The BLACKCAPS have assembled in Napier to prepare for Sunday’s match against Afghanistan. While there’s obviously a gulf between playing the world’s number one side one week and one that’s just recorded its first ever World Cup win the next, the team will be preparing just the same, said BLACKCAPS all rounder Corey Anderson at training today.
“Every side is a danger. We don’t want to take any game lightly, and it’s more important to try and win these two to take us to the top of the pool and hopefully get a better run to the final if we can. We’ve got to take this game as we have for all the others, we’ll be doing what we can with scouting meetings and checking what they’ve done over the tournament,” said Anderson.
The BLACKCAPS have chased low totals in their last three matches, and the timing of the tournament means that some batsmen are short on recent time in the middle. Arguably, should Brendon McCullum win the toss in Napier, the team could bat first to get some time in the middle, but the team is comfortable their build up, planning and preparation stands them in good stead.
“If we’re bowling teams out for 150 then I guess we’re doing pretty well. It’s been spoken about that guys like me and Milney aren’t bowling, other guys are doing the job, and if the lower order aren’t batting, then it means that other guys are doing their job as well.
“It wasn’t that long ago we saw a lot of guys getting runs, Luke got 170 down in Dunedin and Ross got a hundred here last time, we’ve had plenty of time in the middle and big breaks in between games, to play in the nets, so I don’t think there’s any need to say anyone’s out of form or anything like that, we’re trucking pretty nicely as a squad of 15,” said Anderson.
If the team does get the time in the middle, then the game plan will remain the same. Batting wise, the line up is as balanced as it’s ever been, with everyone having a clear idea of their role.
“The guys like Brendon who are taking it down early, then Kane and guys like that are setting it up, then that leaves time for guys like myself and Ronchs (Luke Ronchi) and Grant who’s just in front, we all get time I guess to get in, adjust and then go big at the end. That’s when we start getting totals like 280, 300 and then we can go above that par total, go 330, 340 if one of us comes off. That’s what we base our blueprint on, and the last couple of games bowling first it’s kind of changed a bit, but we’re adjusting nicely,” said Anderson.
And the question on everyone’s lips is ‘how’s Brendon’s arm’? Well, it’s pretty good. “He’s doing well. He took a bit of a hit to the arm in that game, he’s one of the hardest men I know, he didn’t really flinch, he just sort of waved out to check if it was all right. He’s been good, he’s been explosive, he’s always pretty tough to bowl to in the nets as well,” said Anderson.
