Editorial: Blow for Black Caps, but it's game on for World Cup

The Black Caps have been relying heavily on captain Kane Williamson to bat them to victory at the World Cup. Photo / AP

EDITORIAL

Never change a winning team. The Black Caps showed the limitations of this maxim when their World Cup campaign stumbled against Pakistan on a chilly field in Birmingham yesterday.

The New Zealanders have stuck with the same side throughout the tournament, and had been unbeaten in their first six games. However, those victories papered over some cracks in the Black Caps' lineup: Namely, three of the top order batsmen - Colin Munro, Martin Guptill and Tom Latham - are out of form.

Apart from the flawless opener against Sri Lanka, when a miserly total was reached without the loss of a wicket, the team has been reliant on stalwarts Kane Williamson and/or Ross Taylor to score the bulk of the runs.

Inevitably, there would come a match in which neither fully fired. In this case, Taylor was out for 3, while Williamson battled his way to 41 off 69 before being shut down by Shadab Khan — leaving the Black Caps at a precarious 83 for 5.

Some middle-order grit from James Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme took the team to a more respectable total of 237, but it was not enough. The inclusion of a fit Henry Nicholls could have helped avert the shoddy start.

Aside from the batting, the Edgbaston pitch showed more turn than in the Kiwi team's encounter there against South Africa, and the Black Caps — who again turned to Williamson, this time as a spin bowler — would have dearly loved the services of Ish Sodhi to help unpick the Pakistan batting lineup. Coach Gary Stead was quick to admit this after the match, saying he realised the mistake in the first over.

For Pakistan, they now have the momentum and easier games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan ahead of them. Their tournament is shaping to be an uncanny mirror of the 1992 World Cup — which they won.

Despite the disappointment for Black Caps fans, the last few matches have given the event a much-needed shake-up. Earlier, it seemed a likely top four of India, Australia, England and New Zealand would pull away from the pack. Now, England are at risk of being bundled out of their own tournament and face a late charge for a semifinal spot from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

For the Black Caps, they have only lost one match but now face the prospect of a dominant Australian side — with the fearsome opening pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner — and England. They may have to win at least one of these matches to progress to the semifinals.

With its soggy start, this World Cup has so far failed to fire the same excitement and joie de vivre of the 2015 edition, which was driven in no small part by the swashbuckling antics of Brendon McCullum and the spirit with which he imbued his side.

But now there is all to play for, and the fans of the subcontinent sides still in the hunt are bringing volume and colour to England's drab weather.

Game on.