Ten World Cup appearances. Not a single final played. The wait for New Zealand to win a World Cup title has been a 40-year one. But going by the way the Kiwis have begun their campaign this time, in home conditions, you would have to be very brave to bet against the Kiwis reaching their first final and maybe even going all the way.
In the 3 matches they have played so far, the Black Caps have put up two dominating performances, beating Sri Lanka by 98 runs and a hapless England by 8 wickets. Such was the impact of this win that Man of the Match Tim Southee was forced to admit, "It was all a bit of a blur. I think it will be something we'll look back on in time and think of how amazing this occasion was." (Southee, McCullum Destroy England)
The Kiwi fast bowlers have learnt how to hunt in packs. Bowling coach Shane Bond, who at one time was one of the premier fast bowlers in the world, seems to have had a big impact. Talking about the bowling performance vs England, Southee, who took a career best 7/33 in fact said, "I think it was testament to the way we have bowled as a group for a number of games now."
When it comes to the batting, they piled on 331 versus Sri Lanka in the only match they batted first in. In fact, the only match in which New Zealand have lost wickets in a heap was their clash versus minnows Scotland, where they were chasing a paltry 143 to win. But that didn't stop Brendon McCullum from executing what is turning out to be a ruthless strategy in both bowling and batting. Though they were chasing another extremely small target against England (124), Baz came out all guns blazing. His 50 off 18 deliveries is the fastest World Cup fifty ever, but more than being just a great statistic, the knock sent out a very clear message - the Kiwis will not allow the opposition to settle down.
A look at the New Zealand Playing XI will tell you just how balanced a side this is. From power hitters like McCullum, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson, to batsmen who can drop anchor like Martin Guptill and Grant Elliot, to lethal fast bowlers like Trent Boult, Adam Milne and Tim Southee, to a world class spinner in Daniel Vettori - no wonder then that they began the tournament as 3rd favourites on the bookmakers' list.
Is this New Zealand's best chance to win the World Cup is a question that fans have been pondering even before the tournament began. The result of their next match might well provide the answer. The Kiwis play the big tournament favourites and co-hosts Australia on the 28th of February. A win in that game will not just make them frontrunners in the favourites' list to win the Cup, but will also make every other team pray they don't run into McCullum and his boys.