Cricket: Calling all the heroes

Scott Styris. Photo / Christine Cornege.

The Cricket World Cup begins in a fortnight and New Zealand are struggling to mount a challenge on the Subcontinent. Andrew Alderson looks at the players who excelled for New Zealand at past tournaments- and five contenders who could stand out this time.

England 1975
Glenn Turner
It looked like Turner's average had the decimal point in the wrong place compared to his team-mates. His 166.50 (with two not outs and two centuries from four innings) looks good against the next best, Geoff Howarth, with 26.66.

One of Turner's hundreds - 171 not out against East Africa at Edgbaston - was the highest score by a New Zealand player for 30 years until Lou Vincent made 172 against Zimbabwe. The potency of the opposition bowling attack might have been questionable, however, a figure called Nana was rolling the armover as East Africa's first change.

England 1979
Brian McKechnie
McKechnie was back in the United Kingdom the year after kicking the All Blacks to victory over Wales in the second test of their first grand slam, when Andy Haden earned a penalty falling out of a lineout.

McKechnie was arguably New Zealand's steadiest bowler, finishing with nine wickets at 15.66 - at just 3.07 an over. It was a solid return despite the era of sub-70 strike rates and 60-over matches. He picked up 3-24 and3-25 in wins against India and Sri Lanka respectively. This tournament was as close as New Zealand have come to the final, losing to England by nine runs in the semi.

McKechnie was left at the wicket with Gary Troup. In less than 20 months he would face his most famous sporting moment... Trevor Chappell's under arm at the MCG.

England 1983
Richard Hadlee
Sir Richard had the best bowling average for the tournament (12.85) from six matches, second best strike rate (27.9), third best figures (5-25 v Sri Lanka) and fifth best economy rate (2.76). Jeremy Coney also deserves mention, topping the batting averages and being second to Hadlee with his dibbly-dobblies. Yet both players were in a side that crumbled. After winning their first four matches, New Zealand lost their last two to miss the semifinals for the first time.

Australia and New Zealand 1992
Martin Crowe
Crowe left an indelible impression on the next generation of New Zealand cricketers as captain and batsman. He topped the run (456) and average (114) charts with a strike rate of 90 to boot. An unbeaten century helped defeat Australia followed by four further half-centuries (three of them not out) in his nine innings. That set the tone.

It inspired Kiwis to back the team as fervently as they ever have. Decisions like opening the bowling with Dipak Patel to make the batsmen force their shots were considered revolutionary and his management of dibbly, dobbly, wibbly and wobbly seamers (Gavin Larsen, Chris Harris,WillieWatson and Rod Latham) on slow New Zealand pitches was innovative. The team had seven straight wins before suffering two losses to Pakistan. One included the semifinal where Crowe could not field because of a hamstring injury after making 91.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka 1996
Chris Harris
Much like 1987 - and again on the sub-continent - it is difficult to pinpoint a team hero. Inexperienced captain Lee Germon - who topped the averages by some margin with 63.66 - is qualified for hero status at this tournament, although our vote goes to Chris Harris' 130 against Australia where he spent the break between innings sitting under a cold shower. New Zealand eventually lost that quarter-final, completing another tepid tournament.

England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands 1999
Geoff Allott
Allott was an unlikely threat, storming in with the toe cut out of his right boot and sock protruding to ease his landing impact. He commanded respect with his seam bowling and ability to bring the ball back into right-handers.

He seared through line-ups in seam- and swing-friendly conditions, helping take New Zealand to the semifinals. His 20 wickets equalled Shane Warne (who played an extra match - the final) for top wicket-taker at the tournament. Sadly, less than 18 months later, Allott had played his last match for New Zealand with recurring back injuries taking a final toll.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya 2003
Shane Bond
Bond's bowling (6-23) against eventual champions Australia in the Super Six match at Port Elizabeth is New Zealand's best at a World Cup. It included the wickets of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn.

His rhythmic run-up combined with the plant of the back foot, swivel of his back and shoulders and unleashing of mayhem took him to 17 wickets at 17.94 - but it wasn't enough to get New Zealand to a semifinal.

Special mention to Stephen Fleming, who kept New Zealand in contention for the Super Six stage. He hit a better than- a-run-a-ball 134 not out to beat South Africa via the Duckworth-Lewis method, when they knew the next match would be forfeited in Kenya due to security concerns.

West Indies 2007
Scott Styris
Styris' pugnacious nature brought out his best in the Caribbean. New Zealand's performance in the tournament under coach John Bracewell and captain Stephen Fleming looks good in the present circumstances, winning their first six games and then seven out of eight before being dismantled in the final two, the last one being the semifinal.

Styris produced the fourth best average at the tournament (83.16) and held New Zealand together batting at four. He made arguably match-winning half centuries against England and the West Indies after the loss of cheap wickets and scored 111 after entering at 2-4 against Sri Lanka, but it was not enough to win the game. Backed up his batting with tidy bowling performances using his metronomic seamers.

Five to follow:
Scott Styris
Can he replicate his big tournament performances in Africa and the Caribbean? Has the pedigree, and is beginning to show the form and fitness to back it. If not, the media is sure to be part of the blame...

Jesse Ryder
Ryder's chance to prove his effortless talent can translate to the biggest limited-overs stage. Judging by his efforts recently in Wellington and Auckland, he is in reasonable nick; there's just that ever-present worry over fitness...

Brendon McCullum
Can he lead by example and take a tournament apart to satisfy his international ambitions? There's plenty of motivation. Ross Taylor's grasp on the captaincy is not guaranteed and McCullum has a record of making big limited-overs scores count.

Daniel Vettori
This could be Vettori's last chance on the World Cup stage if he soon opts out of one-day internationals, as has been hinted; especially now he is set to relinquish the captaincy.

His impact was limited in 1999 and 2003 but he topped the wicket tally with 16 in the Caribbean. Can he lead the way with his "contain and dismantle" policy on the subcontinent?

Nathan McCullum
Is McCullum senior the Allott/ McKechnie-type star waiting to emerge? His fielding is dynamic. How many times do you hear a wicket-taking commotion coming from the TV while you're boiling the kettle - and there's McCullum with the ball in his hands?

His spin will naturally be useful on dry, slow, turning wickets and his array of batting shots can drain opponents hoping to mop up the tail and he is also becoming a useful "closer".