CWC 2019: BAN vs NZ Preview – Can the Kiwis tame the Tigers?
Two teams riding high on momentum after victories in their respective tournament openers will face off against each other at the Kennington Oval in London. While Bangladesh clinched a famous win against South Africa after notching up their highest score in ODIs, New Zealand had their bowlers to thank after a devastating performance decimated the Sri Lankans.
With the morale in both the camps high, it will be interesting to see which team seizes their momentum better and clinch a victory which will go a long way towards helping them to qualify for the semis. This one promises to be a cracker!
Match Info
Bangladesh vs New Zealand, 9th match
Kennington Oval, London (6:00 pm IST)
Head-to-Head
Played – 34
Bangladesh wins – 10
New Zealand wins – 24
The two teams have faced off against each other in the World Cup during four different editions – 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015. Bangladesh have always come up short against the Kiwis, not managing to win a single match yet. Will this finally be the moment when they turn things around?
Team Tactics
Bangladesh
They will be hoping for a similar performance from their previous match against South Africa. The batsmen first carried out their jobs to perfection, piling up a big score on the board. They will need to again score big against a New Zealand batting unit which has great depth. The Bangladeshis know the conditions at the Oval well and will be hoping that the flat wicket allows their batters to settle in and then score big, to give their bowlers a margin to defend.
New Zealand
The Kiwis have a quality pace bowling attack which will be the biggest threat to the Bangladeshis. The likes of Boult and Henry will swing the ball early on in the innings and will aim for early breakthroughs against the Tigers. They will also adopt an aggressive approach with the bat with Munro and Guptill going hell for leather from the very first delivery in the match. If they set the tempo well, New Zealand will be in a great position to either put up a big score on the board or chase it, whatever the situation demands.
Key Players
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh): The all-rounder was in fine form both with the bat and the ball against South Africa, showing exactly why he has been so highly rated over the years. He scored 75 with the bat and picked up the crucial scalp of Aiden Markram with the ball to turn the contest on its head. As the seniormost member in the squad, the team management will again expect a big performance from the veteran all-rounder.
Kane Williamson (New Zealand): Though the skipper did not get to bat against Sri Lanka, he is undoubtedly the glue who holds the New Zealand batting order together. He will be hoping to announce his arrival at the 2019 World Cup in style by playing a big knock against the Bangladeshi attack. Some time in the middle will also do him a world of good as his form has been wayward of late.
Probable XI
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan Mushfiqur Rahim(wk), Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Mustafizur Rahman.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(wk), Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.
