New Zealand were already World Cup contenders but yesterday's display proved they do not always need to rely on Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to assert batting authority; the order can punish attacks with players beyond that feted trio.
In an interview on Thursday, Ronchi spoke about ideally coming in during the final 10 overs, or, in a perfect world, not at all. If he hadn't batted yesterday, the crowd would have been cheated of one of this country's most scintillating innings.
He became a coiled spring unleashing everywhere with wrists as supple as rubber bands. His batting compass swatted balls into the stands over mid-wicket and straight down the ground before adjusting to punish cover drives from minimal width outside off stump. His bat behaved like a catapult. The 24 runs he took off the 48th over, to effectively decide the Nelson match, was like the trailer to yesterday's film.
Since the start of the season Ronchi has made 513 runs in 10 innings at an average of 64.13, and, more importantly, a strike rate of 125. He has been dismissed for less than 16 once when he was run out without facing a ball in Hamilton last week.
Elliott's innings was more demure but its value can't be underestimated. It takes a mature player to scale down the tempo and watch his partner take the majority of the accolades.
Elliott received his own reward with a second ODI century. His defence was sound and his placement unerring. He even had the presence of mind to trigger his stance towards the offside when facing from the southern end so he had easier boundary access.
With Ronchi's maiden ODI century, every player in yesterday's New Zealand top seven had passed the milestone. Importantly, with the World Cup 21 days away, if they've been there they can always return.
Elliott's knock silences doubters
Grant Elliott's place in the Black Caps World Cup squad raised a few eyebrows but yesterday the veteran middle-order batsman underlined his worth to the team.
The 35-year-old all-rounder hit 104 from 96 deliveries at the University Oval. His fellow Wellingtonian Luke Ronchi was the star of the show with an undefeated 170, but Elliott's knock was pretty special as well.
He came out to bat with New Zealand limping along at 60 for three and set to work.
It was a hugely satisfying innings, both personally and for his supporters.
"I've been playing a different sort of a role for Wellington which is quite fun, coming in at the end and giving it a bit of a whack," Elliott said. "But it seems whenever I play for the Black Caps [my] role, if we do lose three quick ones, is to come in and rotate the strike and strike at as close to hundred as I can."
- Adrian Seconi
