New Zealand’s fast bowlers haven’t had the best of World Cups this time around, having taken only 40 wickets out of the 67 the team has picked in nine league-stage matches.
The Kiwi pace bowling lineup, led by Trent Boult, is joint-seventh in the current World Cup for wickets taken, with the scalps coming at an average of 32.35 and a strike rate of 33.
Boult has taken 13, Matt Henry 11, Lockie Ferguson 10, Tim Southee 4, and James Neesham 2 - none of the fast bowlers are in the list of the top 10 wicket-takers in the tournament. The highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, Mitchell Santner, is ranked joint-seventh, with 16 wickets.
New Zealand’s fast bowlers in PowerPlay
In the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup, New Zealand pushed India on the backfoot by picking four wickets inside the PowerPlay, reducing it to 24 for four in 10 overs.
In that edition, New Zealand had picked 15 wickets inside the PowerPlay - 10 before India’s semifinal match - at an average of 41.5 and an economy of 5.12.
In this edition, the Kiwi pacers have similar figures - 13 wickets at an average of 41 and an economy rate of 5.92.
Their performance in the first 10 overs is joint-fourth best, tied with Sri Lanka in terms of wickets. South Africa (21), India (19), and England (16) are the top three bowling sides in the league stage.
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy |
| Trent Boult | 9 | 6 | 34.00 | 5.37 |
| Matt Henry | 7 | 3 | 59.00 | 5.90 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 3 | 2 | 24.50 | 8.17 |
| Tim Southee | 3 | 2 | 28.00 | 7.00 |
New Zealand will next face India in the semifinals of the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
Comments
SHARE