Knowing when to fire

Against Sri Lanka, their top order fired, with the top three batsman scoring 59% of their total runs (they notched up 315 in that clash). Against England, on a good bowling wicket, their attack sizzled. The opening bowlers squeezed the life out of the Poms before the rest of the attack cleaned up. Their stunning effort to beat Pakistan in the semifinal showcased how they have progressed as a unit.

Injuries have plagued them more than most teams, but we seldom hear the same excuses South Africa gives us. New Zealand have been playing regularly since October last year and along the way lost an opening batsman in Jesse Ryder, a quality bowler in Daryll Tuffey and their first choice all-rounder in Jacob Oram and still managed to reach the last two of the Champions Trophy. By contrast, South Africa played only three matches after a three month lay-off and two of their senior players, Graeme Smith and De Villiers, are out injured for six weeks.

Then there?s Grant Elliott. Being South African-born, one journalist quipped that he may also be painted with the chokers brush. Vettori simply laughed that off without bothering to comment. Elliott played the semi-final without feeling in his badly fractured thumb and top-scored with a match winning 75. He couldn?t bowl much, but his two overs were tidy.

But that?s not what makes him so special. Unlike Kevin Pietersen, he doesn?t flaunt his ex pat status like a badge of honour, but instead maintains a low key presence. Unlike a lot of the South African players, he goes about his business with a quiet professionalism and he?s not afraid to admit his favourite opponents are Australia.

He may be in the minority among his team mates with that assertion. New Zealand?s record against Australia is unsurprisingly poor. In the last five years, Australia have won 18 times out of 27. But numbers mean little at the best of times, and if they did, the Black Caps have a stat in their favour. The only ICC final they?ve featured in, at the ICC Knock-Out in 2000, they won.

Triumphant or not in the Down Under derby, New Zealand have played consistent cricket in the tournament, with both bat and ball, and the manner they?ve gone about it has been an example for most teams, not least of them South Africa.