***Official*** Pakistan in New Zealand 2015

[Days of Grace]

As good as they are looking, I have my doubts as to whether the batting lineup can make it through the World Cup without at least one lollapse, where everyone fails on the same day. Let's just hope it happens in the group stages.

And it will be very interesting to see how we handle being favorites for most matches with the weight of expectation on us, something a New Zealand cricket team has not had to handle for a sustained period for as long as I can remember.

 

[Flem274*]

Theoretically bigger grounds should mean bigger holes in the field.

With the dimensions of most NZ grounds you have to be onto it between the sticks when pinching singles.

 

[Flem274*]

Look I actually was the first to say Bailey is a hack and so is Finch and half the Aussie side but Shane Watson is one of the best ODI batsmen/allrounders ever. In no universe is he worse than Guptill.

RE: Bailey's record; I think it's boosted by some India bashing.

Twatto is an ATG in ODIs but he's playing like mud atm.

Ideally he'll find his next patch of form after the World Cup.

 

[SteveNZ]

Theoretically bigger grounds should mean bigger holes in the field.

With the dimensions of most NZ grounds you have to be onto it between the sticks when pinching singles.

Over the 30m circle there are, absolutely. Obviously up front Gup struggles to get it out there and a bouncy deck may not suit if guys are hitting back of a length (which they should if they do their homework). But hell, I'd love to find out how he goes at the G - think he scored a half-century there in our last ODI.

 

[Zinzan]

Twatto is an ATG in ODIs but he's playing like mud atm.

Ideally he'll find his next patch of form after the World Cup.

Lol Flem, I just posted his last 5 scores.

198 runs @ 39.6 & a SR of 92? Mud? really?

He did have a poor 2014 overall, but there's not much wrong with his form in the 3 games against SA in Nov & the one each against Eng & India since.

 

[Greenlite]

As good as they are looking, I have my doubts as to whether the batting lineup can make it through the World Cup without at least one lollapse, where everyone fails on the same day. Let's just hope it happens in the group stages.

And it will be very interesting to see how we handle being favorites for most matches with the weight of expectation on us, something a New Zealand cricket team has not had to handle for a sustained period for as long as I can remember.

I actually think they play better as favourite in home conditions, over the last decade, they get self belief rather than arrogance or pressure. But this would be the first time they have this hype especially from the media so hopefully they will come through

 

[Flem274*]

They were favourites against Sri Lanka in the test series and demolished them in the first and came back from the brink of defeat to win again in the second. Good signs.

 

[Zinzan]

I hate to say this and I very much hope I'm wrong, but NZ batsmen I can see freezing up & becoming deer in the headlights in a massively tense semi-final/final are;

Bmac
Guptill &
Anderson


And those I do think will be able to perform in a highly tense final-type situation are Williamson, Taylor & Elliott.....and remember this comes with a different type of pressure than NZ have dealt with the some of their great test escapes recently.

I know BMac has delivered under pressure in Chappell/Hadlee games in the past, but I think as the skipper in a home WC would turn most people into jelly.

 

[Athlai]

Look I actually was the first to say Bailey is a hack and so is Finch and half the Aussie side but Shane Watson is one of the best ODI batsmen/allrounders ever. In no universe is he worse than Guptill.

RE: Bailey's record; I think it's boosted by some India bashing.

Watson has had a really really **** two years. Looks shot. If we're talking all time I'm with you, but we're not. We're talking right now.

 

[Athlai]

Don't disappear now Athai ...

Sosa was playing gtav

 

[Bahnz]

I hate to say this and I very much hope I'm wrong, but NZ batsmen I can see freezing up & becoming deer in the headlights in a massively tense semi-final/final are;

Bmac
Guptill &
Anderson


And those I do think will be able to perform in a highly tense final-type situation are Williamson, Taylor & Elliott.....and remember this comes with a different type of pressure than NZ have dealt with the some of their great test escapes recently.

I know BMac has delivered under pressure in Chappell/Hadlee games in the past, but I think as the skipper in a home WC would turn most people into jelly.

Nah, I'm not worried about McCullum at all. Guptill's already a deer in the headlights and we're not yet through the warm-ups, and yeah Anderson is probably a little vulnerable to pressure. Reckon Ronchi will be pretty reliable in the final too, being back home after 3 or 4 years away must be pretty soothing.

 

[hendrix]

I mentioned Corey looked very determined and capable in that last ODI vs Sri Lanka. He got out edging but it wasn't because of him cracking under pressure, it was just a ball that's always likely to get him out.

There's not really much pressure at the top of an innings so I'm not worried about McCullum or Guptill either.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

True, but the big picture is we lost twice to SL in 6 games, and that was a decidedly ordinary side in these conditions and their bowling was atrocious most of the series, saying nothing about the fact they were without Mathews for half of the games,

I feel like we're so good at the moment (relative to past NZ sides) we've started devaluing all the teams we've played.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah Sri Lanka are the fourth best ODI side going for mine, so losing to them a couple of times in a six game series is definitely not something to be overly concerned about, even if Mathews missed a couple of games.

 

[BeeGee]

Absolutely.

Here's a scenario for you - the marketer's dream happens with a trans-Tasman final. I know it's fanciful at this stage, but what else is there to do without meaningful cricket going on? At the G (with me in the crowd) you'd back Australia in. They would've played their whole tournament on bigger grounds, save for Eden Park, and we would've played exclusively at home. I imagine Hesson and co have this in their plans - they were here pre-Xmas - but it's a much different game. If we get behind the run rate and certain guys aren't ticking strike over, a get out of jail card isn't 60m in front or beside you.

I absolutely think we'll be very, very hard to beat at home with our dimensions on our pitches.

Nah. The marketer's dream happens with Aus v India. NZ in the final is a marketer's nightmare.

 

[Hurricane]

Corey will come through in the clutch. He has big game player written all over him.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Corey will come through in the clutch. He has big game player written all over him.

Agree. The fact is that the BCs have always been a big game team, even in our mediocre periods.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah Sri Lanka are the fourth best ODI side going for mine, so losing to them a couple of times in a six game series is definitely not something to be overly concerned about, even if Mathews missed a couple of games.

Yeah and some of the Sri Lankan bowlers were proper decent. Their top 5 is obv. one of the best.

 

[Greenlite]

Simon Doull: Williamson the glue that frees up team | Stuff.co.nz

"Don't call the Black Caps favourites for this Cricket World Cup - that tag doesn't sit well with them"

"He (Kane) is the glue that allows the team to do what they want to do. He is a craftsman and he goes about his job extremely well"

Lol Simon Doull telling NZ not to expect too much out of the Black Caps, then hype up Kane and put all the pressure on him. Poor Kane, hope he doesn't browse the internet or read the papers.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

That's got to be the worst metaphor I've ever read.