As far as challenges go, it won’t come much harder than the one facing New Zealand tomorrow in the World Cup semi-final.
Already underdogs in a last four dominated by the major subcontinental cricketing powers, New Zealand face a rampant Sri Lanka team that swatted aside the challenge of England with a 10-wicket thrashing on Saturday.
The Black Caps are serial semi-finalists, having reached the last four six times, but have never reached the final.
Spin great Muttiah Muralitharan will be fit for the game and, as if that wasn’t enough, Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium will be full to bursting with noisy and partisan Sri Lankans.
The New Zealanders need cool heads in charge and none are cooler than coach John Wright, widely respected as a New Zealand opening batsmen and ex-coach of India.
“We have to bat well, that’s the key for us,” Wright said. “I think the boys are learning, you need those wickets in hand going into the last overs and you set those targets.”
In the quarter-final, New Zealand overcame South Africa despite setting a modest total of 221 for eight, with mercurial batsman Jesse Ryder curbing his usual aggression on a docile Dhaka wicket to score 83.
Cruising to victory
The South Africans were cruising to victory at 121 for three when they imploded in the face of a naggingly accurate, but seemingly unthreatening Kiwi bowling attack, the kind that often frustrates batsmen and could be New Zealand’s main hope.
Admittedly, New Zealand did not bother Sri Lanka too much in the group stages when the tournament co-hosts won by 112 runs.
Wright said the bowling unit’s work had been outstanding in Dhaka against South Africa.
“We sort of scrapped and got as many runs as we could, which gave us a chance,” he said. “Any side in big games, no matter who it is, if you get early wickets there’s always going to be pressure.”
Wright will not have been upset to have seen a streak of aggression creep into the New Zealand game. Two senior players received hefty fines after an on-field confrontation with a South African batsman.
“It was reasonably interesting viewing,” Wright said of the mid-pitch altercation. “There was a lot at stake.”
New Zealand lost two of their group-stage games, to Sri Lanka and Australia. Like Sri Lanka, the Kiwis crushed Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada and pulled off a surprising 110-run victory over Pakistan, thanks mainly to a destructive century by Ross Taylor.
Sri Lanka’s game against Australia was washed out by heavy rain when Sri Lanka had reached 146-3 after 32.5 overs and looked set for a big total. Kumar Sangakkara’s squad only lost to Pakistan, a close match at the Premadasa when Sri Lanka failed by 11 runs chasing 277.
Stifling humidity
Victory tends to energise players, but opener Tillakaratne Dilshan and Umar Tharanga struggled in the stifling humidity on Saturday night as they won the game with a 231-run partnership. Dilshan had to be helped from the field and Tharanga needed a runner as both players passed their centuries.
Their form is unquestioned and New Zealand’s only hope is that the Sri Lankan tail is long. Once past Thilan Samaraweera at number five, the batting is unproven, with pace bowler Lasith Malinga listed to bat at eight against England.
On the slow Colombo wicket, both bowling attacks are similar and likely to be dangerous. Pace is often expensive if batsmen are given any latitude from line and length. New Zealand are famous for the ‘dibbly dobbler’ bowlers who took the team close to the World Cup final in 1992. Perhaps the same style of bowling attack is needed again.
