Cricket: Vettori looks past semifinal

Expectations of New Zealand at next month's Twenty20 world championship? Semifinalists.

Think of International Cricket Council-run tournaments and New Zealand "do" last four finishes.

Five times they have made the semifinals at the World Cup; in the Champions Trophy they have their solitary ICC-run tournament victory, in Kenya nine years ago, and a semifinal finish three years ago.

At the inaugural Twenty20 world event in South Africa two years ago, they were at it again, stumbling on the final step.

"It's an interesting one," captain Dan Vettori said of New Zealand's record. "It has positive and negative connotations.

"I think it's great people perceive us as a team who can make the top four. The negative side is people perceive we can't get past that. So we're trying to fight that in this tournament."

New Zealand assembled in England this week and are working through a series of warmup matches. There have been wins over Bangladesh and Ireland and they play India and Australia in "official" practice games this week before kicking off against Scotland at The Oval next weekend.

New Zealand will make the second stage if they beat the Scots. From that point it gets tougher, as it should. But they have every chance of at least making the semifinals provided they settle on the right formula, pick the right players and take their opportunities.

"If we do get there we have to treat it as another day, get a little excited about it but realise we've still got to play the game that got us there," Vettori said yesterday. The leadup is a chance for players to push their case. However, Vettori reckons he has his first choice XI in mind, with one position still open.

The candidates for that No 7 batting spot include Neil Broom, Peter McGlashan, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum and Brendon Diamanti, all batsmen capable of pushing the pace.

Vettori is excited by the possibilities out of the top four batting lineup - a settled quartet of Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor - and with the expectation that Kyle Mills gets over a dicky back, expects his bowlers to do a solid job.

Mills and allrounder Jacob Oram are the players who spring to mind when thinking of injuries. However, while Mills didn't get to roll his arm at all for the Mumbai Indians, Oram played 11 games in the Indian Premier League for the semifinalists Chennai.

This week, Australian coach Tim Nielsen said it was time Twenty20 was treated seriously rather than the frivolous wild-child younger sister of the more established versions of the game.

Vettori reckons that happened a while ago. "For most international players, during that [first] Twenty20 World Cup there was a realisation of how big a tournament it was and also how much fun it was."

ROAD TO GLORY

New Zealand at the Twenty20 world championship: (NZT)

Warmups

* Tuesday: v India, Lord's
* Wednesday: v Australia, The Oval

Pool play
(in group D, top two qualify for Super 8):

* Saturday: v Scotland, The Oval
* June 10: v South Africa, Lord's

Super 8 round
(if NZ qualify)

* June 12: v Bangladesh (probable), Trent Bridge
* June 14: v Pakistan (probable), The Oval
* June 17: v Sri Lanka, The Oval
* June 18-21: Semifinals, final
* New Zealand squad: Dan Vettori (c), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Neil Broom, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Brendon Diamanti, Kyle Mills, James Franklin, Peter McGlashan, Ian Butler, Iain O'Brien.