New Zealand have made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup seven out of 11 times.
For a small nation, like they do in most sports they compete in, they tend to punch above their weight.
But despite the seven semi-finals, the Kiwis have only made it to one final, and were easily beaten on the final day of the 2015 World Cup in Melbourne four years ago.
Have New Zealand – despite their apparent success at the World Cup – ever really been a threat? Or are they just big-hearted cricketers who push the bigger nations as far as they can?
A look at New Zealand’s history makes for quite impressive reading in some parts, with a few disappointments along the way.
In 1975, the side were blown away by the might of the West Indies. Bernard Julien took 4/27 as the Windies won by five wickets with just under 20 overs to spare. A respectable semi-final was where New Zealand had started their World Cup journey.
In 1979, the Black Caps beat Sri Lanka and India to book a semi-final berth against England.
NZ weren’t without their chances, and had England at 4/98 before Graham Gooch (71 off 84 balls) and Derek Randall (42* off 50 balls) got their team to a competitive 8/221.
John Wright’s slow 69 off 137 got New Zealand to within 14 runs when the final over started, but by the time it ended they were still nine runs short. A close call but another semi-final exit for New Zealand.
NZ started the 1983 World Cup in fine form. They were three from four and looked good to get out of their group, needing only a win against Sri Lanka or Pakistan to advance once again into the semi-finals.
However, back-to-back losses meant New Zealand failed to get out of the group stage for the first time in three tournaments.
Richard Hadlee was NZ’s great hope during the 1980s. (Credit: Simon Bruty /Allsport)
In 1987, they were bit-part players compared to India and Australia, with their two wins coming against Zimbabwe.
India and Australia dominated this group as the 1987 World Cup became the only time New Zealand had failed to make any real impression at the tournament. They were eliminated with two wins and four losses in what was the first time the World Cup had been held outside of England.
It’s no secret 1992 was New Zealand’s big chance of becoming national heroes and achieving World Cup success.
They were on familiar territory, and had devised a strategy that was innovative and successful. Mark Greatbatch made quick runs, captain Martin Crowe steered the ship and Dipak Patel opened the bowling.
New Zealand had been the stand-out team all tournament. They won their first seven matches to finish the top of the nine teams.
However, tournament sport often falls back to hitting form at the right time – and in 1992, Pakistan had won one of their first five before hitting a real purple patch.
Rameez Raja made 119* in a comfortable chase against New Zealand that helped Pakistan in to the finals. Then only three days later, going from Christchurch to Auckland, Pakistan broke the hosts’ hearts when Inzamam-ul-Haq produced a brilliant half-century.
Not only did New Zealand get a Pakistan team peaking at the right time, it was the only time ul-Haq had passed 50 in an otherwise poor tournament for the then-rookie. The best team in the tournament was out once again at the semi-final stage.
In a poorly structured 1996 World Cup, where all the top eight teams were virtually assured a quarter-finals berth at the start of the tournament, New Zealand came up against cross-Tasman rivals Australia in the last eight.
In early trouble at 3/44, Chris Harris would play the innings of his cricketing life. Going into the match, his ODI record of 85 runs at 10.63 against Australia meant the opposition had little fear of him. In nine innings against Australia, he hadn’t passed 20 once. Harris would make a brilliant 130 off 124 balls, something very few people were expecting.
However, NZ would come up against Mark Waugh in the middle of a hot streak. He had made two centuries in the four matches to that point and another ton would knock out the Kiwis with an epic run chase.
After knocking off some big scalps in India and Australia, New Zealand featured in another semi-final in 1999. Once again it was against Pakistan, the team that had spoiled the party seven years prior.
This time it was a clinical Pakistan who knocked out New Zealand, chasing 242 with the loss of only one wicket. An opening stand of 194 between Saeed Anwar (113*) and Wajahatullah Wasti (84) meant the match never reached any great heights.
In 2003, there was a bit of revenge for Australia and India as their wins over New Zealand in the super six stage prevented them from progressing to the semi-finals.
The Black Caps were very good in the 2007 World Cup, coasting through their group and winning five from seven matches at the super eight stage to make it to their fifth semi. But an 81-run loss at the hands of Sri Lanka meant that their tournament had ended as it had in their previous four semi-final appearances.
At the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand finished fourth in their group. They met a South African team who had finished first on the other side of the draw.
With South Africa looking the goods at 2/108 in pursuit of 222, Tim Southee’s dismissal of Jacques Kallis would prompt Jacob Oram (4/39) and Nathan McCullum (3/24) to be New Zealand heroes, as the Proteas lost 8/64 for a superb win.
However, they were never in the hunt against Sri Lanka, once again falling in the semi-finals. New Zealand’s top six batsmen didn’t kick on after making starts. All six of them made scores between 13 and 57, meaning their 217 was going to be difficult to defend.
Sri Lanka had one or two nervous moments after going from 1/160 to 5/185, but ultimately won the match by five wickets, sending the New Zealanders home the match before the final for the sixth time.
The two hosts locked horns in 2015. (AP Photo Ross Setford)
In 2015, New Zealand were outstanding on home soil, winning all eight matches played in their home country. They defeated Australia on their way to finishing first in their group.
Martin Guptill produced the World Cup’s highest ever score (237*) in the big win over the West Indies, which got the Kiwis to a familiar spot: the World Cup semi-finals.
The Kiwis’ barren run at this stage would end in dramatic scenes, when Grant Elliott dispatched Dale Steyn into an ecstatic crowd. They were finally into the final!
In the final against Australia, they were forced to play catch-up from the opening over, when their best batsman Brendon McCullum was bowled by Mitchell Starc.
New Zealand continues to be a nation that gets the best out of themselves when they turn up to World Cups. They have had some great tournaments, especially when on familiar territory in home conditions.
Have they got close to winning it? The 1979, 1992 and 2015 events were when they got closest, but they haven’t quite risen to the occasion when it has mattered most.
Have the Kiwis been a World Cup success story, or has their lack of big-game victories meant they fall short of what cricket fans would consider a true success?
Chubb
Guest
On that calculation methodology, what are your expectations on the top 4 ranked teams in the world?
Cricket Buffet
Roar Guru
Yes NZ can still get blown away if not careful, like you said happened against India, but like what happened in 1999 against Australia they can beat any team on their day.
Cricket Buffet
Roar Guru
Yes there is a lot of admiration for NZ cricket. Not a huge pool to choose from but always find something. Chris Harris I thought was a good example of this in 1996. Didn't ever threaten to do anything, esp. against Australia, and then did something almost match winning and quite brilliant. The loss of McCullum is obviously significant, but there is still quality there.
Simoc
Guest
NZ do great in these tournaments and usually perform to expectations, which aren't great or better. But this World Cup is Englands if they turn up. They're way ahead and have been in this format for a while. The only threat I see is India having a day out but they don't often do that on foreign soil.
Paul
Roar Guru
They've made two finals and hardly bothered anyone in the other 8 or 9 tournaments. NZ success is both genuine and a result of hard work. England's lack of success, in a format they invented, is nothing short of poor.
Neel
Roar Guru
Yeah, I know Paul. They got knocked out of the group stages last World Cup by Bangladesh. Choked really bad in the 1987 World Cup final. Got beaten badly at home in the 1999 World Cup and in the 2003 World Cup got knocked out at the group stages. They lost twice to Bangladesh and once to Ireland in the last 3 World Cups and were fairly disappointing in both the editions. They haven’t done well in a World Cup since the 1992 World Cup final.
AREH
Roar Guru
Always a dark horse side and look to be again here. No shortage of matchwinners, but without the home (ish) advantage this time.
Paul
Roar Guru
I wonder why the same question isn't asked of England? They have a huge base of players to draw from yet their results over the years have been dead ordinary compared to the Black Caps.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
You would say NZ is about the 5-6th ranked nation on average at the world cup, so you would expect them to make the semi finals about 60% of the time and final 20% of the time and win 8% of the time. They have underperformed, one extra semi finals , one less finals and no victory.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Well, I learned a long time again it's foolish to take NZ lightly in any sport. From my Aussie pov you are serial over achievers. There's probably more people in Sydney or Melbourne than all of NZ, so to be as successful as you have been is pretty impressive I reckon. .. I can understand how some Kiwi's might be disappointed though. Not a great conversion rate once you get to the semi's and with only one final appearance to your name I'd say the Kiwi cricket fans would be justified in asking some hard questions. The fact that you usually get there in style and often beat your eventual nemesis along the way makes it even stranger that you struggle to get past the semi's. Whatever the reason, if you can fix it, you'll win your first CWC before too long imo.
Neel
Roar Guru
Good article with a thought-provoking title. 7-times finalists which is a record and only reaching the final once. Not many have backed NZ to win the World Cup over the years. Perhaps the only times NZ had a real chance of winning the World Cup were the 1992 World Cup and the last one. Both of them were played at home and Australia. They have proven to be a thorn in South Africa’s World Cup campaigns beating them the last 4 times we have met at a World Cup. Overall, the sentence you wrote mentioning the Blackcaps punching above their weight sums up the Blackcaps at World Cups. They do better than everyone expects them to do. This time around they are outside contenders behind England and India. If they get in a run at the right time, we’ll they might just surprise everyone again, maybe this time with a World Cup victory.
Ouch
Roar Rookie
7 out of 11 times is good going for a country where cricket is not a big sport. Somewhat equivalent to the Wallabies efforts in the RWC. If they get on a roll in the latter stages of the CWC it would be no surprise to see NZ lift the trophy.
Ouch
Roar Rookie
Every cricket fan (Australian) in 2015 was as nervous as a gypsy with a mortgage during final week Until the 3rd ball of NZ's first over.
Wal
Roar Guru
I think if you look at where NZ cricket has been over that period of time and the players available. I would say we have over achieved more often than not. Most of history you would have NZ teams behind most of the list of Aussie, England, India, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka for lengthy periods. This year is probably the year where we have enough players of the caliber to go on and win. 3 of the Top 12 Batsmen in the world, a mix of steady accumulators and firebrands A strike bowler ranked No2 and some impressive depth Our ODI ranking of 4th shows we are in with a shot and probably sells them short due to a focus on tests of late. But as with any World Cup luck and run of form is going to decide the winners.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
NZ on their day will beat anyone who don't bring their "A"game. Every cricket fan (Australian) in 2015 was as nervous as a gypsy with a mortgage during final week and if it weren't for NZ playing on a such a large ground for the first time in the tournament coupled our bowlers having their best day out ever NZ may well be heading into this tournament as defending champions. I doubt my team will figure in the semi finals but I'd not be surprised to see NZ v India in the last game. Once you're at the dance anything can happen....
Paul
Roar Guru
This is actually a strange question if you consider we're talking about a tournament held every 4 years, which, this year, will allow only 4 teams to see who is the best ODI team in World cricket. There is little to link any of the results New Zealand have achieved over the years; different players, different coaches, etc, but the only constant is the ability for a team from that country to give themselves plenty of chances of winning the lot. The obvious measure of success is winning the World Cup and on that basis, there are 5 nations who have "failed", with the Kiwis in pretty good company along with South Africa & England. Has the Black Caps team every 4 years delivered the results expected of them? Best to ask the captains & players. I for one don't think they've underachieved at all. In the bulk of games mentioned where they've lost, it's to a red-hot side in a knockout format. Look what Australia did to several teams starting in 1999 with Pakistan? It can happen. One thing I do know for sure, you'll NEVER see a New Zealand team lose through a lack of effort, which is more than can be said for many other cricket nations.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Good piece. And a fair question. You would think the experience gained by making those semis would mean the Black Caps would have kicked on but a final where we were beaten fairly easily by a rampant Australia is simply not a good enough return. Personally, I think it is a two-fold question if we take luck out of the equation and let’s face it, there is always that element: 1) Confidence and belief. Having made the semis and generally defying the odds we seem to get stuck in the headlights. Almost like we have over-achieved just being there and the next hurdle is one even we don’t expect to clear. As opposed to an absolute focus, determination and expectation we can and will overcome. 2) Perhaps somewhat connected to the former, technical excellence in the furnace of a knock-out against a generally “elite” opponent. We sometime forget to drill back down to the basics and lose our focus and therefore core roles aren’t fulfilled. Relying on the other bowlers for example, rather than performing your role in a concert of building pressure, so vital at that level and at that part of the tournament. The Black Caps continue to grow as a unit and on their day are a formidable foe but as India showed us, at home no less, we can still come undone against quality. Hopefully Stead and co have used this as a yard-stick because there is some genuine quality waiting in England and excellence is required. I have some concerns around selection and the coaching roles beneath Stead to be honest but I fully believe this side is still good enough to beat all-comers. However, in the absence of swing and/or seam, and I expect there will be some roads, the spinners and all-round roles become critical. Bowling as a unit and building scoreboard pressure becomes paramount. Pin-point accuracy in the field a must. Another must, and an area the Black Caps are finally having some success in, is squad depth. In a tournament this long and with varying conditions, this will be critical and will be why teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies may struggle. The team that lifts the trophy in England will have to succeed in all those areas, especially at knock-out time.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the article. Us New Zealanders always have high hopes for our cricket team and many times have been let down. Only in recent times have we been a consistent performer (last 5-6 years). However World Cups the team seems to galvanize and we get some good performances. Your question of Have New Zealand – despite their apparent success at the World Cup – ever really been a threat? Or are they just big-hearted cricketers who push the bigger nations as far as they can? Is a fair question. We have been to the knockout stages enough to be a threat but never quite kicked on. We also do have a habit of pushing bigger nations as far as we can, such at Australia in pool play in 1992 and 2015, South Africa in 2003 and 2011. This years tournament I expect the Black Caps to be in the mix however with England, India, Australia and South Africa this will be a competitive competition. Our bowling attack will be hard to get away if we can get some swing assistance and in Guptil, Williamson and Taylor there is 3 quality batsmen capable of scoring big.