Cricket: Wicket blitz reopens an old problem

Match-hardened, but the Black Caps need to address their woeful top order statistics

With a one-day international series against South Africa behind them, six more matches scheduled against Pakistan and seven with Sri Lanka, it's hard to imagine New Zealand being more match-hardened to contest the World Cup in 66 days.

A loss irks any team but much could be gleaned from yesterday's three-wicket defeat to Pakistan in Dubai.

New Zealand don't play Pakistan in pool play but their batsmen got a taste for what might be termed "altitude training". Mohammad Irfan, cricket's 2.16m Gulliver, generated steep bounce. His accuracy was disguised by figures of three for 57 from 10 overs - the first five, including the wickets of Dean Brownlie and Kane Williamson, cost 22 runs in the opening power play.

An alarming statistic emerged from cricinfo.com as a result of Irfan's opening spell. Of the test-playing nations, New Zealand's average opening partnership over the last two years in ODIs is the worst at 18.36 with a run rate of 4.17 and highest stand of 66. Next worst is the West Indies average partnership of 29.57. The weakness appears to have been concealed by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor's ability to resurrect innings from Nos 3 and 4.

The opening partnership woes are unlikely to be solved this series. Martin Guptill missed yesterday's match with a tight hamstring and Brendon McCullum has been rotated out of the series to keep him refreshed for a demanding summer. That pair will likely open for New Zealand at the tournament. Their average stand of 44.16 in 20 outings at a run rate of 5.43, including eight in excess of 50, makes a compelling case. Even taking out potential outliers at the 2011 World Cup like unbeaten stands of 166 and 72 against Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively and 53 against Canada, the average is still 29.65. They last opened together in the semifinal against Sri Lanka.

However, establishing an injury back-up option is a priority. Anton Devcich and Dean Brownlie have shown promise but that needs fulfilment in the coming weeks. Their fielding skills would also be a World Cup asset. Another option might be to use Tom Latham as a substitute opener, allowing a space in the squad for wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling whose value as a closer on the New Zealand 'A' tour to England last year warrants further inspection.

Elsewhere, bowlers Mitchell McClenaghan and Matt Henry need chances to showcase their abilities as much as Adam Milne.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee appear guaranteed World Cup places and, with Kyle Mills' tournament experience such a valuable asset, it appears the McClenaghan/Henry/Milne triumvirate will contest one and, at a push, two spots in the squad of 15 if a spare batsman or all-rounder were controversially axed.

The next ODI starts on Saturday. The International Cricket Council yesterday confirmed that following remedial work, the bowling actions of Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake and New Zealand's Kane Williamson are legal and they can now resume bowling in international cricket.

Both bowlers have remodelled their actions. Tests showed that the level of elbow extension measured for all deliveries bowled was now within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations.

3 things we learned

1. Average average
New Zealand's opening partnerships in ODIs over the past two years have averaged 18.36 runs, the worst of any test-playing nation.

2. Taylor up there
Ross Taylor became the first New Zealander to score three consecutive one-day international centuries, joining a list featuring five other players - Pakistan's Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar and South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock.

3. Viable choices
Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum remaining viable all-rounders under pressure ahead of the World Cup. Yesterday they contributed three wickets for 75 from 18 overs and 40 runs at exactly a run-a-ball.