If matches are influenced by the respective starts of rivals, then the climax of the lopsided game between New Zealand and England wasn’t difficult to guess at Wellington.
England scored 43 for two in 10 overs, a tenure that offered a generous glimpse of Tim Southee’s masterly swing. In contrast, the host engaged the sixth gear through skipper Brendon McCullum (77, 25b, 8x4, 7x6) and at supper, chasing England’s 123, New Zealand was 112 for one in nine overs!
All dancing feet and swivelling bat, McCullum slashed James Anderson and Stuart Broad, pummelled Steven Finn. His 50 off 18 balls, the fastest in World Cup history and his eventual 77 (25b, 8x4, 7x6) was enough for New Zealand to win by eight wickets with 37.4 overs to spare.
If McCullum lent the frenetic finishing touch, it was Southee (seven for 33) who set up the game. Driven and pulled by Moeen Ali, Southee pegged his line closer to the stumps and his full length and out-swing made it doubly dangerous.
Ian Bell played beside the line and it was the first of Southee’s four victims who were castled (Moeen Ali, James Taylor and Chris Woakes being the other three). The speedster, bowling in the 140kmph range, also dismissed Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.
Southee’s two spells (5-0-23-2 and 4-0-10-5) destroyed England and as long as Kevin Pietersen is batting elsewhere, the visitor’s skipper Eoin Morgan will ponder the ‘what-ifs’ of life.
