Matt Henry has dashed back to Christchurch for the birth of his second child, leaving New Zealand’s brains trust to juggle plans ahead of Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata.
“Matt’s home – safe and sound,” head coach Rob Walter confirmed from Colombo. “We’re dealing with nature – so we’re first and foremost just hoping that everything goes off smoothly with the birth of his child and that he’s able to celebrate that with his family.
“If everything works out according to plan and stars align, he should be back the day before the semi-finals. So, yeah, that’s what we’re hoping for. But obviously, we’ve got all contingencies covered if it doesn’t happen like that.”
Those contingencies point first towards Jacob Duffy, the seamer who travelled but sat out the group stage once pitches took significant turn. Kyle Jamieson, now fully fit after an awkward lower-back winter, is another ready-made option. Jimmy Neesham’s seam-spin package is also on the table should the selectors feel Cole McConchie’s off-breaks are surplus on a truer Eden Gardens surface.
“I mean, Jacob Duffy’s been the one that missed out,” Walter noted. “He’s been incredible for us over the last 18 months. So, it’s tough enough leaving him out of the team, really. If it does work out that unfortunately Matt can’t make it back, then absolutely [Duffy comes into contention]. [We have] very capable people sitting on the bench, Kyle Jamieson [for example]. So, we’ve got those bases covered, no doubt.”
Qualification, at least, is now settled. New Zealand’s players gathered around hotel televisions – or, in Walter’s case, half-watched before retreating with a novel – as Pakistan posted 212 for 8 against Sri Lanka. Anything above 148 from Sri Lanka would send the Black Caps through on net-run-rate. The chase wobbled, then crawled, but eventually finished on 207 for 6.
“If I’m honest, I only watched the first half, then I decided to read my book for the second half and just check in at a suitable time,” Walter laughed. “So, fortunately, when I looked at my phone, it was 145 for 5 and I knew there was a good chance that they would score those next three runs. So pretty happy after that.
“Obviously, you’re nervous because you know that it could all be over last evening and you’re sort of heading back home and then in the same breath you’re playing in a semi-final of a World Cup, which is an awesome achievement in itself.”
That achievement arrives despite a disrupted campaign: Will Young, Adam Milne and Ish Sodhi all spent time in the medical room, while McConchie only joined as the 18th player once illness hit the original squad. The replacements have contributed, McConchie notably pinching a key spell in the must-win victory over Sri Lanka at Khettarama.
“It is a great privilege to be part of the top four teams in the world in the T20 format,” Walter reflected. “I think it’s just a great representation of the work that the boys have put in. We’ve had a few days where our cricket wasn’t as good as we want it to be, but I think we’ve played some great cricket that’s given us this opportunity.
“It just takes one bad day for a team that’s been playing well. So we need to be ready and play our best cricket.”
Henry’s availability will shape the final XI, yet the wider brief remains the same: bank early wickets, let Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra squeeze in the middle, and keep the batsmen’s punch dry for the death overs. Whether it is Henry, Duffy or Jamieson with the new ball, New Zealand trust their depth to carry them.
As Walter put it, “We’ve got those bases covered, no doubt.”
