Colin Munro, right, celebrates after catching out Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai. Photo / AP
Colin Munro, right, celebrates after catching out Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai. Photo / AP
Dylan Cleaver runs through his second power rankings of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Where do New Zealand slot in?
Week 2: The Cumulonimbus Edition
10) AFGHANISTAN
Last week: 10 Record: 0-3-0 As the only genuine minnow in the tournament they've been afforded some expectation latitude. The romance is over, though. Theyneed to find a way of batting a lot better or the remainder of the tournament is going to be a painful exercise in embarrassment.
Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera at the crease during the Cricket World Cup group stage match against Afghanistan. Photo / AP
Last week: 9 Record: 1-1-2 No team's position is quite so inflated as Sri Lanka, who have toured around England with a black cloud hovering over their heads. That is not metaphoric either, though it could be given the performances they've put in when they have actually got on the field.
8) BANGLADESH
Last week: 7 Record: 1-2-1 After pushing New Zealand to the wire they were brutalised to all parts of Wales by Jason Roy and pals and got rained out against the weak as water Sri Lankans. Their World Cup, quite literally, is turning from great promise to a damp squib. Must beat the West Indies at Taunton.
7) SOUTH AFRICA
Last week: 8 Record: 0-3-1 It seems strange to give the Proteas a bump for getting a point from a rain-out but it might be the extra time more than anything that's useful. They have four games in a row they'll feel confident of winning – Afghanistan, NZ, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – and they'll need to.
6) PAKISTAN
Last week: 6 Record: 1-2-1 For the first quarter of this match they were so abysmal it was like watching a badly performed play about a badly performed team of village cricketers. Then the bowling attack started to turn it on and they looked awesome, but their wretched patches will see them exit stage left early.
Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq walks from the pitch after being dismissed against Australia. Photo / AP
5) WEST INDIES
Last week: 5 Record: 1-1-1 They were unlucky to be rained out against South Africa after they won the toss in helpful conditions against a struggling side. Twice blew golden opportunities to put the size 12s on Australia's throat. Hard to get an accurate read on them, but they'll need a fit Andre Russell to contend.
Last week: 2 Record: 3-1-0 When Virat Kohli is telling the crowd to stop being mean to Steve Smith, you know something's gone wrong in the Cosmos. Australia will still bully bad teams, but can they keep up with the best? Oooh, good question, and one not answered by beating an atrocious version of Pakistan last night.
Australia's Mitchell Starc appeals for the wicket of Pakistan's Wahab Riaz. Photo / AP
3) NEW ZEALAND
Last week: 4 Record: 3-0-0 Tonight will tell us a lot about where this team stands as they take on their fourth Asian team in a row. They had no choice but to win their first three matches so will be grateful to get enough dry spells to achieve that. Job done, mostly well.
2) ENGLAND
Last week: 3 Record 2-1-0 One of the more flippant subplots to the tournament has been the question of whether a team could notch 500. A more pressing question might be whether some teams will get on the field again, but if 500 is to happen, it might be Tuesday night in Manchester.
Jason Roy celebrates hitting a century against Bangladesh. Photo / AP
1) INDIA
Last week: 1 Record: 2-0-0 Shikhar Dhawan looks like a bloke who'd be at ease behind the decks of Delhi's hottest nightclub, just as he is at the crease during ICC ODI tournaments. His record is insanely good, so it's a worry for India that he fractured his thumb while compiling a classy century against Australia.
