4th Quarter Final - New Zealand v West Indies (21st March)

[WindieWeathers]

Serious question marks? Forgetting Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor for a second New Zealand have four batsman in Guptill, Elliott, Anderson and Ronchi who all average in the mid 30's. Something that would comfortably make them one of the best bats in the Windies for example. If New Zealand have serious questions over their batting then so do 99 percent of the other teams in this tournament.

New Zealand should win and win well. I'm not going to do a Phelgm and claim Ireland would've been a harder match because they wouldn't be. But at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, Ireland or the Windies, NZ are flogging both.

Poor vs Aus and poor vs Bang imo. Also if we're talking "batting averages" then England should be in the quarter finals...it means nothing when a team aren't posting big scores in the current climate.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Lemme guess 6ft7 70kgs-75kgs?

Nah about 90kgs. Corey was not allowed to play tackle rugby with the other kids because he hurt them too much but he was allowed to tackle and be tackled by the adults. At first I didn't feel comfortable tackling an 11-year old but he was so strong that it didn't matter and I think he enjoyed it because he wasn't allowed to play other wise. In fact, he enjoyed the challenge so much and was so freakishly strong that I was pretty sure he was going to become an All Black. I wonder if he remembers? If I ever meet him I'll be sure to ask.

 

[jonbrooks]

Nah about 90kgs. Corey was not allowed to play tackle rugby with the other kids because he hurt them too much but he was allowed to tackle and be tackled by the adults. At first I didn't feel comfortable tackling an 11-year old but he was so strong that it didn't matter and I think he enjoyed it because he wasn't allowed to play other wise. In fact, he enjoyed the challenge so much and was so freakishly strong that I was pretty sure he was going to become an All Black. I wonder if he remembers? If I ever meet him I'll be sure to ask.

Corey should have played rugby in Auckland. Plenty of big PI boys here.

 

[Bahnz]

3. I see a lot of arrogance from my NZ friends here and i guess that's to be expected having not tasted much success before but i'd like to remind everyone that in recent years where ODI's are concerned only one team between NZ and WI has ruled the roost...4-1 win for us at home and 2-2 draw in NZ when again we had a very depleted side there too!!..so in the last NINE ODI's the score is 6-3 in our favour. That goes out the window on Friday but from a mental point of view we really have nothing to fear.

4. As much as NZ have impressed with the ball their batting has serious question marks around it imo.The Aus game was a thriller but that was only because NZ allowed it to be with such poor, and nervous batting...if we get 250 they will feel the pressure i think.

That ODI series in WI was so long ago, and the team has changed so much - as to be practically meaningless for the purposes of predicting Saturday's result. Running through the scoresheet, it's jaw-dropping how much the team has changed: Nicol, Flynn, Brownlie, Watling, Oram, Ellis, Mills, and Tarun Nethula all played the 1st ODI of that series.

You're on stronger ground when you point to the 2-2 draw from last summer - when WI were arguably fielding a weaker side than the current one. But that still doesn't change the fact that NZ are just playing much better cricket than WI are at the moment. Our batting has been our weaker suit undoubtedly, but we still put up 330 v Sri Lanka and chased 120 against England in 12 overs. WI being restricted to 300 on a batting paradise by a club-standard Irish bowling attack and being rolled for under 200 by India doesn't say great things about their batting either.

Overall, it would take a serious dip in NZ's form to lose to WI, and I would be awfully disappointed if it happened.

 

[Flem274*]

Ahaha look what the dog dragged in once the windies squeaked into the quarters. It's Fairweatherwindies.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Corey should have played rugby in Auckland. Plenty of big PI boys here.

Maybe he ran into some Island kids that were bigger than him and decided to play cricket instead haha.

 

[hendrix]

WW's posting is somewhat restrained compared to normal and I think there's a tacit admission that NZ should win this one when he says there's no pressure on the Windies.

 

[_Ed_]

I think we should just wait and let our team do the talking. Obviously our credentials are pretty good, but there are no certainties in sport and WI have some talented players. Let's not give WW too much ammo if we do trip up here.

 

[Howsie]

It would go down as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history IMO. Yeah the West Indies have a couple of guys who could do some damage on their day (although the chances of Gayle doing anything are pretty god damn slim here) but they're also filled with guys who are just so bloody average. Smith/Charles, Carter, Ramdin, Benn, Sammy. It's a big list. The bowling aside from Taylor and somewhat Holder is horrid too. Don't forget this game is being played at Westpac where NZ have lost bugger all games over the last decade, it's as much as a fortress as you'll get in one day cricket.

 

[Beamer]

It would go down as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history IMO. Yeah the West Indies have a couple of guys who could do some damage on their day (although the chances of Gayle doing anything are pretty god damn slim here) but they're also filled with guys who are just so bloody average. Smith/Charles, Carter, Ramdin, Benn, Sammy. It's a big list. The bowling aside from Taylor and somewhat Holder is horrid too. Don't forget this game is being played at Westpac where NZ have lost bugger all games over the last decade, it's as much as a fortress as you'll get in one day cricket.

I've been mostly reading this thread not contribiuting but you have successfully provoked me on this occasion

Are NZ considerably better than us? Yes

Are NZ firm favourites? Yes

Would this be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup History? Seriously? Get over yourselves, that is unbelievably arrogant. Yes we've got a few average players but we still have one of the greatest Limited Overs openers in history in our team, out of form or not, we've got the biggest hitting lower order in the World bar none and we've got one of the tournaments best quicks so far in Jerome Taylor who is in fine rythmn.

Yes we are massive underacheivers and play well below potential most of the time. But if we were to play like we did against Pakistan we could easily beat NZ and it wouldn't be a shock. New Zealand are firm favourites but posts like the above are just ludicrous.

 

[Jarquis]

Ramdin's actually been pretty gun for a while now

 

[hendrix]

Yeah Holder, Taylor, Ramdin and Roach are good.

Gayle is devastating on his day.

There have been plenty of bigger upsets.

 

[JediNudist]

I've been mostly reading this thread not contribiuting but you have successfully provoked me on this occasion

Are NZ considerably better than us? Yes

Are NZ firm favourites? Yes

Would this be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup History? Seriously? Get over yourselves, that is unbelievably arrogant. Yes we've got a few average players but we still have one of the greatest Limited Overs openers in history in our team, out of form or not, we've got the biggest hitting lower order in the World bar none and we've got one of the tournaments best quicks so far in Jerome Taylor who is in fine rythmn.

Yes we are massive underacheivers and play well below potential most of the time. But if we were to play like we did against Pakistan we could easily beat NZ and it wouldn't be a shock. New Zealand are firm favourites but posts like the above are just ludicrous.

yeah but Gayle has a pretty bad back and he will surely be on pain killers when he opens. That will restrict him a lot. Cant see him doing a hell of a lot

 

[_Ed_]

I'm nervous about Russell too - if he comes in at the death with a good platform laid, he's capable of an onslaught unlike anything we've experienced in the tournament.

 

[Burgey]

Serious question marks? Forgetting Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor for a second New Zealand have four batsman in Guptill, Elliott, Anderson and Ronchi who all average in the mid 30's. Something that would comfortably make them one of the best bats in the Windies for example. If New Zealand have serious questions over their batting then so do 99 percent of the other teams in this tournament.

New Zealand should win and win well. I'm not going to do a Phelgm and claim Ireland would've been a harder match because they wouldn't be. But at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, Ireland or the Windies, NZ are flogging both.

I agree NZ should win this match, but I do think it's fair to say their batting hasn't been tested much of late in either setting scores against good attacks or chasing anything reasonable. I still back them here to win quite well, but there are question marks not so much over the quality of their batting as with the fact they've barely had to pick up a cue lately.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

NZ is going to lose this.

 

[viriya]

If NZ lose this I would give up on an NZ WC win ever. They are never gonna get a better chance.

 

[hendrix]

You've already said that and it's just as stupid now as it was then.

 

[Howsie]

I've been mostly reading this thread not contribiuting but you have successfully provoked me on this occasion

Are NZ considerably better than us? Yes

Are NZ firm favourites? Yes

Would this be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup History? Seriously? Get over yourselves, that is unbelievably arrogant. Yes we've got a few average players but we still have one of the greatest Limited Overs openers in history in our team, out of form or not, we've got the biggest hitting lower order in the World bar none and we've got one of the tournaments best quicks so far in Jerome Taylor who is in fine rythmn.

Yes we are massive underacheivers and play well below potential most of the time. But if we were to play like we did against Pakistan we could easily beat NZ and it wouldn't be a shock. New Zealand are firm favourites but posts like the above are just ludicrous.

Where do I start with this....

On Gayle you and me both know he isn't the same player he once was, bar that 200 he hasn't scored a run in ODI in years. He might do something of note in this game but personally I wouldn't bet on it. Especially when I've seen him struggle against Boult and Southee in the past. As for possessing the biggest hitters, what does that actually mean in the scheme of things? Is that like saying we have the fastest bowler and it actually mean something. If you're trying to tell me that in Sammy and Russell the Windies have the best finishes in World Cricket by a mile then I'm not buying that one bit.

It's the same old story with you Windies fans 'We have this player, that player, this guy out, this guy coming through' New Zealand will win this and probably win well. Too much quality with both bat and ball as well as playing at home which is a massive advantage AFAIC. New Zealand have won six from six this tournament and guys like Williamson, Taylor, Anderson and Ronchi have barely fired a shot.

 

[viriya]

You've already said that and it's just as stupid now as it was then.

It's the truth though and you know it. I'm not trying to jinx I swear.