Kane Williamson during the Black Caps' loss to Pakistan. Photo / Getty
Kane Williamson during the Black Caps' loss to Pakistan. Photo / Getty
By Liam Napier in Birmingham
Five key talking points from the Black Caps' six-wicket defeat to Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup.
Semifinals blown wide open
Permutations are such now that England are under serious heat to reach the knockout stages. Unbelievable, really, having begun rightful favourites as the world'stop ranked, form side. It's fallen apart rather rapidly, losses to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia proving killer blows that leave England needing one win and one washout to progress with a superior run rate. That's what the hosts have almost been reduced to, hoping for a washout. India next becomes sudden death, with New Zealand to finish. Tough run, that. The Black Caps are reasonably safe, though not definitively locked in yet either. England can still leapfrog the Black Caps with two wins, if New Zealand go without victory from here. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are all, now, chances for the semis too. Pakistan, with matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan to come, will believe they can get there – 1992, anyone? Finally this format delivers the compelling element it promised.
The Black Caps missed a trick not letting Sodhi grip and rip at Edgbaston. He would have been a weapon here. If the Black Caps go back for a semifinal, the two versus three version, it would be a shock not to see Sodhi feature given the nature of this wicket. As it was the Black Caps bowled 18 overs of spin, Mitchell Santner and Kane Williamson combining. Santner enjoyed real turn to the point of employing a short leg and two close slips. Williamson took one with his fifth ball, as he so often does; Santner threatened but went wicketless after Tom Latham dropped a sharp chance off the century-making Babar Azam. Sodhi may well have bagged a couple to potentially turn the match.
Seems highly likely Sodhi will now feature at Lord's, possibly at the expense of Matt Henry. Lockie Ferguson, Jimmy Neesham or Colin de Grandhomme could potentially take the new ball with Trent Boult. It would be a bold, attacking play, one against the grain. Could come up trumps, if playing on the used Australia-England pitch. Don't count on seeing it, though.
Ish Sodhi at a Black Caps training session. Photo / Photosport
Jimmy Neesham
Notched his highest ODI score, 97 not out, in a composed, calculated innings. Possibly left the hitting a tad late but weary of exposing the New Zealand tail to quality, quick pace bowling. Brilliant knock all things considered, having arrived at 83-5 and then holding it together after a rare Kane Williamson departure. Record 132-run six-wicket stand with Colin de Grandhomme, who again played positively despite frustrations for 64.
Neesham admitted post match the Black Caps projected to lose one, two, games through the round robin. Their goal is simply to make the final four. Then it's a one-off game.
Openers
What did we learn? Well, not a lot. Quick exits again. Martin Guptill first this time, Colin Munro 19 runs later. The Black Caps' wedded-to-faith selection policy is increasingly hard to fathom in Munro's case. Is time really on his side to go off? Seems the other way around. Henry Nicholls is the alternative, or promoting the out of sorts Tom Latham and using Nicholls in the middle. Something has to give soon, surely. The other option is putting Kane Williamson in to open. He's pretty much doing it now anyway.
Australia look a daunting prospect at Lord's, the World Cup's form team. The Mitchell Starc yorker radar is back on zone, and that alone should frighten the bejesus out of New Zealand fans. Then there's Pat Cummings. Aaron Finch is in form at the top, Steve Smith missed out in the 64-run victory over England at the same venue when the Australia attack crippled the hosts. Nathan Lyon is also back in the pack. It's not impossible by any means – the Black Caps know their trans-Tasman foes well. But it's sure a big ask. Doesn't get much better than New Zealand v Australia at Lord's. The Black Caps will rise for the occasion, but they may need that and some.
