Strongest NZ WC team

[Bahnz]

After mulling it over, I think it's 2019. Certainly the 2019 side had NZ's strongest ever bowling attack, with Ferguson, Henry and Boult all averaging around the 25 mark and Santner being his usual irritatingly accurate self. Batting definitely had its weak spots, but with KW in career-best ODI form, Ross being Boss and the rest of the batting being able to chip in it was good enough.

2015 would be a very close second, with kind of the inverse strengths and weaknesses of the class of 19. Outstanding batting depth, but a lot more uneven in the bowling department.

2003 was a side that - Bond and Fleming aside - was a couple years past its prime. Ditto for 2007. 1999 was a better team - at least for the English conditions. Geoff Allott was an absolute monster with the white duke.

1992 was a pretty average side that was lifted up by the genius of Martin Crowe and the turgid nature of the NZ pitches of that era. Probably for the best that they went down in dramatic fashion in the semi's as they would've been curb-stomped by England in the final.

The 2011 and 1996 teams were definitely the worst since I've been following cricket. 2011 benefitted massively from a pre-WC tour of Bangladesh and being the only SENA quarter-finalist to not be matched up with a sub-continent opponent. Was still magic seeing 20 year old KW dragging NZ to a defendable total v the saffers.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

2003 team was still better

They managed to compete with ATG-level teams despite not having superstars on paper

Bond was a superstar.


Anyway, players who missed our 15-man squad would have started in 2003, so our depth now is our best ever.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

After mulling it over, I think it's 2019. Certainly the 2019 side had NZ's strongest ever bowling attack, with Ferguson, Henry and Boult all averaging around the 25 mark and Santner being his usual irritatingly accurate self. Batting definitely had its weak spots, but with KW in career-best ODI form, Ross being Boss and the rest of the batting being able to chip in it was good enough.

2015 would be a very close second, with kind of the inverse strengths and weaknesses of the class of 19. Outstanding batting depth, but a lot more uneven in the bowling department.

2003 was a side that - Bond and Fleming aside - was a couple years past its prime. Ditto for 2007. 1999 was a better team - at least for the English conditions. Geoff Allott was an absolute monster with the white duke.

1992 was a pretty average side that was lifted up by the genius of Martin Crowe and the turgid nature of the NZ pitches of that era. Probably for the best that they went down in dramatic fashion in the semi's as they would've been curb-stomped by England in the final.

The 2011 and 1996 teams were definitely the worst since I've been following cricket. 2011 benefitted massively from a pre-WC tour of Bangladesh and being the only SENA quarter-finalist to not be matched up with a sub-continent opponent. Was still magic seeing 20 year old KW dragging NZ to a defendable total v the saffers.

We could well have beaten England at the MCG in 1992 final. Will never know.

Don't forget the allround excellence of CDG and Neesham in 2019. They were great 5th/6th bowlers and covered the batting which (Kane excepted) underperformed.

We were also lucky in 2011 that SA had a terrible tail (Johan Botha at 7!)


Disagree about weak bowling in 2015:
Boult/Southee/Milne (back ups Henry/Mills/McClenaghan)/Vettori/Anderson.
Didn't need Elliot as 6th bowler.

Ironically if Ryder hadn't had issues he would've opened, McCullum at 5, and Elliot not picked.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Those 3 teams would beat any NZ team in history. They were just 3 really strong teams

Australia yes.
The other 2 no. Both had poor pace attacks.

 

[Sunil1z]

Australia yes.
The other 2 no. Both had poor pace attacks.

Zaheer , Srinath and Nehra are probably the best attack India has fielded in WC except 2023 one .

Similarly Vaas + Murali are as good attack as any Sri Lanka has fielded except 2007 maybe

 

[Athlai]

Zaheer , Srinath and Nehra are probably the best attack India has fielded in WC except 2023 one .

Bleak revelation this.

 

[Sunil1z]

Bleak revelation this.

Why ? Everyone knows that pace bowling has never been our strength historically .

We have relied more on batting and spin bowling

 

[Flem274*]

Australia yes.
The other 2 no. Both had poor pace attacks.

Muralist could do it himself because he's amazing and Indian batting likewise but yeah it's not a sure thing.

I agree with your other post on the 2015 side. If 2023 had Ferguson in better form they could make a case.

 

[DriveClub]

I remember in 2003 WC Indian pacers had an amazing tournament (until the final). But the gap between Australia and other teams were just too big (2007 as well)

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah Nehra especially was weirdly good. So were the others though. This is why you can't judge these teams on paper. On paper the 2003 Indian attack was average at best, but in practice they were very good.

Just like on paper recent NZ teams look stronger but back in 2000-2003 they were more competitive against better teams than we have these days

 

[centurymaker]

1999

 

[Socerer 01]

Zaheer , Srinath and Nehra are probably the best attack India has fielded in WC except 2023 one .

Similarly Vaas + Murali are as good attack as any Sri Lanka has fielded except 2007 maybe

the 1983 pace bowlers were super underrated imo

 

[Gob]

None of them were particularly strong

 

[Moss]

2003 were actually very strong on paper and seemed to have most bases covered, but Fleming aside the batting was totally out of form (even more than India’s after that bowler-friendly home series just before the WC). McMillan couldn’t buy a run, Astle was rocks and diamonds, Vincent hadn’t kicked on, Cairns was returning from injury and didn’t bowl etc. On the evidence of those last two games against India and Australia they were running out of gas, but worth remembering they’d have probably made the semis if they hadn’t forefited that game against Kenya.

 

[Days of Grace]

It didn’t help in 2003 that Bracewell constantly tinkered with the batting lineup. Vettori opened with Fleming against Australia and McMillan opened against South Africa and India. All the while one of our best ever openers was at no.3.

 

[Prince EWS]

It didn’t help in 2003 that Bracewell constantly tinkered with the batting lineup. Vettori opened with Fleming against Australia and McMillan opened against South Africa and India. All the while one of our best ever openers was at no.3.

Vincent, whose ODI record was much better opening, was down around 6 in some of those games as well.

 

[Andy19]

2015-2021