All this talk about NZ's best chance

[Fiery]

I scoff everytime someone says this is the best chance NZ have ever had of winning the WC. P.lease. We had the '92 WC in the bag if it wasn't for a freakishly good innings from a very young Inzi. I was at the game and remember thinking we were home and hose. (I remember the walk home more. I had taken a girl to the game on a date and I was so downcast that I couldn't even be assed talking to her after the game (that was the end of that). Pakistan went on to win the thing. If we had won that game we would have won the cup.

 

[pup11]

Though Kiwi's have always played well as an unit but somehow i feel they lose steam in big games, and i expect that to happen again in the semis of this WC (sure they would first have to qualify for the semis but i expect them to do that).


They are the ultimate dark-horses of all time but somehow i feel though they play well as a team but they lack big match players (maybe Bond, but noone else) who can a big asset in big games.

 

[meatspx]

Don't understand why the term dark horse is always used. Every team (barring Australia and perhaps SA) can be called that.

We have the ability to win the cup if we are in form/uninjured with abit of luck. Probably like half the other test playing teams in the WC.

We'll win it eventually, but won't repeat the feat often. Just like alot of the other teams have ie. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and probably eventually England.

 

[Scmods]

The Kiwis can win it. Everyone else is terrified of us (Australia) except NZ, they're the one team we ALWAYS struggle with. If NZ can get through to a Semi Final or even the Final against us I can tell you for a fact there will be many nervious Australians.

 

[Zinzan]

I hope your right, but i must add that apart from the last 3 chappell/hadlee games, NZ have had an awful record against Aust in the last 2-3 years (basically ever in that tri-series in 2002), but your right in that we are often competitive against Aust

 

[_Ed_]

But for every close game we've had with Australia we've had an embarrassing thrashing. We prefer to forget those ones though and just remember glorious victories like in the CH series this year.

I'm confident we'll reach the semi-finals, but I sure hope we don't have to play Australia or SA once we get there.

The further we go in the tournament, the more sleepless nights for me. But that's a sacrifice I'll gladly make.

 

[Zinzan]

But for every close game we've had with Australia we've had an embarrassing thrashing. We prefer to forget those ones though and just remember glorious victories like in the CH series this year.

I'm confident we'll reach the semi-finals, but I sure hope we don't have to play Australia or SA once we get there.

The further we go in the tournament, the more sleepless nights for me. But that's a sacrifice I'll gladly make.

This is true Ed, although I did note we are often competitive (even though we usually lose the close games) but ur right that there have been some hidings along the way

 

[Richard]

New Zealand, especially if they beat West Indies today, are pretty close to assured of a SF spot.

This is one of the best NZ teams we've had since 1992 - only 1999 supersedes it IMO.

Of course they've got a chance. "Dark horses" is a term I've never liked, but New Zealand have the quality to beat just about any side. Whether they will do is, of course, an open question. We just have to wait and see.

 

[Zinzan]

New Zealand, especially if they beat West Indies today, are pretty close to assured of a SF spot.

This is one of the best NZ teams we've had since 1992 - only 1999 supersedes it IMO.

Of course they've got a chance. "Dark horses" is a term I've never liked, but New Zealand have the quality to beat just about any side. Whether they will do is, of course, an open question. We just have to wait and see.

Kind words for us kiwis Richard

 

[Poker Boy]

I scoff everytime someone says this is the best chance NZ have ever had of winning the WC. P.lease. We had the '92 WC in the bag if it wasn't for a freakishly good innings from a very young Inzi. I was at the game and remember thinking we were home and hose. (I remember the walk home more. I had taken a girl to the game on a date and I was so downcast that I couldn't even be assed talking to her after the game (that was the end of that). Pakistan went on to win the thing. If we had won that game we would have won the cup.

No I think England would have beaten you in that Final - remember you would have had to leave NZ for the first time and I don't think Patel and the "dibbily dobbly wobbily" trio would have suited conditions in Melbourne - and would Crowe have played? He didn't field in that SF. It's all speculation but I reckon England (or SA if they had beaten us) would have won the Final against NZ.

 

[GIMH]

I scoff everytime someone says this is the best chance NZ have ever had of winning the WC. P.lease. We had the '92 WC in the bag if it wasn't for a freakishly good innings from a very young Inzi. I was at the game and remember thinking we were home and hose. (I remember the walk home more. I had taken a girl to the game on a date and I was so downcast that I couldn't even be assed talking to her after the game (that was the end of that). Pakistan went on to win the thing. If we had won that game we would have won the cup.

What PB said...

 

[Scaly piscine]

The Kiwis can win it. Everyone else is terrified of us (Australia) except NZ, they're the one team we ALWAYS struggle with. If NZ can get through to a Semi Final or even the Final against us I can tell you for a fact there will be many nervious Australians.

Always struggle with? The more meaningful the game the less Australia struggle with NZ generally. Struggling with a side also doesn't mean anything if, as Australia have frequently done against NZ, you win those close games where you struggled anyway.

 

[Fiery]

No I think England would have beaten you in that Final - remember you would have had to leave NZ for the first time and I don't think Patel and the "dibbily dobbly wobbily" trio would have suited conditions in Melbourne - and would Crowe have played? He didn't field in that SF. It's all speculation but I reckon England (or SA if they had beaten us) would have won the Final against NZ.

Yes, it was a bit presumptious of me to see say we would have beaten England but we were on such a roll that there was every chance we may have...but we'll never know

 

[marc71178]

The Kiwis can win it. Everyone else is terrified of us (Australia) except NZ, they're the one team we ALWAYS struggle with.

Would you say England are terrified of you then?

Rather bizarrely for a pretty ordinary side, our record against you in recent ODI's is probably the best of anyone.

 

[Smudge]

This is one of the best NZ teams we've had since 1992 - only 1999 supersedes it IMO.

Rich is a Kiwi? Let's hear ya say "fish and chips".

 

[Richard]

Fish and chips.

 

[Smudge]

Can't be a Kiwi then. We apparently pronounce it "fush and chups", according to the Aussies. But they've been murdering the English language since they got dragged off the convict ships 200 years ago.

 

[Richard]

But I'm not an Aussie.

 

[Dick Rockett]

I think the calls of "our best chance" are fair enough. It's simple really - we applied ourselves in the 1st round and carried points through, which gave us a leg up. Now that we've accounted for the West Indies it's a pretty stress free road to the semis. I don't mean to be dismissive of Bangladesh or Ireland but we should win those matches comfortably.

Long story short, the big difference this time is that we really aren't having to sweat much about our place in the semis - or indeed the Super 6s, like we have the last two times.

 

[Fiery]

I think the calls of "our best chance" are fair enough. It's simple really - we applied ourselves in the 1st round and carried points through, which gave us a leg up. Now that we've accounted for the West Indies it's a pretty stress free road to the semis. I don't mean to be dismissive of Bangladesh or Ireland but we should win those matches comfortably.

Long story short, the big difference this time is that we really aren't having to sweat much about our place in the semis - or indeed the Super 6s, like we have the last two times.

I'm just comparing it to '92 when we were a whisker from the final. We aren't even in the semis yet so our "best chance ever" was still '92 so far imo