NZ looks for more of the same

Matt Henry
Matt Henry
Matt Henry will be fine but will Martin Guptill?

They are carrying very different baggage into tonight's game against Pakistan at Edgbaston.

Guptill injured his leg while running to congratulate Trent Boult, who took a terrific catch to seal the Black Caps' five-run win against the West Indies on Sunday.

Guptill was limping quite badly the next day but the Black Caps played down concerns.

Henry's baggage is more the mental kind. He got thumped for 25 runs in the 48th over of the game and also dropped Chris Gayle.

Normally Lockie Ferguson and Boult would bowl the final overs. But with the game getting awfully close, skipper Kane Williamson went for broke and used up his two strike bowlers.

That meant Henry and Jimmy Neesham got handed the ball. Henry got pummelled but Neesham came through with a fantastic over to Carlos Brathwaite.

''He still woke up the next day,'' coach Gary Stead said when asked if Henry had put the over behind him.

''Matt will be fine. It has happened to him in the past and will probably happen again at some stage. We'll just keep trying to get better at executing those skills.

''Every time you play in a game like that, someone is going to go for some runs at some stage ... and I'm just thankful we got over the line against them because they are a very, very dangerous team.''

The Black Caps can clinch a semifinal berth with a win tonight but may have already done enough.

''I think mathematically there is still a chance that we could still miss, so we want to just keep playing the way we are at the moment.

''The team is in a good space. We've had three really, really close games and I think that augurs well when you get to finals time that you've been in some of those situations.''

The Black Caps have stuck with the same XI for each game but Stead has not ruled out changes.

''We'll weigh up the options of what we think is the best team on this pitch. To date we haven't made any changes but we'll look at it again.

''It would be nice to have them all playing but you can only have XI and the XI that has been playing have been doing it really well for us at this stage.''

Stead felt the pitch at Edgbaston would be a touch quicker than the wicket they played on when they beat South Africa by four wickets.

Williamson was outstanding in that match. He fought his way to a match-winning and undefeated 106.

He backed that effort up with a 148 against the West Indies.

''He has been outstanding hasn't he? He has been a rock there and I'm pleased he is on my side.

''The innings [at Edgbaston] I think was one of the best you'll see under pressure to win a game. To take it right to the end with the calmness that he had was just magnificent. Long may it continue if it can.''

Williamson, though, was fined 20% of his match fee for a slow over-rate in the game against the West Indies.

He runs the risk of being suspended if the Black Caps are tardy again.

''We will be talking about that. It is certainly something we don't want.''

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