9th Match - New Zealand v England

[_Ed_]

Yeah, it's a great venue. They're hosting Pakistan-UAE, NZ-Afghanistan and West Indies-UAE. Not the best games on paper but hopefully they'll be good.

 

[Burgey]

If anyone is travelling around NZ, reckon Napier is a must-see. Absolutely beautiful place. All that art deco architecture, and one of the world's great golf courses nearby too, along with good wine.

A happy place.

 

[Greenlite]

Auckland has the semi, Wellington the quarter.

Auckland will probably rain for the NZ vs AUS game, and the semi-final, typical Auckland weather.

 

[Funky Goose]

We're going to get slaughtered Nothing like having confidence in your team, eh?

 

[Bahnz]

New Zealand going in with an unchanged XI for tomorrow.

Unchanged Black Caps ready to defend fortress against under pressure England | Stuff.co.nz

 

[hendrix]

Unchanged is gun.

The selectors have been vindicated on every decision they've made and i like the confidence.

 

[Greenlite]

Happy to guess the starting XI right, but suspicious about NZ announcing the team a day before the match.

 

[Zinzan]

Argument for Mills to come in, but happy enough.

We are better around the field without Mills & Mitch I suppose.

 

[Adders]

We're going to get slaughtered Nothing like having confidence in your team, eh?

Mate, that's the only attitude us English can adopt here..........saves us from the otherwise inevitable heartache. I went to the Eng/Aus game with zero expectation of us winning which allowed me to have a great time there and not go home disappointed.

 

[Flem274*]

I suspect we'll lose tomorrow then guptill will score an unbeaten ton in a wash out at eden park before we get back on track and make the final.

 

[BeeGee]

An England win would not be a surprise. NZ's top order are untested against good new ball bowling. Broad could easily destroy us if he has one of his good days.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yep. The NZ lineup has literally not faced a single good pace bowling attack in the last few months...not taking anything away from their great year, but it'll be a step up in challenge for the top order.

 

[Hurricane]

Mitch and Mills are better swing bowlers though, and the stadium has been a venue that has seen some substantial swing on offer at times. Might tip things in their favour.

Forecast for Friday is looking bright and fine. Will be the first time since I was 14 that a big crowd turned up for a cricket match (the opening of the stadium in 2000 prompted about 30,000 turning up for an ODI v Australia, so of course the heavens opened after an hour and the game was called off), Gradually getting more and more hyped.

Yeah - I am going too. Will be my first time in a Westpac sellout (but it should be at the basin!!! says Heefness) - I will let myself get hyped when I see the sun in the morning. I will be hitting Trax at 1pm and knocking a couple back then heading in (basically the same plan as 90% of the fans) Hope Trax have extra staff on hand.

 

[Zinzan]

Yep. The NZ lineup has literally not faced a single good pace bowling attack in the last few months...not taking anything away from their great year, but it'll be a step up in challenge for the top order.

Definitely a step-up, although if my memory serves NZ did win the last series they played 2-1 in English conditions some 18 months ago & NZ are much improved since then, whereas I'm not convinced England are much better at all.

Have also seen McCullum give Broad the yips on a few occasions in the past, so the pressure works both ways.

 

[harsh.ag]

The Black Caps definite favorites. It would take a very good day from someone for an English victory here. Although it would be nice to see Morgan regain some form.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

I reckon this will go like the Sri Lanka game, i.e. England good enough to hang in for the majority but not good enough to win and will lose comfortably.

The most exciting game of the CWC for me so far as we played Sri Lanka 7 times already this summer and Scotland were not expected to come close.

 

[Howe_zat]

England have a good schedule. Getting to play the two most in-form sides in their own conditions, who are also the only sides we have a losing record to over the last few years, ensures the best possible start to the tournament.

It's no good to hit the ground running in a world cup with this vast a fixture list. How can anyone be said to be 'due' if your players keep producing assured, confident performances? Ideally you want to hit the ground flopping uselessly, hopefully at some speed and spraining a limb in the process.

I'd like to see England produce a distinctly ordianry all-round display and lose by about 80 runs. So long as that happens I think it's almost a foregone conclusion that we're taking the trophy home.

 

[Athlai]

NZ 70/30 is that fair?

 

[Adders]

Yep, I think so..........pretty much how I'm viewing our chances anyway.

 

[Howe_zat]

NZ 70/30 is that fair?

NZ winning 2 out of 3 sounds about right.