Five things we learned from the Black Caps' victory over Bangladesh.
Spin issues
Not a new notion but concerning for what's to come. Any of the Black Caps' remaining opposition would do well to follow Bangladesh's lead and play at least two spinners from here on in. At The Oval, New Zealand lost six wickets to spin. The whole top six, in fact. This aspect alone almost cost them the match. Even good players of spin came unstuck. Kane Williamson became bogged down and got out in frustration, not getting to the pitch and chipping to deep midwicket. Tom Latham, too, lost his head attempting to heavy a half tracker out of the park. This weekend at Tauton on what's expected to be a turning pitch the Black Caps will contemplate the daunting prospect of facing Afghanistan's lethal leg spinner, Rashid Khan. It's enough to cause a few sleepless night between now and then.
Ross Taylor
When this man is in form, anything seems possible for New Zealand. Before being strangled down the leg side Taylor, in his 400th international, hit nine boundaries in his 82. It was a fluent knock – his half century coming off 40 balls – after arriving at the crease with New Zealand 55-2. When he departed New Zealand needed 54 off 69 balls and yet, in another sign of his importance, it quickly became very difficult. Taylor's running between the wickets with Kane Williamson remains a major issue, though. How New Zealand's batting lynchpins cannot solve this fractured area is baffling. Maybe there are simply too many mental scars to overcome. That said, in isolation at least, both appear in good touch and that is a positive sign.