Bridesmaids so far, time for a groom now

Nitpicking punters in faraway Mumbai suburbs or even the sophisticated ones operating from the house of William Hill in London have collectively allowed themselves to push these two sides to the bottom of the table. New Zealand also face the ignominy of finding themselves listed even below England on the odds table.

The two teams have a fairly decent winning ratio in World Cups. England have a winning percentage of 58.82, while New Zealand’s victories are close to 53 per cent, in the last eight editions of the big event. Given their quotient of success and a direct comparison with their failure in winning the title, it isn’t harsh anymore to call them the bridesmaids of the game.

Today’s story, though isn’t about England. It’s about the Black Caps. New Zealand are on the rise. They humiliated the Australians (read: England’s tormentors) and recorded a couple of run-chases that hadn’t happened in the game’s history till then. But the bookmakers may have their doubts, given New Zealand’s unparalleled underachieving history. They are serious contenders once again. The big question is whether they’ll finally manage to wipe out the bridesmaid tag or not.

When Jacob Oram comes on record and says that he’s ready to get his finger amputated if that is what will help him play the World Cup, it is the single-largest statement of intent by a New Zealander on how desperate the team is to lay their hands on the trophy. The last time they were on such a high could easily be traced back to 1992, when under Martin Crowe, they recorded eight consecutive victories to reach the semi-final.

This time again, it looks like they’ve the right amount of confidence to peak at the right time.

The last three matches they played, before landing in the West Indies, were against Australia and the great trans-Tasmanian rivalry re-ignited for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ended in New Zealand’s favour with a dash of authority like never before.

The Aussies scored big runs and the rivals scored bigger. In the first game, they chased Australia’s lowly 148 but when the latter raised the tempo for the next two matches, even New Zealand showed ample determination to chase totals of 336 and 346 to take home the series.

It is with that confidence alone, and the satisfaction of finding some of their best players in top form, that New Zealand are looking to achieve their best.

This piece of statistic could be trivial but only six New Zealand batsmen in the history of World Cups, have managed a century against their name. Except for Glenn Turner and Nathan Astle who have two each, only Martin Crowe, Chris Harris, Scott Styris and Stephen Fleming have tons to their credit in all of the eight editions since 1975.

On paper they’re as scarce as New Zealand’s population is in comparison to the other cricketing countries of the world. Even for the lack of it though, they currently have a team that can take on the best in the business given the recent form and run.

With Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming at the top, the 17-match and 23-year-old Ross Taylor at number three, Scott Styris at four, Craig McMillan at five and Brendon McCullum at six, there’s plenty of batting to rest on. Now if that wasn’t enough, McMillan, to Fleming’s benefit, has found his form peaking once again and at the right time. A half-century and a 96-ball 117 against Australia have made the 31-year-old the man to watch out for.

The trump card for the Kiwis, nevertheless, has to be Jacob Oram—keeping in consideration the chances of his finger healing in time. Prior to the freak fielding injury that fractured his left ring finger, Oram had been in the form of his life, scores of 86, 101* (of 72 balls) and 54*. He already can boast of 100 ODI wickets against his name and what more, the doctors are already suggesting that he could make it at least for the Super Eight.

If players like Oram, McMillan, McCullum and Styris can carry the burden of being able lieutenants, the captain himself is all the more looking forward to this mission. Fleming has crossed Arjuna Ranatunga—at 193—to have captained in the highest number of one-dayers (207). As the most experienced skipper ever, Fleming will be equally looking forward to join the party.

Willow wielders aside, New Zealand also carry the right weapons to fire with the ball. Daryl Tuffey’s 79-match experience and 91 wickets have given him enough experience to pitch it right but New Zealand will depend more on the speeding Shane Bond. The Canterbury cricketer’s latest killing has been a five-for against the Aussies and prior to that, his destruction of batsmen during the CB Series in Australia last year.

The fastest Kiwi to reach 50 ODI wickets, Bond can be thankful that his back injury isn’t troubling all that more in the past few months. At an average of 19.66, a total of 114 wickets and four five-wicket hauls under his belt, an in-form Bond and his deadly inswinging yorkers can only spell trouble for those facing him.

Then, there is Daniel Vettori. Handsome as they come, the left-arm tweaker is set to have a great say on the low and slow West Indian wickets. That apart, he carries with him the experience of 191 ODIs, and in the last 15 matches has taken 18 wickets at an average of 29.

All said, New Zealand do have the ability to prove the punters wrong, if not anybody else. The fact that they need to do that to themselves more than anybody else is the reason why they will need to fight their way to the final. “It is a mission,’’ as Stephen Fleming has already said and if they can take it further, all the more better.