KEY POINTS:
ST JOHN'S, Antigua - New Zealand's cricketers should be grounded enough not to take a World Cup semifinal berth for granted, but just in case a fan has sent them a timely reality check.
Coach John Bracewell today revealed the team had received an emailed image of Mt Everest from New Zealand -- and little more explanation was required.
"Somebody sent us a nice picture of Everest the other day and you don't climb that by looking at the top," he said after an optional training session at the Antigua Recreation Ground today.
"It's a big climb so we've decided to go one step at a time."
New Zealand took a step in the right direction yesterday by comfortably beating the West Indies by seven wickets and they return to the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Monday (0130 Tues NZT) for their second Super Eights match.
Should New Zealand avenge their two-wicket loss to Bangladesh in a warm-up match on March 6 and then take the expected two points off Ireland on April 9 they should be on course for the final four before they strike Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia.
Bracewell was mindful of the growing expectations on the side considering they are on a hot seven-match winning streak -- three short of their best ever sequence of 10 in a row in 2004.
However, the streak should be placed in context as the historic Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series win came against a world champion side shorn of several stars while the victims here -- England, Kenya, Canada and the West Indies -- were always considered long shots for the semifinals.
The one-sided encounters in the West Indies have proved beneficial though, as New Zealand target the April 28 final in Barbados.
Bracewell was rapt with the collective performance against the West Indies, particularly a bowling effort that applied pressure to the tournament hosts star-studded top order from the time Michael Mason and Shane Bond shared the new ball.
The pair conceded just 28 off the first 11 overs before Jacob Oram took three important scalps and Daniel Vettori mopped up the tail as the West Indies were routed for 177 in the 45th over.
"I was really pleased with the way we held our discipline -- stringing those dot balls together put them under pressure.
"Mike (Mason) and Shane (Bond) set a good standard for us."
Bracewell described the seam bowlers performance as easily their best on tour given they managed to eradicate an annoying tendency to over step.
New Zealand conceded an alarming 24 no balls -- and 11 wides -- during their three group games but were on the mark yesterday after some extra tuition from bowling coach Dayle Hadlee.
The West Indians meagre tally was boosted by just seven extras -- of which only three wides were down to bowler error.
"It's something the guys addressed well in those six days we had leading into the game," Bracewell said.
Mason, a chief offender in the group matches, bowled arguably his most impressive spell in a black shirt conceding just 14 runs from his six over burst -- a stint that boosted his stocks.
The Central Districts right armer's form could not have come at a better time as he will soon face two more obstacles to first team selection.
Bracewell confirmed Chris Martin -- Daryl Tuffey's replacement -- was in the frame for the Ireland game in Guyana on April 9 while a fit again Mark Gillespie could make his Cup debut against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Bracewell gave James Franklin a vote of confidence after his three over spell cost 29 as Chris Gayle went on the offensive.
"I don't think James bowled particularly badly. Chris Gayle just decided to bully it.
"James will get the conditions that suit him at some point and he'll come through and someone else might get tonked."
Although it was an uncomfortable experience for the team's only left arm option, his retreat also showed the depth of resources Stephen Fleming has at his fingertips as Franklin's allocation of overs was easily covered.
"That's the beauty of this team," Bracewell said.
"We can bounce out of those situations, shift to a B plan quite seamlessly with Scotty Styris and things like that, and adapt to the wicket."
Ross Taylor's strained right hamstring is the only pressing injury concern and it is unlikely he will play against Bangladesh as Bracewell suggested the Irish game was a more realistic time frame.
- NZPA
