The Black Caps got that awful feeling yesterday.
Last week they were world-beaters. They had dispatched India by six wickets thanks to a wonderful bowling display from Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham’s golden arm.
But the second World Cup warm-up match yesterday did not go quite so well.
The West Indies smashed 421 and won by 91 runs in Bristol. Shai Hope whacked 101 from 86 balls and Evin Lewis (50 from 54) and Andre Russell (54 from 25) played damaging cameos.
Seamer Matt Henry manoeuvred his way on to the bench for the Black Caps’ opening game against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
The 27-year-old picked up two wickets but he conceded 107 runs in just nine overs — that’s nearly 12 an over. Heavens to betsy — cricket needs a mercy rule.
Henry dished up four wides and two no balls, but he was not the only bowler to struggle.
Paceman Lockie Ferguson went wicketless in a 10 over spell which yielded 86 runs. He made a substantial contribution to the 26 extras with five wides and a no ball.
Colin de Grandhomme’s stint at the bowling crease was cut short after he conceded 18 runs from his two overs.
Neesham and Ish Sodhi went at more the eight an over. Tim Southee’s stocks went up just by sitting the game out.
Is it too late to feign an injury and call up New Zealand’s best domestic one-day bowler, Hamish Bennett?
Anyway, Boult did his best to hold the innings together with four for 50 from 9.2 overs. That was an extraordinary effort in the context of the game. He is carrying the attack at the moment.
Boult’s ability to strike in the first 10 overs of a game is quite phenomenal. He did it again when he took the pace off a delivery to tempt the mighty Chris Gayle.
Gayle had already clouted three sixes and four fours in a whirlwind innings of 36. He went for it but mistimed it and was caught in the eighth over.
The Black Caps’ chase staggered when star opener Martin Guptill was out in the fifth over for five.
Kane Williamson (85 from 64) and Tom Blundell (106 from 89) put on 120 for the fourth wicket. But a target of 422 was always out of reach.
Blundell’s knock, though, was one of the real positives to emerge from the match. He came to the crease at 33 for three and struck eight fours and five sixes in a bold innings.
Not bad for someone who was on nobody’s radar other than the selectors just a few months ago.
In yesterday’s other warm-up match, India eased to a 95-run victory over Bangladesh after centuries from Lokesh Rahul and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped it post a mammoth total of 359.
Both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav finished with three wickets each as Bangladesh was bowled out for 264.
The World Cup gets under way tonight (New Zealand time). England will host South Africa, which will be missing key fast bowler Dale Steyn.
He withdrew from the Indian Premier League last month with a shoulder injury but is expected to make his playing return soon.
