It has been six long weeks with highs and lows for all the teams across the board. However, it has all boiled down to this. Two teams, New Zealand and Australia, the two co-host teams, battling it out for Cricket World Cup victory in one last showdown at the majestic MCG in Melbourne.
New Zealand could not have asked for a better start to their campaign. Despite the grumblings that came from their team selection, the critics have been silenced thanks to a clean sweep of the round-robin stages. While there may have been a few close calls—think back to their batting performances against Scotland and Australia—the Blackcaps managed to keep their cool and snatch victory each and every time.
A simple victory against the West Indies in the quarter-finals only added to the air of confidence surrounding the men in black and they went into their semi-final match against the Proteas as noticeable favourites.
Whether it was the weather, the missed wicket chances or the ever present “C” word, New Zealand simply outplayed their southern hemisphere rivals to finally make it out of their record seventh World Cup semi-final and reach their first final in the position and form they could only have dreamed about.
Going into the final, the New Zealanders hold the slight psychological edge over their Tasman rivals thanks to their nail-biting victory in the round-robin stages. Australia convincingly won the remainder of their games both before and after this loss, but the seed has been planted.
Regardless of the win, however, the Kiwis will need their power men to fire in order to get over the final hurdle. Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill will need to continue their brilliant performances at the top of the order to give the rest of the team the chance to get themselves in and contribute to their total. Players like Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson will be expected to make a contribution as both have struggled to find consistent form.
The middle to lower order has been relatively successful for the Blackcaps so far. Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi and even Daniel Vettori have contributed when needed as a combined unit on more than one occasion. If the Blackcaps are able to construct their batting innings correctly, they could easily find themselves in the position of allowing these power hitters the chance to come in at the back of an innings and smash an additional 50 or 60 runs; runs that usually make the difference at the end.
In terms of their bowling unit, it is difficult to find fault. Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori have given the Kiwis a boost over their competitors thanks to their clever bowling that has sometimes been nearly impossible to read. However, wicket opportunities are usually created thanks to fluid tandem-bowling and the likes of Tim Southee and Matt Henry will have a vital part to play if New Zealand wants to build and then maintain the pressure on the batsmen that creates these wickets.
Despite the many positives from the Kiwi perspective, it can’t all be sunshine and butterflies for the Blackcaps. It has been months since they last played a game of cricket outside of New Zealand and while they may have lit up the smaller New Zealand grounds, the MCG is a completely different story. An unfamiliar pitch and much bigger boundaries could expose New Zealand somewhat and prove to be their Achilles heel.
Not surprisingly, New Zealand have named an unchanged team for their final game. This consistent team selection has become a huge factor in their continuing success, with each player fitting into the overall plan like puzzle pieces. McCullum stated in his pre-match interview that New Zealand will continue with their aggressive and attacking method of cricket, constantly looking to stop runs, take wickets or find the boundaries with the bat.
One can’t help but feel sorry for Adam Milne, who served his country greatly until his heel injury ruled him out of the semi-final and now the final. However, his contributions have not gone unnoticed and should New Zealand raise that trophy at the end, he will certainly be one to thank.
New Zealand will are always the underdogs when they meet Australia and considering how they perform with that label attached to them, it will only add to their desire for the trophy. There has yet to be a moment this World Cup when I have doubted their ability to take it all the way and that doubt still remains absent going into the final. What I can believe though is many more people will be on board to #BacktheBlackcaps come Sunday.
