Guptill steadies shaky Black Caps
Now for the serious stuff, after the speed wobbles. New Zealand will ride the momentum of a breakout Martin Guptill century and a tense run chase to Wellington as their Cricket World Cup destiny awaits.
The Black Caps chased down 289 to beat Bangladesh by three wickets with seven balls to spare in Hamilton, in a much-needed dress rehearsal for the knockout rounds.
Three games in eight days loom, starting with a quarterfinal against probably West Indies on Saturday, and with their confidence still intact New Zealand remain a big chance of making their first final.
It was not the perfect game – there were heart flutters and their opponents were feisty but not fearsome. But, crucially, Guptill rediscovered his best form; Ross Taylor scratched around but spent 160 minutes in the middle; and finishers Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson and Daniel Vettori eventually saw them home.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, will face India in the quarterfinals in Melbourne, ironically a better outcome than if they had won and booked a game with South Africa who were their least preferred option.
The Black Caps were chasing a slightly under-par total. It could have been their worst nightmare when Brendon McCullum was again undone by spin and Kane Williamson spooned a catch for his first single-figure dismissal in one-day internationals since December 2013 – 25 matches ago.
It was 14 months since Guptill’s last one-day international century and he needed this. So did his team.
The ball fizzed off the blade, right from his dual sixes over long-on off stand-in skipper Shakib Al Hasan. Guptill’s back foot play was excellent and he dispatched the bad ball confidently, imposing himself on the bowlers.
His only stumble was on 99, literally, when he cramped up badly.
He recovered to swivel pull for an 88-ball century and limped off soon after to a standing ovation.
Taylor and Guptill added 131, with Taylor struggling but grafting through.
He became the fourth New Zealander to top 5000 one-day international runs but could not pick up the pace before he was trapped in front (56 off 97). He remains a work in progress but at least there are runs to play with.
Bangladesh’s five-pronged spin attack threatened to derail the Black Caps. Elliott (39 off 34) saw it big but holed out to deep cover off Rubel Hossain’s pace, then Luke Ronchi found long-off to give Shakib four as he kept them in it.
Anderson is New Zealand’s version of the Big Show, and should win them games like this.
He swung hard and long for 39 off 26 but was bowled hitting out, leaving Vettori who made it safe with some nicely timed clouts before Tim Southee went six and four to ice it.
Bangladesh again played with no fear, as their coach demanded.
They posted the highest total of the tournament against New Zealand, beating Sri Lanka’s 233, with Mahmudullah batting through for 128 off 123 balls.
He had gone 113 one-day internationals without a century; suddenly it was two in a row after he helped send England out of the tournament in Adelaide this week.
As there was against Scotland in Dunedin, a collective groan swept Seddon Park when Brendon McCullum chose to bowl. It was hard to argue as Southee and Trent Boult swung the ball around corners and another short game looked on.
Boult’s outstanding first three overs were maidens and he nabbed both openers to leap to the top of the wicket charts, with 15.
When Mahmudullah, on one, nicked a Southee outswinger through Anderson’s hands at second slip, it all changed.
The ball started behaving and the pitch was a typical easy-paced Hamilton surface where it sat up and demanded to be hit to the short boundaries.
Boult’s seventh over went for 17 and the Black Caps’ bowling attack began to unravel.
Mitchell McClenaghan was in noman’s land, summoned for Adam Milne (shoulder) for his first one-day international in six weeks.
He charged in but needs constant bowling and looked well short of a gallop, tumbling over several times and conceding 68 off eight.
Milne was 50-50 to play, so should be fine for the quarterfinal, but there could be alarm if any of the three quicks fall over in the knockout rounds.
The batsmen hit through the line with ease, with Soumya Sarkar (51 off 58) and Sabbir Rahman (40 off 23) backing the senior man. Vettori (1-42) applied the brakes across three spells and Anderson (2-43) was generally good.
It was a timely jolt for the bowlers after they had Bangladesh on the ropes.