KEY POINTS:
Phase Two, as Stephen Fleming puts it, complete. The Black Caps have moved past practice and through the group stage and now you may say the tournament proper starts - the super eights.
New Zealand was always going to progress to this stage; it was just a matter of whether they did so with two or zero points. The group phase of this tournament is really only about exposure for the 'minnow' teams. Each of the test-playing nations in theory has one stern test against their group counterpart.
Unfortunately for New Zealand that came in their very first game. It is not ideal to have your big game first up and then follow it up with two expected walkovers, which is exactly what happened.
Since the successful match against England, the Black Caps have had only had two no-contests in 13 days before their first super eight clash against the hosts. One-day cricket is very much about building momentum within a game and from game to game.
Two weeks filled with easy wins and training is not ideal preparation.
However Fleming and his camp seem quite satisfied with where they are at and fair enough. While the England game had its rather frail moments, it was a good display whereby pressure was absorbed and then turned back upon England to snuff them out in the end quite comfortably. Then the two minnows were dispatched in a ruthless and clinical manner.
While these games represented nothing more than match practice, New Zealand did what a champion side should do to lesser opposition, illustrating a hard-edged quality - something that, at times, has been lacking in New Zealand cricket teams.
During their time here in the Caribbean so far, perhaps the biggest positive for the Black Caps is they will be confident of their game plan. The have developed a formula of play that utilises their strength of depth and power in their batting -wicket retention and acceleration through the innings rather than fast starts at the top.
On the negative side, there is the feeling that Fleming is still not totally sure of the right balance of the team. He is reluctant to play two spinners and the opening partner to Bond is still in question as is the best bowling combinations in the later stages of their fielding effort.
The time is now to settle on a team and change it only through injury or dramatic form loss.
Finally, on the subject of injuries, that ever-present affliction of New Zealand cricket, we have picked up a few during phase two. Mark Gillespie's is frustrating but he is not yet indispensable and Daryl Tuffey was unlikely to play anyway. However, Ross Taylor is one the team can ill afford to lose.
So, perhaps looking on the bright side, the extended break may prove beneficial as a healing period.
