Cricket World Cup: Coping with MCG's vastness key

Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum (second from right) with coaches Shane Bond, Mike Hesson and Craig McMillan get a look at the ground. Photo / Brett Phibbs

NZ team out to embrace the occasion and show they are worthy contenders.

It's the vastness of the place which hits you first.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, with its large empty green acres, can be an intimidating place to play cricket. Add in the four tiers of stands, which will be packed tomorrow and it adds up to a challenge like no other for New Zealand.

Coping with the dimensions of the ground, working out where to get runs - and how to defend them - shapes as one of New Zealand's key assignments against Australia if they are to savour what would be among the greatest achievements in the country's rich sporting history.

That New Zealand deserve to be in their first final is beyond question. To take that final step will require large chunks of skill, spirit and nerve.

All the way along their cup journey, captain Brendon McCullum has repeated his message to the players; essentially, enjoy it, embrace all it brings and back yourselves.

Their first introduction to the MCG yesterday wasn't without the odd hiccup.

Catching practice, with fitness trainer Chris Donaldson hitting the catches, looked sloppy, and in the nets key batsman Kane Williamson took a nasty blow on a hand courtesy of a Mitchell McClenaghan delivery.

McClenaghan, perhaps channelling Mitchell Starc for a day, did nothing more than Williamson can expect from Starc and Mitchell Johnson tomorrow. It may even have helped sharpen the mind.

Seamer Tim Southee yesterday played down the size of the MCG as a factor.

"The guys have played a lot of cricket round the world on big grounds, small grounds, they've got enough experience," he said.

"A lot have played in front of the Indian Premier League crowds, and Eden Park is small but feels like they're right on top of you."

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Southee is one of six players in the probable XI who played in the last match against Australia in Melbourne - the others being McCullum, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott and Dan Vettori - while wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi played a T20 for Australia, alongside David Warner on the ground in 2009.

Southee remembered his early cricket experiences were "always New Zealand against Australia in the back yard".

Southee hopes the perception of "little brothers from across the ditch", was slowly changing.

"In times gone by we probably haven't played to our potential.

"But in the last two years we've slowly gained a little more respect around the world because of the cricket, and the brand of cricket, we've played."

Australia are not world No 1 ODI side for nothing, he added, but New Zealand are up for the task tomorrow.

"Our strength is our level-headedness. We don't get too far ahead and stay in the moment, so the buildup won't change."

The first order of business tomorrow will be what McCullum will do if he wins the toss. Australia are sure to bat first. The pitch is regarded as good, if occasionally prone to being two-paced.

New Zealand might fancy repeating the semifinal at Eden Park and bowl first. They also did that when beating Australia by the slenderest of margins on the same ground last month.

There might be a desire to get everyone into the feel of the match early. And they may also believe knowing what they need to get is preferable to risking a poor batting effort and give their impressive bowling troupe insufficient runs to work with.

Recent history suggests first innings scores of around 270-280 get chased down, so batting first might appeal, when the pitch should be at its best.

There is plenty to compute for McCullum and coach Mike Hesson. Either way, tomorrow, to lift from McCullum, is all about making the most of the greatest experience of their cricket lives.

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