ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – New Zealand vs West Indies Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is New Zealand vs West Indies taking place? Saturday 22nd June – 13:30 (UK)
Where is New Zealand vs West Indies taking place? Old Trafford, Manchester
What is the expected weather for New Zealand vs West Indies? 18-19c with sunshine and cloudy intervals
What television channel is New Zealand vs West Indies on in the UK? Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream New Zealand vs West Indies? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for New Zealand vs West Indies? There are plenty of tickets available for this on Stubhub for as little as £40.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last meeting: New Zealand beat West Indies by 66 runs (D/L method)
THE TEAM NEWS
NEW ZEALAND
Coach: Gary Stead
Captain: Kane Williamson
- New Zealand’s win over South Africa took them to nine points from their opening five games as they remain just one of two teams that remain unbeaten and confidence will be high coming into this clash against West Indies who they will seek to beat and ultimately eliminate from contention.
- Skipper Kane Williamson was the star of the show in that match as his unbeaten century guided them to victory when the rest of the top five largely struggled against the South African bowling attack on a difficult pitch and they will need to improve and support Williamson more.
- Both all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme played key roles in providing support to Williamson and made solid contributions themselves with the bat and the likelihood is that they name an unchanged team once again for this match.
WEST INDIES
Coach: Floyd Reifer
Captain: Jason Holder
- West Indies are coming off a hugely disappointing defeat at the hands of Bangladesh last time out as they failed to defend 321/8 as their all out pace attack struggled to take wickets on a good Taunton pitch as they were ultimately 40-50 runs short.
- Andre Russell managed to bowl six overs despite his knee problem but they remain short on an alternative bowling option with Chris Gayle’s occasional spin being utilised without any real success so it would be no surprise if Russell was held out for Kemar Roach potentially here who will be able to get through a full ten overs.
- With just three points from their opening five matches, this is a must-win match for the Windies and they can wave any hopes of a top four place goodbye with a defeat here so they will be extremely motivated at Old Trafford.
THE PREDICTION
There is plenty on the line at Old Trafford as nothing but a win will suffice for the Windies as they face an unbeaten New Zealand team. Their batting has failed to click completely so far but it was their bowling that let them down against Bangladesh. Other than in their one victory over Pakistan, they have failed to produce a complete performance all round and they will need major contributions from seven or eight of their players here. New Zealand are playing some solid cricket but are hardly spectacular themselves and their bowlers may just bowl the ideal length for the big-hitting Windies’ batsmen who may just outscore them here in a shootout.
