KEY POINTS:
It was good to see New Zealand win against Sri Lanka in yesterday's warm-up match and good too that the rules allow you to play 13 men but bat 11.
That means a team can bat their batsmen and bowl their bowlers and look to get players into form; assess that form; and generally give themselves options for the likely make-up of the side.
There's just one thing wrong with this - New Zealand is a team that has a tough decision to make. Do the Black Caps go with a deep batting side or do they play a bowler in that troublesome fifth bowler slot?
The Black Caps will obviously name and play their number one side against England in the opening match of the World Cup for those two teams. But they then play two minnows, Kenya and Canada. The temptation will be to tinker with the side and the combinations to make sure they have the right answer.
I'd be far happier if they named their side now and gave that side some game time together, polishing the combinations and helping it to work - not worrying about whether you have the balance right. Getting that balance right is vital, but you also have to give them time and opportunity to knit together and perform well.
You see the problem even in our domestic cricket. If a team is struggling to find that balance and to hit their game plan, it can be devastating to their form.
That's what I think the Black Caps have to avoid. They should name a team now, play it through the next three games and see whether they are hitting their objectives, maintaining that balance and doing the business.
In the end, however, the injury to Peter Fulton might decide for them. The choice essentially is whether you play an extra bowler and leave one of Scott Styris, Fulton or Craig McMillan out.
Before yesterday, you'd have to say that you'd want to play McMillan after his recent heroics. You'd also want to play Fulton - and his 50 yesterday was a treat, off 40-odd balls and he got into Muttiah Muralitharan in a way that was very encouraging. So the odd man out might have been Styris, especially as he has not been in great form.
But Styris is a class player and has a good record in the West Indies. Yesterday he failed with the bat but bowled 10 overs for 44 and took two wickets.
His bowling could be very important for this side and, with Fulton in doubt, the decision could be made for them.
Whatever they decide, the time is right to name the side and then stick with it through pool play as much as possible, making sure they can find and polish their combinations and feel comfortable with the balance.
The time for tinkering is done.
