Posted:
The cricketing gods continue to smile upon New Zealand's World Cup campaign -- unless you happen to be Daryl Tuffey or Mark Gillespie.
Still scarcely believing their luck after Ireland engineered Pakistan's dramatic demise last weekend, the Black Caps had barely touched down from St Lucia today before learning India had joined their great subcontinent rivals as also rans.
Sri Lanka's 69-run victory in Port of Spain has whittled down competition in the Super Eights stage to six viable title contenders and New Zealand are among the big beneficiaries.
With two points in hand after the group stage, Stephen Fleming's team can realistically expect to bank four competition points from Ireland and Bangladesh -- a far more agreeable schedule than back-to-back games against India and Pakistan.
And the Black Caps' optimum phase one scenario should play out in St Lucia tomorrow should England not become embroiled in the stunning sequence of Cup upsets and be stunned by Kenya for the first time.
New Zealand will want England to go through as they should provide sterner opposition to the surviving big names compared to the threat posed by a third "minnow".
Designed to determine the semifinalists, the Super Eights stage stipulates the group leader carry over the points from their win over the other qualifier so four teams -- New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and either South Africa or Australia - will have a built-in advantage.
New Zealand and their southern hemisphere rivals have most cause to laud the rule makers as it will be a major surprise should the trio not reap maximum rewards after playing Ireland and Bangladesh.
The permutations are so loaded in New Zealand's favour, they could conceivably already be in the final four before a tough finish against Sri Lanka, South Africa and the reigning world champions.
Should the West Indies be dispatched at the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Thursday , New Zealand must surely have eight points guaranteed after playing Bangladesh at the same venue four days later and the Irish in Guyana on April 9.
Acutely aware of how their good fortune has snowballed, senior Black Caps were still playing down suggestions they were already assured on making the semifinals.
GO NZ GO
GO ALL THE WAY
Still scarcely believing their luck after Ireland engineered Pakistan's dramatic demise last weekend, the Black Caps had barely touched down from St Lucia today before learning India had joined their great subcontinent rivals as also rans.
Sri Lanka's 69-run victory in Port of Spain has whittled down competition in the Super Eights stage to six viable title contenders and New Zealand are among the big beneficiaries.
With two points in hand after the group stage, Stephen Fleming's team can realistically expect to bank four competition points from Ireland and Bangladesh -- a far more agreeable schedule than back-to-back games against India and Pakistan.
And the Black Caps' optimum phase one scenario should play out in St Lucia tomorrow should England not become embroiled in the stunning sequence of Cup upsets and be stunned by Kenya for the first time.
New Zealand will want England to go through as they should provide sterner opposition to the surviving big names compared to the threat posed by a third "minnow".
Designed to determine the semifinalists, the Super Eights stage stipulates the group leader carry over the points from their win over the other qualifier so four teams -- New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and either South Africa or Australia - will have a built-in advantage.
New Zealand and their southern hemisphere rivals have most cause to laud the rule makers as it will be a major surprise should the trio not reap maximum rewards after playing Ireland and Bangladesh.
The permutations are so loaded in New Zealand's favour, they could conceivably already be in the final four before a tough finish against Sri Lanka, South Africa and the reigning world champions.
Should the West Indies be dispatched at the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Thursday , New Zealand must surely have eight points guaranteed after playing Bangladesh at the same venue four days later and the Irish in Guyana on April 9.
Acutely aware of how their good fortune has snowballed, senior Black Caps were still playing down suggestions they were already assured on making the semifinals.
GO NZ GO
GO ALL THE WAY
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