in the victory in conditions tailor-made for the home team. It put the tournament on notice.





"He will need his wits about him in Delhi and his team will have to adapt again because they have only played in spin-friendly conditions. If the Delhi pitch replicates the one England played on in what was effectively a quarter-final against Sri Lanka, then three spinners (Nathan McCullum, Santner and Sodhi) may be a luxury.

"Then again, England are more comfortable against seam than spin, making a judgment call on the final XI a very tricky one. All that can be said is that Williamson has not erred yet."

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