Colin Munro shakes hands with Martin Guptill. Photo / Getty
Colin Munro shakes hands with Martin Guptill. Photo / Getty
Black Caps Player Ratings
Liam Napier rates the Black Caps after their crushing World Cup win over Sri Lanka
Martin Guptill: 9
Sharp, diving slip catch summed up his world-class fielding, and a welcome, unbeaten 71 from 51 balls at the top that included eight boundaries and two sixes. Longmay the runs continue to flow.
Not entirely convincing but after a lean recent run his 58 not out from 47 balls is nothing to scoff at. Must now back it up, if retained at the injured Henry Nicholls' expense.
Ross Taylor: N/A
Had a catch stolen in the slips, when Guptill dove across him. This Taylor's most noteworthy contribution, as not needed with the bat.
Kane Williamson: 7
All points gathered for astute captaincy. Kept Matt Henry going for seven overs in his opening spell and supported him well with attacking fields throughout in a confidence-building move.
Ross Taylor. Photo / Getty
Tom Latham: 6
Not needed from five with the bat but tidy enough in his return from a fractured finger, taking one catch, and stretching for several bouncers.
Jimmy Neesham: 6
Erratic at times with one wide, no ball and a wicket in three overs that went for 21.
Mitchell Santner: 7
Only needed for two overs but claimed the wicket of Thisara Perera, just as he threatened to get going, by varying his pace and keeping it wide of off stump. Can't argue with 1-5. A smart cricketer not easily flustered.
Exceptional bounce back performance. Sure it was a warm up match on a road but no one ever wants to concede 107 runs in nine overs. Henry's confidence could have been rocked but he instead pushed that outing to one side and charged in to claim 3-29 from seven. This was, indeed, a new day and a new, green pitch. Knocked the top off the Sri Lankan innings to set the tone for victory.
Matt Henry celebrates taking the wicket of Kusal Perera. Photo / Getty
Lockie Ferguson: 8
Good pace, screaming bouncers and troubling lines. After bowling without much luck in the two warm up matches, the rewards came in Cardiff. Ferguson is the point of difference for the Black Caps attack. His 3-22 from 6.2 is, hopefully, a sign of what's to come.
Colin de Grandhomme: 6
One for 14 from two overs is a light day at the office. In helpful conditions, de Grandhomme will always extract enough shape to cause problems. That was again the case today.
Trent Boult: 6
To say this was a disappointing day is a reflection of the standards Boult sets. In his opening spell he struggled for consistency, especially when compared with Henry, and had to wait till the 19th over to claim Suranga Lakmal. Final figures of 1-44 from nine aren't bad in anyone's book but, on this rare occasion, Boult was short of his best.
