Cricket World Cup: 5 Key Battles That Will Decide New Zealand vs. West Indies
New Zealand take on the West Indies in the fourth and final Cricket World Cup quarter-final on Saturday. The co-hosts head into the match in Wellington as firm favourites after going unbeaten in Group A.
The path to the quarter-final has been much more rocky for the West Indies, who only sneaked in following a workmanlike victory over the United Arab Emirates.
Previous form counts for nothing now, though. It's all about who performs on the day.
Here are five key battles that will go a long way to deciding who will complete the semi-final lineup.
1. Chris Gayle vs. Tim Southee and Trent Boult
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If the West Indies are to cause a surprise, they'll be hoping to see the Chris Gayle who destroyed Zimbabwe rather then version who scratched around for the rest of the group stage.
The Jamaican has had an injection to try and help ease the back injury that forced him to miss the West Indies' final group game against the UAE.
According to NDTV, a final decision on whether the 35-year-old plays will be made just before the start on Saturday.
Even with a dicky back, Gayle has it in him to play a match-winning knock. As Kane Williamson told a press conference earlier this this week, per ZeeNews, “Obviously everyone knows what Chris Gayle can do and he is one of the biggest match winners in world cricket, so it's important we put a little bit of focus on him."
That focus will come from the impressive Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have 28 wickets between them.
Southee found Wellington much to his liking on his last outing there against England. His seven for 33 were the best figures by a Kiwi in the history of the World Cup.
The 26-year-old went wicketless in his last two outings, though, and will be looking to get back on track on Saturday.
They may not be in the Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis league, but if the ball swings, Boult and Southee will make life tricky for Gayle and company.
2. West Indies Lower Order vs. New Zealand Death Bowlers
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Among the most dangerous performers in the West Indian team are the lower-middle order batsmen. If given a platform, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell and Jason Holder are all capable of causing late-innings carnage.
Sammy appears confident about his side's ability to peak at the right time. Speaking at a press conference this week, the all-rounder told reporters, per Zee News: "It’s a big occasion but we’re not going to be overwhelmed by it. We’ve played New Zealand in the quarter-finals of World Cups before. Yes, it was World Twenty20 but when it came down to crunch time, we won."
New Zealand's bowlers performed so well during the group stage that their death bowlers were barely required.
They did look vulnerable in the final group game against Bangladesh, though, giving up 104 from their final 10 overs. The Black Caps look set to replace the expensive Mitchell McClenaghan with pacey Adam Milne.
Whether it's Milne, Southee, Boult or even Corey Anderson, they'll have to bowl better at the death than they did against Bangladesh.
3. Jerome Taylor vs. Brendon McCullum
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New Zealand have been given a string of flying starts thanks to the hyper-aggressive style of opener Brendon McCullum.
It will likely be the job of Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder to make sure that doesn't happen against the West Indies. After a shocking start against Ireland, the 30-year-old Taylor has eased into the competition nicely. His 15 wickets in the group stage were second only to Mitchell Starc.
Bowling coach Curtly Ambrose is pretty happy with how his charges are shaping up. Speaking at a pre-match media conference, the great Antiguan told reporters, per The New Zealand Herald: "The combination of Taylor and Holder are working pretty well for us at the moment. We all know how talented captain Holder is. Taylor: Wonderful bowler, swings the ball as well and they're going to be key, I believe, to start the innings."
Taylor has always had pace. If his radar is pointing in the right direction, he's a potential match-winner for Jason Holder's side.
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4. Captain vs. Captain
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Brendon McCullum and Jason Holder will likely go face to face with bat and ball, but more interesting, perhaps, is how they will shape up in the field.
New Zealand's top man is widely considered one of the most attacking and innovative skippers in the world game. If there's a choice between an attacking and a defensive option, McCullum will almost always opt for the former.
The West Indies can expect more funky fields and aggressive bowling changes from McCullum. Taking wickets is the best way to stem a rapid run rate, and New Zealand have the firepower and invention to do that.
"Besides @MClarke23 Brendan Mcullum & Dhoni the Captaincy in this World Cup has been ordinary & really disappointing.....
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 6, 2015"
Expecting rookie skipper Jason Holder to match up against a one-day master is a tough ask. He'll have to do better than his effort in the field against India, though.
That loss finished with Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Holder not bowling their full allocation. Somehow, Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels fiddled for more than eight overs between them. He'll need to be sharper against the Kiwis.
Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Brendon McCullum for just eight in New Zealand's last group game. Does Holder have the stones to open the bowling with Sulieman Benn? It may take something suitably unorthodox to give the West Indies the upper hand.
5. Daniel Vettori vs. West Indies' Middle Order
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On the subject of left-arm spinners, the West Indies will have to find an answer to the Daniel Vettori conundrum.
The wily veteran has been a double-threat for New Zealand. Vettori has 12 wickets to his name and his economy rate is a miserly 3.21 runs per over.
After David Warner and Aaron Finch got Australia off to a flier against New Zealand in Auckland, it was Vettori who put the brakes on.
The West Indies' spluttering middle order must avoid getting bogged down. Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin all have strike rates of below 73 in this World Cup.
Too much fiddling around against Vettori could leave too big a task for the West Indies' dangerous late order strikers.
Stats courtesy of ESPNcricinfo.
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