Team history at Cricket World Cup - New Zealand (1975-2011)

Martin Crowe redefined the way ODI cricket was played at the 1992 World Cup

The 1992 World Cup is etched in my memory for a number of reasons. It was the first to have coloured jerseys, white balls and floodlit stadiums. For a sleepy 10-year-old, whose cognitive capabilities in cricket, stretching back a couple of years at most, were used to crispy white shirts and sunny afternoons, this was surreal.

The basic rules of cricket were well entrenched in my mind – the batsmen got off to slow starts, conserved their wickets, and had an almighty slog during the final 10 overs, appropriately termed slog overs.

The Kapil Devs and the Wasim Akrams of the world always opened the bowling, while slower bowlers (an unnecessary addition to the sport, in my young opinion, when compared to the awesomeness of the quicker dudes) came on later to fill some overs in between, before the pacers returned to stop the batsmen during the slog.

Imagine my plight, when most of these sacrosanct beliefs were shattered, as I witnessed opening batsmen slogging and a spinner coming in to open the innings. Like a dutiful hero-worshiping son, still a couple of years short of when the customary insanity takes over, I turned to my dad for guidance, but he seemed equally clueless, to begin with.

As I look back now, the mysterious events were just part of the New Zealand team having their best-ever World Cup, spurred by the innovativeness of one of the shrewdest captains to have graced the shorter format – Martin Crowe..

Overall Stats	Played – 70, Won – 40, Lost – 29, No Result – 1
Trophies Won	0
Favourite Opposition among Test-playing nations (Win %)	Zimbabwe (100%), Bangladesh (100%), South Africa (66.66%)
Least Favourite Opposition among Test-playing nations (Win %)	Australia (25%), Pakistan (25%), Sri Lanka (33.33%)
Most runs	Stephen Fleming (1075 runs)
Most wickets	Jacob Oram (36 wickets)
Most successful captain	By Win %: Martin Crowe (78%) By Number of Wins: Stephen Fleming (16 wins)

Most Memorable Performance (1992)

Crowe almost single-handedly turned the game on its head by perfecting the concept of pinch-hitting to take advantage of the newly introduced rule of having only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle during the first 15 overs. He also quickly figured out that the only way to protect his own bowlers from a similar onslaught was to take as much pace off the ball as possible. Hence, the never-before-seen visuals of Dipak Patel sauntering up to the wicket to deliver his off-breaks, and, a couple of matches later, Mark Greatbatch announcing his arrival in one of the most lop-sided matches between top teams in World Cup history.

The remaining cast was equally impressive – the military medium quartet of Willie Watson, Rod Latham, Gavin Larsen and Chris Harris gave absolutely no pace to work with and choked batsmen consistently through the tournament.

When the Blackcaps stopped their more illustrious neighbours 37 runs short of the target in the tournament opener, it may have been considered a flash in the pan performance. Sri Lanka were not yet considered a force to reckon with, and a 6-wicket victory over them was expected.

However, it was their third encounter, against a talented South African team, that forced the world to sit up and take notice. After the dibbly-dobblers restricted the Proteas to 190, pinch-hitters Greatbatch and Rod Latham got them off to a rollicking start, going at run-a-ball as the 100 was raised in no time. The target was achieved in 34.3 overs, and New Zealand had announced themselves as one of the favourites for the Cup.

The Kiwis continued their glorious run, getting past West Indies, India and England without being stretched. Greatbatch was startlingly consistent, getting the team off to blazing starts in every match. Crowe was in the form of his life, and he found an able ally in Andrew Jones, together forging one of the best middle-order alliances in the competition. The Kiwi skipper was to finish the tournament as the highest scorer with 456 runs at an average of 114 and strike-rate of 91.

In their final league match against Pakistan, the New Zealand batsmen were blown away by Wasim Akram, who was probably at the peak of his abilities. Greatbatch yet again made a quick 40, but none of the other batsmen contributed as their innings folded for 166. The bowlers tried their best, but Rameez Raja’s unbeaten 119 inflicted the tournament’s first defeat on the Kiwis, ejecting Australia from the competition, and setting up a semi-final rematch against the ‘cornered tiger’ Pakistan.

In the knockout, the Blackcaps got off to one of their worst starts in the tournament, with Greatbatch suffering a rare failure and Latham and Jones falling for not many. Crowe, magnificent as usual, steadied the ship with an 83-ball 91 and with able support from Ken Rutherford, and some lusty hitting from the middle-order, propelled the score to a very respectable 262.

It was a total the Kiwis were expected to defend. After all, no team had come close to scoring that many against them in the tournament. The script played out in predictable fashion for about 70% of the Pakistan innings. The bowlers maintained their stranglehold, Imran’s self-promotion to number 3 seemed to have misfired, and 123 runs were required off the final 15 overs; next to impossible in the pre-T20 era.

That is when a young Inzamam-ul-Haq, in the words of ESPN Cricinfo writer Sriram Veera, ‘chose to script a fantasy’. The burly right-hander slammed a 37-ball 60, and with Javed Miandad for company, put on 87 runs in 10 overs. The Kiwis, without the services of their enigmatic skipper who was off the field due to a hamstring injury, were shocked into submission.

Though Inzamam was run-out, not surprisingly, with Pakistan still 36 runs away from the target, he had already administered the knockout punch, as Javed and Moin Khan completed the formalities to expel the Kiwis from a tournament they practically owned.

The disappointment still hurts, but not before, and not hence, had the Blackcaps, led by their skipper, exuded such unbridled charisma over the World Cup, one which ended in heartbreak, but made them immortal in the hearts of millions of cricket fans the world over.

Team History

The Kiwis’ most memorable World Cup was preceded by a decade of disappointment and a couple of solid performances in the 70s.

The Kiwis reached the semi-finals in 1975 and 1979, finishing second in the league stage on both occasions, to be ousted by powerful West Indian and English teams, respectively, in the knockout round. To their credit, a much stiffer fight was put up against England in 1979, where the Kiwis, chasing 221, brought it down to the last over, with 14 runs required. More often achieved than not in the post-T20 era, it was perhaps too tall an order 35 years ago, as the Blackcaps fell 9 runs short.

In 1983, the Kiwis started out with a huge defeat at the hands of England, before getting past Pakistan and Sri Lanka with ease. The second encounter with England culminated in one of the best finishes of the tournament, with the Kiwis edging home by 2 wickets with 1 ball to spare. The spectacular effort probably drained the team of their physical and mental reserves, as they slumped to unexpected defeats against both the sub-continent nations in the second-leg encounter, and could not qualify for the semi-finals.

The 1987 edition was the Kiwis’ Worst Performance in a World Cup. Without the services of the great Sir Richard Hadlee, sidelined with an ankle injury, the Kiwis lost four out the six games played, losing two times each to defending champions India and on-the-rise Australia. The outcome could have been worse, had Dave Houghton managed to convert his epic 142 into a victory for Zimbabwe in the Kiwis’ first league match – New Zealand scraped home by 3 runs, an identical margin to their defeat at the hands of the Aussies a week later. Needless to say, they did not progress to the semis.

1996 was a bit of an anti-climax after the fabulous run in 1992, with the Kiwis finishing 3rd in Group B with three wins and two losses. They ran into a resurgent Australian side in the quarterfinals, and though Chris Harris hit a career-best 124-ball 130, it was nullified by a combination of Mark Waugh’s elegant century at the top, and an audacious 5th wicket partnership between Steve Waugh and Stuart Law, that saw the Aussies canter home for an easy victory.

From 1999-2007, New Zealand’s World Cup appearances had a somewhat fixed pattern. Fleming was the batting mainstay, emerging as the country’s highest run-scorer in the 2003 and 2007 editions, and second highest, behind Roger Twose in 1999. The team relied heavily on one pace spearhead, while other bowlers rallied around him. If it was Geoff Allott in 1999, then Shane Bond stamped his authority over the next two events.

Others chipped in, but one common feature was that the Kiwis faltered, and fell heavily, when it mattered the most. They made it to the semi-finals in 1999 and 2007, where the Blackcaps were thrashed by Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively. India inflicted a similar ignominy in 2003, albeit a stage earlier, shooting out the Kiwis for 146 in their final Super Sixes encounter and then cruising to victory by 7 wickets.

The 2011 edition was similar in some aspects, while being different in others. Fleming was no longer around, but his responsibilities were almost equally divided between usual openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill. Tim Southee took over from Bond, and the all-rounders, led by Jacob Oram, contributed significantly. A difference I noticed was the unusual dominance during the league stage.

After an early mauling at the hands of Australia, the Kiwis thrashed Pakistan and Sri Lanka by 100+ margins. In subcontinental conditions; quite an achievement. They also brushed aside the minnows with ease, almost raising visions of a 1992 encore, perhaps extended by two more wins. When the Kiwis choked South Africa in the quarter-final, they established themselves as genuine contenders to the greatest crown in One Day International (ODI) cricket. Sadly, their tragic tryst with semi-finals remained unchanged as Sri Lanka, who they defeated easily 10 days ago, sailed home to a comfortable victory, shattering a dream which has only been ‘semi’ realized.

Top Performers

Martin Crowe

The man could have been planted atop this list purely on the basis of his game-changing strategies during the 1992 World Cup, but his genius captaincy couldn’t overshadow his outstanding contributions to the team as a batsman. Besides emerging as the tournament top scorer in the Kiwis’ best run in a World Cup tournament, the right-hander was most consistent in their worst, in 1987.

Crowe was instrumental in their only victories during the disastrous edition, both over Zimbabwe, and it was his dismissal in the final over in a must-win game against Australia, that sent the team plummeting into ravines of self-doubt before rising like a phoenix, under his captaincy, four years later.

Stephen Fleming celebrates his century vs South Africa in 2003

Stephen Fleming

If Crowe was the eccentric genius, Fleming carves a niche for himself as the calmest presence in the New Zealand team through the late 90s and the 2000s, something he continues to exude as the head coach of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. The only New Zealander to aggregate 1000+ runs in the World Cup, Fleming defied most clichés in cricket; he flourished when entrusted with captaincy and his batting in the tournament was a rising graph throughout.

His best World Cup innings, which ESPN Cricinfo hailed as the innings of his lifetime, came in 2003 – playing the South Africans on home turf against a line-up comprising Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald and Jacques Kallis, the elegant southpaw’s 134* made short work of the 307 run target (revised to 229 in 39 overs), and miraculously kept Kiwi hopes alive in the tournament.

Shane Bond

Fearsomely fast, Bond, at his peak, was among the best bowlers in the world, but an injury-prone body and a single professional indiscretion put paid to what could have been long and fulfilling career. He was, however, the Kiwis’ bowling spearhead during the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, picking up 30 wickets in 16 matches an average of 17.

Bond had an affinity for Australian scalps and took his game up several notches when facing the best in the business. When the teams met during the 2003 edition, at Port Elizabeth, Bond’s 6-23 annihilated the Aussie top order and restricted them to 208, but an inept batting performance saw the Kiwis crumbling for 112, a record low in the tournament’s history. He traded sporadic brilliance for superior consistency in the 2007 tournament, picking up wickets in every single game to elevate the Blackcaps into the semis for the fifth time, where they would succumb to newfound last-four nemesis, Sri Lanka.

Jacob Oram

Oram may raise a few eyebrows on being included in this list, but the highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in World Cup history raised his game spectacularly when playing on the highest podium. While the burly all-rounder was consistent across all three editions he participated in from 2003-11, he was at his best in 2011, garnering 12 wickets at an average of 18 and strike=rate of 25.

Oram was instrumental in one of the country’s most memorable Cup wins, over South Africa in the quarter-final, where, defending a modest 221, his 4-wicket haul stopped the Proteas in their tracks and booked Kiwis a spot in their sixth World Cup semi-final.

Other top performers: Mark Greatbatch, Scott Styris, Chris Harris

Memorable Matches

Against South Africa (2011 WC) – Won by 49 runs

The World Cup specialists took on the perennial chokers in a high-voltage clash at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur in the tournament quarterfinals. Chasing 221, the South Africans were cruising at 108-2 when the hero of the day, Oram, used his height to good effect to pluck a blinder at deep mid-wicket to dismiss the well-set Kallis.

That was the turning point in the match, and the South Africans never quite recovered. Though AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis attempted a repair job, the looming ‘chokers’ tag came to the forefront as the remaining batsmen capitulated without reaching double figures. The Proteas were shot out for 172 and the Kiwis added one more feather to their giant-slaying hat, worn with particular grandeur in set-piece tournaments.

Against Australia (1999 WC) – Won by 5 wickets

The Australians were entering a phase of absolute World Cup dominance but were to stutter twice, in the initial phase, before extending their reign over the signature event. The Kiwis took on them at Cardiff, and, after being asked to field, unleashed the short-lived brilliance of Geoff Allott, who took 4 wickets to limit the Aussies to 213.

In reply, the Australian bowlers priced out the top four Kiwi batsmen for less than 50 runs, but a superb 148-run stand between Chris Cairns and Roger Twose sealed a famous victory over their fierce rivals.

Against South Africa (1992 WC) – Won by 7 wickets

As highlighted earlier, this match was memorable as the first instance of perfect realization of Crowe’s innovative strategy, which resulted in the obliteration of a very talented South African team. The manner in which the strong Protea batting line-up was stopped before the 200-run mark, followed by Greatbatch’s and Latham’s ruthless exploitation of the first 15 overs, marked a turning point in the game’s history.

Against Zimbabwe (1987 WC) – Won by 3 runs

For once, this match was memorable due to the exploits of an opposition team member, as Dave Houghton, fighting extreme humid conditions in Hyderabad, racked up 142 runs to almost single-handedly bring the Africans to the brink of victory, chasing 242, before a blinder of a catch by Crowe (again!) ended his brilliant innings. The game was not over yet, as medium-pacer Iain Butchart played the innings of his life to keep Zimbabwe in the hunt till the final over, before his run-out off the 4th ball clinched a rare victory in the 1987 tournament for the Kiwis.

Against England (1983 WC) – Won by 2 wickets, with 1 ball remaining

On an inconsistent pitch, David Gower made an almost run-a-ball 92, stamped with trademark languid elegance, but the Kiwi pacers, led by Sir Richard Hadlee and Lance Cairns, took 3 wickets each to bundle out the Englishmen for 234. At 75-4 and 151-6, the Kiwis looked down and out. However, Jeremy Coney held one end up, and in Hadlee, he found an able ally. The two put on 70 runs for the 7th wicket before Willis cleaned up Hadlee. With four runs required off the last over and two wickets in hand, John Bracewell held his nerve to hit the fifth delivery for a boundary for a memorable win.