Breath-taking. That can be the only
description for New Zealand's demolition of England in the World Cup.
An eight wicket win achieved in 45.4 overs.
That's 33.2 overs for England to post 123, losing their last seven wickets for
19 runs, and 12.2 overs for New Zealand to score 125.
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Brendon McCullum's style is now thrown all
over his team who were magnificent in the field, and responded to a brilliant
demonstration of swing bowling by Tim Southee.
The Northland fast bowler doesn't always
have the wickets fall in his favour, but he reaped a superb reward in
Wellington in taking 7-33 from his nine overs, the best figures by a New
Zealander in World Cup cricket and the third best in World Cup history.
McCullum increasingly chooses the bigger
stages to demonstrate his batting wares and achieved the fastest 50 in World
Cup history taking 18 balls en route to 77 off 25, with eight fours and 7
sixes.
England looked clueless from the outset and
never recovered.
This is clearly a side with deep internal
issues because there are too many quality players contained within it for it to
be anything else.
As for New Zealand, they are stepping,
perhaps even over-stepping, their older brothers from the 1992 campaign with a
level of determination and skill that now only needs to overcome the threat
Australia pose in Auckland next weekend to earn the right to a share of
favouritism for the final prize.
These are heady heights for a country that
rarely pokes its head above the cricket clouds. They are to be enjoyed while remembering
that the path gets steeper now, and focus is vital.
