Kane Williamson calls for New Zealand to be more clinical

New Zealand already have one foot out of the tournament, and the formalities could be complete even before they take field next. They succumbed to a 13-run defeat at the hands of West Indies on June 12 (Wednesday), and while they showed vast improvements after their defeat to Afghanistan, it was not good enough, despite being on top of the opposition for most parts.

Shrefane Rutherford (68* off 39) scored 37 off the last two overs to set up a target of 150, and that proved to be pivotal in the end. As a result, Kane Williamson has called for his side to be more clinical in the next two matches.

"I think to start with this it's putting some of the learning into practice and for the most part throughout the match probably 85% of it - it was very, very good and then the margins are small and it is three overs, three balls perhaps, or a ball here or a ball there, where things change really quickly when you're looking at those low totals that are competitive on these sorts of wickets," Williamson said in the post-match press conference.  

"So, it's trying to be a little bit more clinical and close overs out as well as we can. It's not easy. The teams are all strong and hit the ball well and then with the bat it's trying to do the opposite really. It's trying to expose certain parts of an innings where you can gain an upper hand. But it's a real struggle, a real wrestle in terms of the style of cricket, but we need to move forward into the next match having been better for the experiences that we have had."

The Blackcaps did not have an official warm-up game and not many players were able to get game time ahead of the tournament. Williamson accepts that his team has lacked rhythm in the tournament.

"Sitting waiting to play and then to play sort of two in quite quick succession and what has been challenging from a number of perspectives and two very strong teams," Williamson said. 

"Also conditions that I think we've seen throughout the competition that have proved to be challenging, but consistently challenging I suppose - so we come to expect that that's what it's going to be and the margins are very small on these wickets and it's just trying to find ways to attack certain small parts of the game to basically move the team forward because there doesn't appear to be a lot of rhythm in what we see but it's there in front of us, it's the challenge that's there, that's set and we need to try and do it better," the skipper further explained of what he expects from the team in the next two games.

New Zealand were not left with any of their main pace bowlers to bowl the final two overs, and as a result, the onus on delivering those key overs fell on Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner. However, Williamson stands by his decision as he needed them to get Rutherford, who was the last batter for West Indies, out.

"We knew that we needed to get Rutherford out and I think the batting depth of the West Indies side really shone through as beneficial for them, certainly today on that surface," the New Zealand skipper said. 

"You know it's going to be scrappy; you know that three balls here or three balls there can really put the score above par and that's what they were able to do. So, for us to try and take that wicket and try and have the opportunity to sort of restrict them in that 120 region, I think was worth doing and didn't quite pay off. 

"I think whatever overs that they did bowl were going to be targeted and so that's the sort of the margins that you're always dealing with, I think, in T20 cricket nowadays with teams that are batting a lot deeper. And so, you're always trying to sort of play that game of cat and mouse, I suppose."

New Zealand will next be in action against Uganda on June 14 (Friday) in Trinidad.

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