New Zealand’s Semi-Final loss to Pakistan came down to the below-par total they put up and started poorly in the powerplay. New Zealand had a poor day in the field which cost them in the big game where they were bettered by a sharp performance in the field from Pakistan.
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Overall, New Zealand’s threatening new ball duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee couldn’t quite get going in the powerplay where New Zealand only picked up seven wickets.
It’s notable that only two of New Zealand’s playing Xi in the semi-final against Pakistan were aged under 30.
Some of the senior pros might not be around for the next edition in 2024, but could still play the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next year in India.
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With two excellent spinners and quality in the bowling attack, New Zealand would want to see how they can utilise their batting resources better.
They probably ended up with one anchor too many for this format and it could also be the case in India next year where tall totals can be expected on batting-friendly wickets.
Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips, both aged under 30, combined with Conway make for a good base to build their next batting line-up upon and it might just be the difference between them and a title win two years from now.
Mitchell Santner was their highest wicket-taker, he scalped 9 wickets in the tournament and Glenn Phillips was New Zealand’s top run scorer with 201 runs.
In spite of Martin Guptill being in the squad, he was ignored as Conway and Allen had cemented their spots after the wonderful start against Australia in the tournament opener.
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