Cricket: White Ferns aided by insider information at T20 World Cup

Amelia Kerr and her teammates are facing a crucial couple of matches. Photo / photosport.nz

The White Ferns will likely need to topple either Australia or South Africa to advance in the T20 World Cup. Fortunately for their chances, they have plenty of insider information.

New Zealand kick off their campaign against the defending champions in Paarl on Sunday morning (NZT), before taking on the hosts at the same venue on Tuesday.

With two nations progressing to the semifinals from each five-team pool, the White Ferns will almost certainly require victory from one of those opening fixtures before subsequent matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

That assignment won’t be easy. Australia have claimed five of seven T20 World Cups, along with the inaugural T20 competition at last year’s Commonwealth Games, while South Africa will be buoyed by the home conditions in which they have won three of four T20s this year.

But New Zealand’s players will be backed by a coaching staff brimming with knowledge of both the opposition and pitches, with the Australian axis now boosted by a South African great.

Morne Morkel, who took more than 500 international wickets during a glittering career with the Proteas, this week began working with the White Ferns to provide the quicks and their teammates with insights of what to expect in the Western Cape.

The 38-year-old joined a coaching group who would know the defending champions’ players better than anyone outside of the Australian team, with head coach Ben Sawyer supported by a number of compatriots since assuming the role last year.

All the off-field coaching expertise leaves the White Ferns primed to execute on the park, but Amelia Kerr knows the team’s prospects are now reliant on the players.

“We’ve got a very Aussie support staff and they’ve been awesome,” the allrounder said. “[Sawyer] being involved in the Aussie setup for a long time means he knows a lot about their players.

“But I think over the years we’ve played so much against them and there’s so much footage around the world now, every team’s got that advantage on scouting, so I think it does come down to doing what we do best.”

The White Ferns have won two of their last seven T20s against Australia, with their previous two tilts at international T20 competitions ended by their transtasman neighbours.

New Zealand were barely pipped in what was essentially a knockout game to conclude pool play at the 2020 World Cup, with Australia triumphing by four runs to advance and eventually clinch their fifth title. The final margin was similarly close in the semifinals last year in Birmingham, though Australia were always in control of their chase while winning by five wickets with three balls to spare.

If the firm favourites continue their dominance of the sport and the White Ferns are left facing a must-win match against South Africa, the recruitment of Morkel may prove especially valuable.

“It’s awesome to have Morne here,” Kerr said. “He seems like a lovely guy and I think the pace bowlers are very excited already. He’s definitely had a massive impact already, just chatting away, and he has a lot of experience in pressure situations, so having him around our group is awesome.

“He’s got a lot of presence and I think all of us – pace bowlers and not pace bowlers – are going to want to learn us much as we can off him.”