Jacob Oram: Unheralded Black Caps can shine

Adam Milne of the Black Caps. Photo / Getty Images

There is concern New Zealand have a couple of players out of form leading into the quarter-finals but it's not really the case - it's more a lack of opportunity.

The Black Caps have invariably been chasing small totals in this World Cup which has meant some of our batsmen have spent little time in the middle.

Luke Ronchi, for instance, has faced only 46 balls but he still has a strike rate of 122, which is in line with his career strike rate of 127.

Likewise, people think Ross Taylor is out of form, but he's averaging 44 at a strike rate of 76 in 2015. That average is better than his career average and only six runs down on his career strike rate.

Adam Milne has been bowling well but just hasn't had the wicket hauls of others. He bowls fast enough to put the fear into teams and could pick up three or four wickets.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the unheralded guys proves to be the matchwinner in the rest of New Zealand's campaign.

So far, the likes of Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori have been the ones in the spotlight, and rightly so.

There's no substitute for time in the middle and a lot of our guys haven't had that recently. You can spend hours trying to simulate it in training but it's not the same as what you face in a game.

The guys at this level are so good and play so often that it can take only one innings, one over or even one shot for things to click.

I can understand people were worried about Taylor's form after his innings against Bangladesh, when he scored 56 off 97 balls, but the result was never really in doubt. It looked to me like he was trying to get time in the middle without trying to whack it around the park and needlessly chucking his wicket away.

It's been tough for Taylor. He's been the rock of New Zealand's batting order for the past three or four years but now McCullum is showing more consistency and Williamson has emerged as a world-class batsman. It means Taylor is finding himself in different situations and not getting the opportunities he did previously.

That might come tomorrow against the West Indies.

It's a game I think New Zealand will win but it still doesn't mean I'm not nervous because there's nothing to say someone like Chris Gayle won't take the game away. He's already scored the fastest double century in World Cup history at this tournament.

It's rare for a side to go through a World Cup unbeaten - even eventual champions India lost a match at the 2011 tournament.

But I feel the Black Caps have shown enough skill, character and consistency over the past two years to cope. If they go away from doing what has been so successful for them over that time there could be issues but they have the right personnel and tactics and they should be fine.