Chasing woes a thing of the past
AT the start of 2020, the Black Caps were finding it hard to close out Twenty20 run chases.
Against India at Seddon Park in Hamilton, they needed three runs off the final five balls, but had to settle for a tie and a Super Over, where they lost.
Two days later at Westpac Stadium, they needed seven runs off six balls, and three off four, but again found themselves in a Super Over, where they lost once more.
Two days after that, at Bay Oval, they were 107-3 after 11 overs chasing 164, needing a little more than six runs per over, but only added another 49 while losing six wickets to slump to a seven-run loss and a 5-0 series defeat.
They were three of the more frustrating defeats you will ever see – the one in Hamilton meant a stunning innings of 95 off 48 balls from Kane Williamson went to waste – and it was clear the team had some work to do.
Then came the Covid-19 pandemic, the cancellation of a bevy of T20s at the end of the New Zealand summer and over the winter and the postponement of the T20 World Cup in Australia, which brings us to this summer.
In the first of three matches against the West Indies, the
Black Caps chased down a target of 176 off 16 overs at Eden Park, with five wickets in hand and four balls to spare.
Then on Friday, in the first of three matches against Pakistan, they chased down 154 with five wickets in hand and seven balls to spare.
Jimmy Neesham and Devon Conway led the way on the first occasion, making an unbeaten 48 off 24 balls and 41 off 27 respectively, while Mitchell Santner added an unbeaten 31 off 18.
The second time around it was Tim Seifert, who made 57 off 43 balls, and Mark Chapman, who made 34 off 20, with Glenn Phillips also contributing an 18-ball 23.
In the absence of some senior figures – Williamson was absent for both matches, while Ross Taylor was run out cheaply in the first and dropped for the second, and Martin Guptill was dismissed cheaply both times – coach Gary Stead said he’d been pleased to see the rest of the batting group step up.
‘‘To see those guys come in and have that calm head and play the way they did is quite reassuring in away.
‘‘T20 is a fickle game; it would have been nice probably to have got that chase with one or two wickets less down and that’s what they’ll learn over time, that balance of their mental freedom and also that batsmanship, but I thought all of our batting group
last night played the way we want to play our cricket.’’
Stead said the Black Caps had identified that T20 chasing wasn’t one of their strengths and had been putting some thought into how to improve.
‘‘There’s certainly been more discussion around that and I guess not leaving that to chance so much.’’
The Black Caps will be looking to secure a series win over Pakistan today in the second match at Seddon Park in Hamilton, where they are set to be joined by Williamson, who welcomed a baby daughter alongside wife Sarah during the week.
Also returning to the squad are test seamers Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, and Tim Southee and all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, with Santner – having his first break since leaving for the Caribbean Premier League in July – Chapman, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, and Blair Tickner making way.
To see those guys come in and have that calm head is quite reassuring.’ GARY STEAD