After finishing as runners-up in 2015 and 2019, New Zealand will be looking to go one better and win their first Cricket World Cup. A team famed for stepping up in tournaments, can they find another level in India?
Who’s In The Team?
Kane Williamson (Captain)
Trent Boult
Mark Chapman
Devon Conway
Lockie Ferguson
Matt Henry
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Jimmy Neesham
Glenn Phillips
Rachin Ravindra
Mitchell Santner
Ish Sodhi
Tim Southee
Will Young
What’s The Story?
In terms of narrative, two stories follow New Zealand. The first is their tendency to just miss out on glory. The final of the 2019 World Cup hammered this home as much as any given moment. After 50 Overs, the two teams were tied. After a Super Over, they remained tied. New Zealand lost the World Cup due to boundary count.
As cruel an end to a tournament as any, it provides a clear ambition for New Zealand this time around. They lost it by a hair, now they do their best to get over the line.
Relating to this, the second narrative thread around New Zealand is the extent to which they are a tournament team. The idea follows that on paper and even in bilateral series they do not appear to be the most spectacular of sides. Yet, they come to life on the big stage.
A strong recent example of this came in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Much of the focus went towards the star-studded English and Indian teams, but New Zealand were the ones who got to the final. In line with the previous point, they did lose the final.
New Zealand will certainly be hoping to step up this time around. Due to a combination of form and fitness they do not seem like favourites for victory this time around, but it still feels risky to try and rule them out.
Strengths
Trent Boult
A clear strength of this New Zealand side is the man who will open the bowling for the Black Caps, none other than Trent Boult. After a year away from international duty, owing to turning down a central contract, Boult is back for the World Cup.
Out of all fast bowlers in world cricket, Boult may just be the most incisive Powerplay bowler of them all. With the natural angle created by being a left-armer as well as prodigious amounts of swing, Boult takes early wickets wherever he goes.
This was clear in his comeback against England, figures of 3/37 and 5/51 highlighted exactly what he brings to the table. What makes this role so important is the relative importance of the wickets that Boult takes.
Looking at the names he removed against England you see Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Dawid Malan. Players at the top of the order tend to be players capable of piling on runs, Boult does a stellar job of destabilising a team from the off.
On top of recent potency, anyone who has watched Trent Boult play in the IPL will know just how capably his game translates to Indian conditions. For two seasons now he has raised the level of the Rajasthan Royals, taking wickets across various grounds and pitches.
There need not be any fear that Boult will come unstuck in India, in fact there may be some cause for further excitement. Given the World Cup is coming at the very start of India’s cricketing season, there is some speculation that some of pitches could be rather seamer friendly. If there is any movement on offer, Trent Boult will make the most of it.
Spin Attack
It’s not just fast bowling to be excited about, one of New Zealand’s strengths is also their spin attack. To have to choose from Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, and Rachin Ravindra is an exciting situation.
For me, Santner is a vital cog in this New Zealand side. What stands out to me is how economical he is. With an economy of 4.87, Santner is used to stemming the flow of runs on New Zealand pitches where the ball is not turning
On pitches with more assistance, he becomes even more important. You have a bowler turning it away from the right-hander, holding his line and length, and forcing the batter to take risks. Keep an eye on how he goes this tournament.
A player who usually garners more excitement is Ish Sodhi. Capable of game-winning spells, Sodhi embodies some of the greater mysticism that cricket embraces when it comes to wrist spin.
Viewed as the temperamental but magical type of spin, Sodhi’s recent 5fer against Bangladesh shows his ability to punish teams. What New Zealand may look to do is pair Santner’s control with Sodhi’s attack. It would offer a blend of control and aggression, ideally snagging wickets for both players.
A more recent addition is Rachin Ravindra. Another left-arm finger spinner, Ravindra used the series against England to show what he can offer as an all-rounder. With the game in its dying embers, Ravindra smashed a cool 61 off 48 deliveries. If New Zealand are looking to add some runs to their lower order, perhaps they will find a place for Ravindra.
Question Mark Kane
In uncharted territory we have a new category, something in the middle. It is here we find the returning Kane Williamson. The reason why Kane exists here is due to the great unknown that he represents.
At his finest and at his fittest, Kane Williamson is one of the finest players in world cricket. A calming presence, Williamson does a stellar job of batting long and gluing the innings together.
However, it is a very long time since Kane has played. Since his injury at the beginning of the IPL there has been plenty of talk of trying to get fit for the World Cup. What this can often translate to, is a player who comes back and takes a while to be at their best.
Coming back from such a serious injury makes it impossible to know how quickly Kane settles. If it happens right away, consider him a major strength. If it takes longer, then New Zealand may find themselves in the short-term longing for a fully fit player.
Weaknesses
Batting Aggression
A clear issue for New Zealand is a lack of aggression in the top three, and to some extent the middle order. When it comes to tapping it around at just under a run a ball, this is a serious team.
Will Young, Devon Conway, and Kane are all players who look at their most comfortable when they just keep things ticking over. The issue this creates for New Zealand is the risk created when playing on high-scoring pitches, and even on slower ones.
White ball cricket turns into a shootout on a flat pitch, the name of the game is scoring as many runs as you can manage in 50 overs. This suits teams who swing hard from the off, England and recently Australia have shown a preference for this.
What this means is you cannot afford to have a slow start, New Zealand’s top three are not famous for their power. If batting first they may retain wickets well but finish well below par, if chasing they may leave too much for the death.
Similarly, it is important to look to score even in difficult batting conditions. Even though it might feel safer to dig in and avoid a total collapse, one big attacking knock can get a team well ahead of par. Having someone at the top to take this risk like the absent Finn Allen would have been a useful thing.
The result is plenty of pressure on the middle to make up for lost time. Expect to see Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and maybe even Jimmy Neesham being used to try and find the boundary.
Rest of Fast Bowlers
Finally, the fast bowling has sparked some concerns. In terms of partnering Trent Boult, New Zealand have an issue with injury. In the final ODI against England Tim Southee injured his thumb, the threat now is he cannot make the World Cup.
A common deputy for Boult, this will require New Zealand to reconfigure their team. The issue beyond this is that Lockie Ferguson, an option to fill the gap in the team, has looked short of his best.
Capable of bowling proper pace, Ferguson over the last year has often proven to be an expensive option. If we assume that Boult and Matt Henry take the two new balls, it is Ferguson’s job to keep on the pressure in the middle. If he cannot do this, then New Zealand will have to rely more heavily on the part-time options of Mitchell and Neesham.
Going into the World Cup, New Zealand’s fast bowling is far from its threatening best. If they do not find an answer for this problem, it could prove to be very costly.
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