Mark Greatbatch: New innings balls sort best from the rest

Fast bowler Adam Milne brings an added edge to New Zealand's bowling attack. Photo / Getty Images

Each World Cup seems to throw up something fresh for which they are remembered.

In 1987, Australia brought us bowling variations such as slower balls, now an integral part of a bowler's armoury, through players like Steve Waugh and Simon O'Donnell; coloured clothing and white balls were introduced in 1992 while Dipak Patel opening with his offspin threw a spanner in opposing teams' plans; the Sri Lankan openers went hell for leather from the start in 1996; while in 1999, with the tournament played in England in May and June, the Duke balls gave the good seamers a field day.

This time I'll be watching for how the better teams handle the introduction of two new balls in each innings. It necessitates smart thinking, by both the batting and bowling groups.

For bowlers it will be about how to utilise your strike weapons to put early pressure on batsmen. Against Pakistan in Wellington recently, Brendon McCullum bowled Kyle Mills' 10 overs straight through for just 29 runs, keeping things tight, and used Trent Boult, Adam Milne and Corey Anderson in shorter spells. By the 36th over Pakistan were 133 for six and on the skids.

For the batting side it's about counteracting the bowlers' skills. On any given day you play on different pitches, so you need to make quick assessments.

When playing a good side, and they're bowling well, the strike rate has to reflect that. Sides that adapt quickly will do well, because they'll conserve wickets, but if it's a good pitch batsmen can use the two balls with their hardness and capitalise on field restrictions.

The really good teams will attack with the ball whatever the wicket, so the onus is more often on the batsmen to adapt smartly. So you could think "we might not get 280, but let's make sure we get 260". It's all about figuring out the conditions early and making them work for you.

Teams must factor in that power plays only represent 30 per cent of their overs. They are a way to start, or continue, momentum. Teams often come unstuck in the second five-over power play. They can over-reach in their desire to maximise the fielding restrictions.

Statistics tell us getting seven or eight an over in a powerplay is plenty. That's enough to go from four or five an over to seven or eight and can be a big momentum push.

I gauge ODI batsmen in three style categories - accumulators, power players and improvisers.

Brendon McCullum is an improviser and power player; Martin Guptill is an accumulator and can play the power game; Kane Williamson is an accumulator and uses improvisation to go up a gear; Anderson and Luke Ronchi are power players; Ross Taylor is an accumulator and power player; and Grant Elliott is showing he can do all three. So New Zealand have good personnel to create the batting unit we're looking for.

There are two types of spinners, real wicket takers or squeezers, and it's crucial the bowler at the other end complements him for true effectiveness. I see Adam Milne and Dan Vettori, for example, as a good pairing - Milne running in hard and Daniel squeezing as batsmen try to take advantage of him. It can create pressure and Brendon does that well.

My pick for New Zealand's XI to play Sri Lanka next Saturday? The six batsmen select themselves, along with wicketkeeper Ronchi.

Vettori is my spinner ahead of Nathan McCullum, and I'd have Tim Southee and Boult with Milne just edging out Mills.

Southee and Boult seem to have a good chemistry bowling together while Milne complements them and gives McCullum some punch in short spells.

It's been a long time between World Cups; now we're just counting the days. Can't wait.