Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson after scoring the winning runs against Bangladesh. Photo / Getty
Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson after scoring the winning runs against Bangladesh. Photo / Getty
COMMENT:
There's pressure and then there's World Cup pressure.
Over the past couple of years, New Zealand have come across the former on a number of occasions and, after the thrilling finish to their second World Cup pool match against Bangladesh at the Oval in London, they can now saythey've experienced – and safely negotiated – the latter.
Yes, the Black Caps made the run-chase a lot harder than it needed to be but they wouldn't necessarily mind having to scrap for the win. You're bound to run into some wobbles during the tournament and it's best to get them out of the way early on.
Keep in mind that Bangladesh are no longer easy-beats - of the past 11 meetings between the countries outside of New Zealand, we had only managed to win one.
They have some world-class players and they're playing good white-ball cricket, as South Africa discovered earlier.
Lockie Ferguson hs been used as a wicket-taking option in the middle overs by Black Caps captain Kane Williamson. Photo / Photosport
The fact, that the Kiwis picked up wickets throughout the Bangladeshi innings proved to be the difference between a 240 score and a total in excess of 300 and in this regard, captain Kane Williamson's strategic use of Lockie Ferguson has been impressive.
Our change bowlers, the guys who would traditionally bowl the bulk of the middle overs, aren't recognised wicket-takers. Mitch Santner, Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham have the ability to chip in with breakthroughs but they're mostly expected to contain the run-rate.
As a result, Williamson has resisted the urge to use Ferguson at the top of the innings, instead holding him back for three or four-over bursts in the middle periods, with one clear message – get wickets!
That worked a charm again against the Tigers but while our bowling was polished, our batting lacked one player going through.
Mitchell Santner and Kane Williamson in deep discussion against Bangladesh at The Oval. Photo / Photosport
Ross Taylor played well, but his dismissal (for 82 runs in the 39th over) could have been a turning point in the game.
It was good to see Martin Guptill and Colin Munro again being aggressive at the top of the order, while the calm Williamson and Taylor exuded during their partnership was remarkable. Apart from those near run-outs, of course. Both Taylor and Williamson can be guilty of ball-watching at times and, hopefully, we don't have a repeat of what could have been a disaster for New Zealand.
It's a topic that pops up every now and then but I don't believe there's an over-reliance on Williamson and Taylor. They're two of our best players and they bat at No 3 and 4 respectively for that reason. Most teams in world cricket have quality players in those pivotal positions and, more often than not, when those players don't fire, neither do their teams.
Ross Taylor played an outstanding innings - but his dismissal could have been costly. Photo / Photosport
There were a few soft dismissals in what was undoubtedly a nervy finish and it will be interesting to see which way the selectors go for the next game against Afghanistan in Taunton. That wicket takes a bit of turn and they might be tempted to play both leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and Santner.
That would come at the expense of one of our all-rounders and it would be a toss up between de Grandhomme, who has performed well with the ball of late, and Neesham, who can be a devastating hitter.
Having had a look at all of the teams in the World Cup, it's clear that India remain a threat. How England respond after their shock loss to Pakistan will say a lot about their title credentials, and the clash between Australia and the West Indies (from overnight) promised to be full of fireworks.
The real danger team is Pakistan. Beating England in their own backyard after a big loss to the West Indies takes some doing. They're notoriously inconsistent but when they're on song they can – and will – beat anyone. They've also spent a lot of time in England leading into the tournament and with the incredible support they have at most grounds in the UK, they could be a real threat.
Andre Russell struck with the early wicket of Usman Khawaja in the overnight game between the West Indies and Australia. Photo / Getty
The Black Caps' chances? You can't argue with the strong start they've had. They were clinical in their dismantling of a below-par Sri Lanka and stood up to scrutiny, although largely self-inflicted, against Bangladesh.
The last thing you want is to get knocked over by a side you're expected to beat early on but New Zealand managed to get back from a tough position and will review where things so nearly went wrong.
At the World Cup, though, there's no time to fret.
