Jacob Oram: Eden Park no fortress for NZ sides

New Zealand batsman Corey Anderson in action. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The result of tomorrow's game between the Black Caps and Australia doesn't really matter but it's one both sides will be desperate to win.

Form would suggest the match will decide who finishes first and second in Pool A and give them, in theory, an easier quarter-final.

It didn't quite work that way for us at the 2011 World Cup when we finished fourth in our pool and were drawn to play South Africa, who were top qualifiers from the other pool. We won and knocked out a favourite.

An argument could be made that New Zealand will want to win tomorrow because they could then get a home semifinal. But Eden Park is not the fortress many think it is.

New Zealand have played 68 matches at Eden Park and won only 43 per cent of them. Similarly, the Black Caps have won only five of 16 games against Australia in Auckland.

I always enjoyed playing there, because you knew you were always going to get a good crowd and the noise was fantastic. It was also a decent pitch with good carry and bounce that rewarded good cricket shots rather than a dung heap that could often be a massive leveller. The ground staff there know what they're doing with the drop-in pitches.

One thing that strikes me about the Black Caps at the moment is how comfortable they look. It may be a big stage with big stakes but they have a formula that is working and trust themselves to keep going.

It allows them to play freely, and trust their processes. It's not always easy to be like that and there's always a danger of over-thinking things, pushing too hard or getting overly stressed about it.

They are playing attacking cricket, with bat and ball, and it's happening automatically. I can't remember a time like it.

The pace attack all operate above 135km/h and can also swing the ball, which gives captain Brendon McCullum so many options to attack. It's not just a medium-pace attack that tries to bore batsmen out.

I don't see any weaknesses -- they have a strong batting lineup, a good wicketkeeper/batsman, world-class spinners and bowlers who can take wickets. If you take away the names and list the skills you want in a top team, these Black Caps have it all.

Australia don't have any weaknesses, either, and South Africa have a powerful side. I think those three deserve to be Cup favourites.

One thing that makes me nervous, and it's something McCullum has touched on, is once we get to the knockout stage a one-man band can trip them up. It could be an AB de Villiers scoring 120 off 80 balls or Dale Steyn picking up five wickets and there's nothing you can do.

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