ICC Champions Trophy 2013: England vs New Zealand - England preview
There is an old adage that cricket is a game full of glorious uncertainties. Just the other day, we got a glimpse of the unpredictable nature of the sport as Sri Lanka upset the apple-cart to beat a buoyant and fancied English team. After the humbling defeat against the men from Emerald Isles, England know that their game against New Zealand is a do-or-die match for them.
Pitch and conditions
The track at Cardiff turned out to be a batting paradise for the first game between South Africa and India. But as New Zealand played Sri Lanka on an worn-out pitch last Sunday, it helped the spinners to come into play. So, for today’s game, how the track plays will depend on whether groundsmen keep the worn-out pitch or not. With chances of bad weather affecting the game, captains of both teams may constantly look at their D/L sheets with an anxious look at the angry skies throughout the course of the match.
Key players
Ravi Bopara - Even when Bopara played for Essex’s second XI in 2002, county cricket’s cognoscenti believed that he was a special talent. But for some reason, Bopara hasn’t been been able to fulfill his potential at the international level. In the Champions Trophy though, the enigmatic batting all-rounder has been in red-hot form with a willow in hand. With his eye-catching pyrotechnics, he just carted Sri Lanka’s bowlers all around the The Oval. Bopara’s method of covering his stumps and looking to smash bowlers over the mid-wicket region in the end overs has worked wonders for him in this tournament.
Graeme Swann - England’s quintessential off-spinner may have a major role to play at Cardiff. If there is any turn on offer, one can expect Swann, who imparts serious revolutions on the ball, to make the Kiwi batsmen dance to his spinning tunes. In fact, with his flight and guile, he is a threat in any format of the game.
X-factor
Energy shown by England’s fielders - Barring the World T20 held in West Indies in 2009/10, England’s fielding efforts have been generally lacklustre in big-ticket ICC tournaments. But that hasn’t been the case in this edition of the Champions Trophy. In their last game against Sri Lanka, even when Sangakkara was going great guns, England’s boundary riders saved crucial runs with their superb fielding.
England’s chances
As both sides are well-matched on paper, it is tough to pick out a winner among the two teams. Finally, it comes down to who plays better on the day to emerge victorious.
Possible line-up
Instead of adhering to conventional rigid thoughts, England should go for the jugular and play either Tredwell or Finn in place of Bresnan. But there is every chance that they may still select Bresnan, as he can bat a bit.
Alastair Cook (capt), Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan/Finn/Tredwell, Broad, Swann and Anderson