Upper Clutha’s Stu and Sarah Jamieson started the Farmers versus Tradies annual cricket match to encourage farmers to get off-farm more often. Video / ODT
There were a couple of positive aspects to the cruel blow Kane Williamson suffered during his long-awaited return to cricket.
First, the skipper can further rehabilitate his surgically repaired knee, which held up well enough while playing his first full match in six months but did cause the odd momentof angst when Williamson quickly changed direction.
And second, the Black Caps are as ideally placed as a team can be to replace such a talismanic figure.
That’s not to say Williamson won’t be missed; as he showed while expertly compiling 78 runs against Bangladesh on Saturday morning, New Zealand’s captain was ready and capable of leading another charge at a maiden Cricket World Cup crown.
But when the 33-year-old was struck on the left thumb while running between the wickets, and when scans revealed a fracture that would force him off the field for at least a fortnight, no panic gripped the Black Caps.
This side, after all, spent months expecting to be denied his services, such a speedy recovery from an ACL rupture about as unlikely as Williamson missing a straight one.
They then began this tournament with two dominant victories while Williamson watched from the sidelines, the top order particularly impressive in his absence.
And given he helped extend a perfect start by overseeing an eight-wicket win in Chennai, they can now afford to drop as many as half their remaining group games and remain confident of reaching the semifinals.
That might not be the plan, but in 2019 New Zealand edged the net-run-rate duel to advance with five wins from nine games, while hosts England eased through with six.
This year, if the Black Caps beat two teams ranked below them - Afghanistan on Wednesday and Sri Lanka to conclude pool play - a setback in the crunch clashes between those matches will cause little stress.
Nor will coach Gary Stead and his fellow selectors be stressing about the personnel change required to fill Williamson’s spot at No 3.
The top order will revert to its construction for the opening two games in India: Will Young recalled to open with Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra coming in at first drop after a short-lived elevation. That trio saw the second wicket fall with 144 on the board against the Netherlands - and it didn’t fall against England.
New Zealand will be buoyed also by the strength of their remaining batting order. Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham have both been among the runs at this World Cup, while closing pair Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman have enjoyed few chances owing to the success of those above them.
Daryl Mitchell posted a half-century against Bangladesh. Photo / Photosport
Mitchell Santner smashed 36 from 17 in his only innings, and Jimmy Neesham is an experienced option currently outside the first-choice XI.
Williamson’s fracture is undoubtedly painful on a personal level, considering how diligently he worked this year to be ready for its showpiece event. But his side boast enough quality to ensure their skipper’s new recovery target can be a return in time for the semifinals.
That aim begins in Chennai on Wednesday night against an Afghanistan team who began the World Cup with an eight-wicket defeat by India before recording a stunning upset over England.
The Asian nation, playing at their third ODI World Cup, displayed their ability to trouble established sides even before the shock result against the defending champions. In July, they won a three-match series in Bangladesh, and in the last 12 months they have twice beaten Sri Lanka.
In similarly subcontinental conditions, Afghanistan can pose a challenge - as England learnt. But the Black Caps have proven adaptable in India and shone against Bangladesh on a pace-friendly pitch adjacent to the wicket that suited spin during the previous contest in Chennai.
“It was a nice wicket and hopefully it’s the same [against Afghanistan],” said Mitchell, who blitzed Bangladesh with 89 from 76. “We always knew these games were going to be tough, especially here in Chennai, and I think every team at this World Cup is strong in their own way.
“So it’s about adapting as quick as we can to surfaces and keep trying to win games along the way.”
Kris Shannon has been a sports journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. Reporting on Grant Elliott’s six at Eden Park in 2015 was a career highlight.
