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Martin Devlin: Why we shouldn't celebrate World Cup wins just yet

Author
Martin Devlin,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 Jun 2019, 1:27PM

Martin Devlin: Why we shouldn't celebrate World Cup wins just yet

Author
Martin Devlin,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 Jun 2019, 1:27PM

Glass half full - yahoo we beat Bangladesh!

Glass half empty - we made hard work of a game that should've been a whole lot easier.

Half full - we beat a very tricky opponent. And empty - we made a must-win game way too difficult.

It's always easy to be hypercritical after the event and the Black Caps will definitely be doing some soul searching in the wake of that win, but let's  first and foremost celebrate the result that puts our team top of the table!

Yes indeed, two from two, the perfect start to the tournament and a record as yet unmatched by any other team. Well, 'til tonight at least anyway when either Ozzie or the Windies will join us!

After 30 overs the 'Deshies were well on track to post another 300+, so big up's to our bowlers for strangling their batting and skittling them all out for under 250.

On the flip side Neesham's 2 for 24 is either a significant worry or just a 1-off bad game. Many self-appointed experts in the office here maintain Henry Nicholls has to be reinserted in the batting lineup at #6. If that's the case then Colin Munro would have to pick up the bowling slack warbling perhaps three or four overs as part-time cover. The question then being how these changes affect or upset the overall balance of the side.

The problem with both Neesham and de Grandhomme is that neither can close an innings, and we need them to. It's their job to see us through but a quick scan of both individual records says it doesn't happen nearly enough or if ever at all.

On the plus sidem Matt Henry's recovered from his West Indian mauling to produce superb figures in the two matches that count, while Mitch Santner seems to have effortlessly filled the void left by the brilliantly awkward Daniel Vettori. Ross Taylor is the Ross we expect him to be and Kane, despite this morning's unconvincing display, will surely become the match-winning one-day genius we all know he's just waiting to be...surely?

This tournament is a test match of endurance. We play nine matches over 31 days so it's important to move quickly on from each individual performance, learn the lessons and focus quickly on the next fixture at hand. The first three matches were always targeted as must-wins, three games we also consider we should win.

So from the glass half-full, we've started well with two played and two won. From the half-empty department, you don't have to look to close to know there's plenty of improvement needed to come.

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