Cricket World Cup 2015 Tables: Results, Updated Schedule, Predictions for Day 4
The 2015 Cricket World Cup already saw its first upset when Ireland beat West Indies on Monday, and Scotland will try to continue that trend when they take on New Zealand on Day 4 in Dunedin.
Windies (304/7) came into the tournament in dreadful form and knew they would be in for a fight against Ireland (307/6), but while many predicted a close battle, a four-wicket loss against a team that had never beaten them before in ODIs was particularly disappointing.
The Black Caps put together a dominant performance in their opener against Sri Lanka and are heavy favourites against the Scots, who looked solid in preparation of this year's tournament but fall well short of New Zealand's star power. Here's how the current standings look after Ireland's win over West Indies:
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| Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.22 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.96 | 2 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.96 | 0 |
| England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.22 | 0 |
| Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| India | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.52 | 2.0 |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.24 | 2.0 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.618 | 2.0 |
| UAE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Indies | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.618 | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.24 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.52 | 0 |
The schedule for the coming days:
- Feb. 17 Pool A: New Zealand v Scotland, Dunedin (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 16)
- Feb. 18 Pool A: Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Canberra (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)
- Feb. 19 Pool B: Zimbabwe v UAE, Nelson (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 18)
- Feb. 20 Pool A: England v New Zealand, Wellington (Westpac Stadium) (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)
- Feb. 21 Pool B: Pakistan v West Indies, Christchurch (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 20)
- Feb. 21 Pool A: Australia v Bangladesh, Brisbane (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)
Good Luck Slowing Down New Zealand's Batsmen
After two solid outings against West Indies and Ireland during the buildup to this tournament, Scotland have to feel good about their form entering their first match. The top of the order was productive against the experienced Windies, while the bowlers in particular stood out against Ireland.
Alasdair Evans and Majid Haq combined for seven wickets against the Irish, via ESPN Cricinfo, giving the batsmen a healthy backbone to work with. Against New Zealand, it will be sorely needed.
Brendon McCullum started the World Cup off with a bang against Sri Lanka, and his team-mates soon followed. Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson both gave a masterclass in batting, and, according to OptaJason, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise the former was successful:
Skipper McCullum has been mighty impressed by the youngster, as he told ESPN Cricinfo's Andrew Fidel Fernando before the match against Scotland:
"Geez, it's scary to think how good Kane could be in the years to come. I wouldn't change him for anyone in the world at No. 3. I guess a lot of our hope for success in this World Cup will rest on Kane and also Ross Taylor. How they perform in this World Cup will allow us to score the runs which our bowling attack will require to be aggressive, and to be able to get the results we want.
"
Backed by a vocal home crowd thirsty for World Cup glory, slowing down the Black Caps attack is next to impossible. And while Scotland's bowlers shouldn't be underestimated, the drop-off in quality behind Evans and Haq is steep. Containing one of the trio of McCullum, Anderson and Williamson should be considered a win for the Scots on Tuesday.
Early Scotland Overs to be Decisive
Kyle Coetzer, Alex McLeod, Hamish Gardener and Matt Machan. For a team that has never won an ODI World Cup match before, the front of the team's order looks remarkably strong and versatile.
As shared by BBC Scotland's Jane Lewis, vice-captain and opener Coetzer had a strong showing against West Indies and carries solid form into the tournament:
The pitch in Dunedin is relatively flat, and with short boundaries and plenty of sunshine expected, Tuesday's match has the potential for more high scores. Given New Zealand's tendency to start incredibly fast, Scotland will have no choice but to follow suit.
The Black Caps know full Well Scotland's biggest strength lies in the top of the order, so one or two early wickets could all but wrap up the contest. And with Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee and Adam Milne all finding some form of success against Sri Lanka, they'll trust their bowlers to get the job done again.
Expect both teams to be very aggressive during Scotland's early overs, especially if the Black Caps bat first. If the visitors can keep it together and avoid an early dismissal, they'll have a chance of upsetting the hosts. If not, another lopsided win will likely be in store.
Final Prediction: New Zealand go over 300 again, record a comfortable win.
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