Players from Australia and New Zealand are bracing themselves for a volatile environment when the Pool A powerhouses clash on Saturday in a World Cup match at Eden Park.
New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson fully expects Australia to use sledging or verbal intimidation to try to unsettle the Kiwis who are unbeaten after three pool matches and have joined Australia as tournament favorites.
Combative opener David Warner expects to be the target of abuse from the sellout crowd which will watch the first one-day international between the teams in four years.
Warner is unfazed, saying a hostile crowd will be “perfect” and will bring the best out of the Australia team. The pugnacious batsman willingly plays the role of pantomime villain, attracting the boos and jeers of opposing fans.
“I hope they come out and boo us and give us crap like they always do,” Warner said of the Auckland crowd. “That’s what’s going to happen.We love it, it gets us up and going, gets the adrenaline going for sure.”
Warner has felt the hostility of New Zealand crowds before and says it holds no fears for him. “You get some obscure swear words and a couple of things thrown at you, but that’s what you expect when you come here,” he said. “It’s happened before. It’s probably going to happen again. But I embrace it.
Anderson expects the Australians to use sledging to turn the heat on New Zealand but says the New Zealanders are unlikely to follow suit. One of the features of the coaching of Mike Hesson and captaincy of Brendon McCullum has been the discipline of the New Zealand team and its refusal to sledge opponents.
“Their sledging tactics are well known now and something we haven’t involved ourselves in,” Anderson said. “We’re fairly neutral on the field.
Hesson plays down hype
Hesson played down the hype surrounding the showdown between the co-hosts, saying it will be treated as just another round-robin encounter.
The team which wins Saturday’s game will be in pole position to finish on top of the group and face a relatively easier opponent in the quarter-finals.
But Hesson doesn’t buy into the hype. “Just another one of the round robin games and obviously it’s going to be a good one,” said Hesson after a Black Caps training session held under the warm Auckland sun.
“We know it’s going to be a great contest, we haven’t played Australia a lot in recent times but it’s an important game for us and important for the group so we will treat it as the other ones.”
Hesson said a three-day break this week has helped keep his players fresh. "It was nice to have that break and the intensity is there," said Hesson, who played down the hype over Australia's pacemen.
"We face (New Zealand quick) Adam Milne every day. He bowls at 150 km/h and we cope with that okay. Every side we play has got some different challenges. Australia have got guys who bowl with good gas. So do we."
Hesson, in charge since July 2012, emphasised it will be important to put their trans-Tasman rivals under pressure through skills and not words. "If you're able to put anyone under pressure through your skills then hopefully you're trying to get them to make poor decisions."
‘Aussies favourites’
New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee believes Australia have an advantage because of their pack of power-hitters. Hadlee believes Australia’s power hitters can take advantage of the exceptionally short straight boundaries at both ends of Eden Park. “They’ve got probably six power hitters in their side and with the short boundaries, it could be the contest of the power hitters — the team that can hit more sixes and fours,” Hadlee, 63, said.
“I think Australia are favourites, but the way New Zealand are playing, we will given them a good run and we are good enough to get across the line.” he added.
Southee recorded New Zealand's best one-day figures of seven for 33 in his team's eight-wicket win over England in Wellington on Friday.
New Zealand can also call upon skipper Brendon McCullum, who smashed the World Cup's fastest fifty, off just 18 balls, en-route to a 25-ball 77 against England, as well as hard-hitting all-rounder Corey Anderson.
"In Southee and Boult, New Zealand have their best-ever new-ball combination," said Hadlee, New Zealand's spearhead for much of his career.
Hadlee added: "McCullum is also at his dashing best. The way he has captained the side has been inspirational.”