Before this game, if the England team management had sat down, and envisaged an absolutely, iron-clad, worst case scenario for their clash with New Zealand in this World Cup fixture, they still wouldn't have come close to what occurred here in Wellington today. This result, the worst thrashing of the Cup so far, and likely to remain that way, will not only have sent confidence levels to an all time low, but now raises questions as to their future in the Cup beyond the qualifying rounds.
Morgan won the toss, and having seen the cock-up his team made of their first round encounter, this time elected to bat. Not that it mattered. Bell received a peach from Southee, a perfectly pitched outswinger from wide of the crease that took out his off-stump. Ali counterpunched, before receiving a better ball, that also took his off-stump. Then Gary Ballance, marooned and at sea in a position he appears incapable of playing, bunted an indescribable non-shot off the toe straight to short cover, and England was in familiar territory at 3/57.
Root and Morgan fought (struggled) hard, and when I left work for the ten minute journey home they had stabilised at 3/104. When I walked in my front door four overs later, the first ball I saw was Stuart Broad, backing away from Southee, and prodding him to mid off to be dismissed for 4, and the score was 8/116. "What the bloody hell just happened?" I asked. England had lost 5/12 in four overs, four of those to a rampaging Southee. Through a combination of great swing bowling and dreadful batting the match had turned on its head. Only Joe Root, last man out for 46 having watched seven wickets fall at the other end, should have escaped scrutiny at the end of the innings. All out for 123 in 33.2 overs, and England was in complete disarray.
New Zealand's response was predictable, but perhaps not with the ferocity it came with. McCullum and Guptill had employed the same tactics in chasing a small total against Scotland, which had almost come unstuck in losing seven wickets in gaining victory. Today, McCullum was savage. His only intention was to hit every ball to or over the boundary, an intention he did magnificently. At one stage, the only way he could not break AB de Villiers recent record for fastest century in ODI cricket was if Guptill scored too many at the other end to allow him to get there. He has 72 off 21 balls, only needing 28 off a further 9. He eventually fell for 77 off 25 balls, an innings that tore the heart out of England's bowlers. It was all and well to ask where they should be bowling to McCullum in that mood - the real problem to me was that they had no plan at all. It just didn't appear at any stage that they decided to set a certain field, and then bowl to that field. It was just run in, get smashed, go back to your mark, run in, get smashed, and repeat. No yorker-length bowling, just length bowling. And then short bowling. Great to watch if you aren't English, but troublesome if you are.
The match was over with less than 46 overs bowled. New Zealand have only one more obstacle to claim to spot in Group A, against Australia next Saturday. England have several hurdles to clear just to qualify for the quarter finals. With a game against Scotland on Monday, their future in the tournament probably hangs on that game.
Morgan won the toss, and having seen the cock-up his team made of their first round encounter, this time elected to bat. Not that it mattered. Bell received a peach from Southee, a perfectly pitched outswinger from wide of the crease that took out his off-stump. Ali counterpunched, before receiving a better ball, that also took his off-stump. Then Gary Ballance, marooned and at sea in a position he appears incapable of playing, bunted an indescribable non-shot off the toe straight to short cover, and England was in familiar territory at 3/57.
Root and Morgan fought (struggled) hard, and when I left work for the ten minute journey home they had stabilised at 3/104. When I walked in my front door four overs later, the first ball I saw was Stuart Broad, backing away from Southee, and prodding him to mid off to be dismissed for 4, and the score was 8/116. "What the bloody hell just happened?" I asked. England had lost 5/12 in four overs, four of those to a rampaging Southee. Through a combination of great swing bowling and dreadful batting the match had turned on its head. Only Joe Root, last man out for 46 having watched seven wickets fall at the other end, should have escaped scrutiny at the end of the innings. All out for 123 in 33.2 overs, and England was in complete disarray.
New Zealand's response was predictable, but perhaps not with the ferocity it came with. McCullum and Guptill had employed the same tactics in chasing a small total against Scotland, which had almost come unstuck in losing seven wickets in gaining victory. Today, McCullum was savage. His only intention was to hit every ball to or over the boundary, an intention he did magnificently. At one stage, the only way he could not break AB de Villiers recent record for fastest century in ODI cricket was if Guptill scored too many at the other end to allow him to get there. He has 72 off 21 balls, only needing 28 off a further 9. He eventually fell for 77 off 25 balls, an innings that tore the heart out of England's bowlers. It was all and well to ask where they should be bowling to McCullum in that mood - the real problem to me was that they had no plan at all. It just didn't appear at any stage that they decided to set a certain field, and then bowl to that field. It was just run in, get smashed, go back to your mark, run in, get smashed, and repeat. No yorker-length bowling, just length bowling. And then short bowling. Great to watch if you aren't English, but troublesome if you are.
The match was over with less than 46 overs bowled. New Zealand have only one more obstacle to claim to spot in Group A, against Australia next Saturday. England have several hurdles to clear just to qualify for the quarter finals. With a game against Scotland on Monday, their future in the tournament probably hangs on that game.
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