New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson speaks during a press conference after attending a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England at Lord's. Photo / AP
New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson speaks during a press conference after attending a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England at Lord's. Photo / AP
Blind hope maybe, but there is a sense something special wafts in the revered Lord's air.
Ask most Brits their honest view, and they suggest a maiden ODI crown is as good as England's. Yes, there were questions put to England captain Eoin Morgan about how it would feel tolift the World Cup.
The Black Caps are participants, a footnote afterthought, for the fait accompli. So the local script goes, anyway.
England's eight-wicket semifinal trouncing of Australia, coupled with their 119-run final group stage victory against New Zealand, only serves to inflate overconfidence.
Fair enough. England deserve to start heavy favourites.
Yet several elements perhaps tilt this contest more towards 60/40 than the 90/10 the vast majority here would have you believe.
Second time around, after the deflating attempt in Australia four years ago, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Matt Henry and even the out of sorts Martin Guptill all know what to expect.
Collective experience gleaned from that seven-wicket demise shapes as New Zealand's greatest tool.
This time there can be no thoughts of being happy to be there.
Let the deeply passionate, ready for the fight attitude, that got the Black Caps here bubble over.
It's not a case of having to lose a final to win one – more those five players can prepare themselves and team-mates to mentally handle the pressure like no other.
Drops, run outs, panic; the grand stage does funny things to the world's best.
New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson, center right facing camera, stands with teammates during a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England at Lord's. Photo / AP
Nervous sleeps and early jitters will be felt by most, especially those new to this stage.
Expectations largely rest on England.
At the respective captain's press conferences today, Williamson appeared more relaxed than his mostly serious and somewhat tense counterpart.
Williamson even cracked a few typically dry jokes – this his best offering after persistent badgering about New Zealand's underdog status: "Anybody can beat anybody regardless of the breed of dog."
Firstly, it's not the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Not in size. Not in daunting stature.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead once cleaned the windows, and 18-year-old Taylor savoured time there in the MCC Young Cricketers.
Lord's is a welcoming, inspiring place with a familiar feel for many Black Caps.
New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson, left, and teammates Tom Latham, center, and Ish Sodhi attend a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England. Photo / AP
There will be an immensely heightened sense of occasion to overcome, but the crowd will be more respectful than acrimonious.
Members in the pavilion won't blow trumpets or knock back pints with ties on their heads while hurling sledges or obstacles.
The Black Caps should, therefore, be comfortable enough.
In the ODI arena, Lord's is hardly a fortress for the hosts either. England have won three of their last eight (one of the past three) at the home of cricket since 2013, including the 64-run loss to Australia in this tournament.
The pitch and cloudy forecast also offers potential encouragement.
The green top will undergo a buzz cut before the toss but its appearance 24 hours out was enough to make Morgan squirm somewhat anxiously when asked about the prospect of batting first.
"From afar, it looks greener than it is," Morgan said. "There isn't a lot of grass on the wicket. So it probably exaggerates how it will look. I think it will look different – if the sun comes out for a few hours, it will look different in a few hours, it'll go whiter and burn it off."
New Zealand's bowling attack has, after all, proven their strength throughout this World Cup. Just as it was against India, the final again pits the World Cup's best attack against another vaunted top order in the form of openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow.
Knocking one, two off early holds the key.
Runs on the board, and conditions which assists any hint of swing, can quickly create scoreboard pressure.
Williamson's calm mood extended to stating his men don't need to be perfect.
New Zealand players share a light moment with a member of support staff during a training session ahead of the Cricket World Cup final match against England at Lord's. Photo / AP
He emphasised the importance of reading conditions and adapting to the surface – a trait he and Taylor embodied by eking out runs from frequent, fraught situations after repeated failures from opening combinations.
How astonishing it would be if New Zealand were to claim the World Cup without once scoring 300.
As Williamson explained, much has changed since the Black Caps blazed their way to, then flopped in, the Melbourne final.
"We have a very different group, a slightly different vibe and ethos in how we operate but at the same time we're very committed to that."
Surely this group is in a better place for their near free swing at redemption.
Williamson won't be losing his head and charging down the pitch first ball.
Ironically the maligned, subdued approach has the Black Caps back on that same stage.
Four years on they have again inspired a nation to now stand on the verge of altering perceptions of New Zealand cricket.
Global coverage of their semifinal win fixated on India's collapse, rather than the bowling exploits that ripped the top order apart.
Should the Black Caps pull off another miracle upset they must finally be recognised alongside the big three – India and Australia, who collectively own the last five World Cups, and England.
Any sense of nagging doubt is dangerous for the hosts. In a sporting context sometimes the closer you get to the trophy, the harder it is to touch.
No matter how good the storyline, elite sport promises nothing.
For that reason if no other maybe this time with the Black Caps we can truly dare to dream.
