CWC 2019: WI vs NZ Preview – Manchester awaits mouth-watering contest

For as long as the ice-cool Kane Williamson continues to marshall his troops to victory with dignity and grace, New Zealand cricket fans need not worry. “Pressure? What pressure? I’ll just play a cute dab to short third man in the penultimate over of a tense chase and take my boys home”. Oh Kane, aren’t you a genius.

With four wins in five games and a comfortable position in the top half of the points table, the Kiwis are having a ball. Their skipper has struck form at the opportune moment and they’re clearly enjoying their cricket by toppling their opponents. While the world has their eyes set on the Englishmen (who were stunned by Sri Lanka on Friday), Captain Kane and co. are quietly doing their job. They always have, without much hullabaloo. Coming off a thrilling win over their nemesis South Africa in their last game, they’ll be riding high on confidence.

Their opponent in the next match though has blown hot and cold ever since the start of their World Cup campaign. West Indies seem to be promising one moment but lose in the most humiliating way to a team like Bangladesh in the next. Their only win so far has come against Pakistan in their opening fixture. But hey, they can dish out a surprise any moment, right? At least that’s what they’d be telling themselves heading into an important game against New Zealand. Whether the folks at Old Trafford witness a tight contest or a lopsided affair depends on which West Indies team decides to turn up.

Match Info

West Indies vs New Zealand, 29th Match

Old Trafford, Manchester (06:00 PM IST)

Head-to-Head

Historically, West Indies lead the head-to-head figures against New Zealand in ODIs, but the Kiwis have a slight edge as far as World Cup encounters are concerned. Since the 2015 World Cup, all three ODIs played between both teams have been won by New Zealand. That was 18 months ago.

Team News

New Zealand

New Zealand’s first proper test in terms of batting strength came against the quality bowling of South Africa. Having lost their top 4 batsmen inside 20 overs, sudden panic struck the Kiwi dressing room. But all was well when their captain took charge alongside Colin de Grandhomme to script one of New Zealand’s most memorable wins. The Kiwis are unlikely to make changes to a winning combination unless there is a genuine need to bring in Tim Southee or surprise, surprise – an unexpected injury shows up. As for their batting, they definitely need to tighten the middle order. Veteran Martin Guptill will be key at the top, but their opponents will pray they aren’t subjected to another Guptill masterclass.

West Indies

The Caribbean men are in need of a desperate turnaround and they’d be looking at the likes of Chris Gayle and captain Jason Holder to step up and deliver. Andre Russell’s body literally gave up in the last couple of games and it has had a major impact on the team’s performances. He is most likely to be benched for this game. West Indies’ bowling attack comprising of raw pace and bounce was once the talk of the town but fizzled out quickly to become history. They will have to infuse new life in that line-up against a bunch of motivated players out on a winning spree. If anything, England’s shocking loss to Sri Lanka has only given West Indies an extra glimmer of hope. They need to cash in.

Key Players

Evin Lewis (West Indies): The West Indies opener averages 43 in ODIs against New Zealand since April 2015. But his last three scores in this tournament read – 1, 2, 70. In the event of a rare Chris Gayle failure, Lewis will have to shoulder more responsibility (as he did against Bangladesh) and anchor the West Indies innings. The way he starts off against New Zealand’s in-form bowling line-up will lay the foundation for their team.

Trent Boult (New Zealand): The leader of New Zealand’s pace attack, Trent Boult has looked in decent touch but hasn’t been extraordinary with the ball. The Kiwis would want to get more out of the left-arm pacer, especially in the absence of Southee. Since April 2015, Boult has taken 10 wickets in 3 innings against the West Indies and has dismissed Shai Hope on two occasions. The supporting bowlers have done well but ‘Lightning Boult’ needs to strike now.

Probable XI

West Indies: C Gayle, E Lewis, S Hope (wk), N Pooran, S Hetmyer, J Holder (c), C Brathwaite, O Thomas, S Cottrell, K Roach, S Gabriel

New Zealand: C Munro, M Guptill, K Williamson (c), R Taylor, T Latham (wk), J Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, M Santer, L Ferguson, M Henry, T Boult