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    "id": "7650",
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    "title": "New Zealand better prepared than Australia - Andy Bichel",
    "lang": "en",
    "series": "1",
    "cup_year": "2015",
    "article_type": "General",
    "excerpt": "NEW ZEALAND BETTER PREPARED THAN AUSTRALIA",
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    "editor1": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Former Australia quick, Andy Bichel believes home advantage might swing it in favour of the Black Caps.&nbsp;We&rsquo;re upon a much-anticipated match with&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;taking on&nbsp;New Zealand&nbsp;on Saturday, 28 February at Eden Park. The co-hosts have had a good start to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. New Zealand and Australia clashes in any sport always create lots of interest, especially in rugby and netball. But this match some people are saying it could be a dress rehearsal of the final in late March.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">There are many factors at play with both hosts thinking they have a massive chance of winning this tournament, especially on home soil.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"color:#008080;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:georgia,serif;\">&quot;&nbsp;Playing at home always brings extra pressure to both these teams mainly because of the levels of expectation the players put on themselves.&nbsp;&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Let&rsquo;s just think about that for a minute, two teams have done it previously &ndash; Sri Lanka in 1996, and more recently India in the last World Cup in 2011. What a life-changing experience right there for the players. This is as huge as it gets momentum wise for the host country. &nbsp;In many ways it is such a good feeling for everyone, even if you don&rsquo;t like cricket, people find themselves getting involved.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nI am sure already lots of rugby fans in New Zealand are getting excited about their little cricket team. In New Zealand, the whole country is getting excited about cricket as a result of the huge promotion that the ICC has under taken some months back leading in.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Then, when this team starts to perform like they have, they are bound to get instant support. This Saturday will be a huge spectacle. On the other hand, Australia players will not have played in front of a more hostile crowd than this Saturday night. It will be an All Blacks crowd supporting its cricket team. So much is at stake here for the winner as it probably guarantees the number one spot, which is a huge advantage at the back end of this long tournament.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">I also spoke about history between these two countries and in the 1992 match, New Zealand won by 37 runs at the&nbsp;same venue. I am certain the Kiwi supporters will talk about this a lot in the lead up to this game.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nDavid Boon and Martin Crowe both made hundreds in the match but with the Kiwis batting first, and Australia trying to chase the total, it was too many runs. Craig McDermott is now part of the coaching staff for Australia. I am sure he will have a few memories of this match as he opened the bowling. So, yes, it will be hovering around the venue and just may end up becoming a small distraction.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"color:#008080;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:georgia,serif;\">&quot;&nbsp;Right at this moment for the Black Caps it couldn&rsquo;t be any better sitting on six points after three matches.&nbsp;&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Everyone in the New Zealand squad has really contributed in the tournament so far by participating at some point throughout the three matches.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nAn&nbsp;excellent win against Sri Lanka&nbsp;by 98 runs, followed by the&nbsp;win against Scotland, which produced a solid bowling performance by them. In their last match they made a statement to the rest of the teams,&nbsp;embarrassing England with an eight wickets win&nbsp;with 37.4 overs remaining.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nFor Australia it has been a little different. Not the perfect preparation perhaps, a solid win against England at the MCG two weeks ago which is a long time in this tournament.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nAn excellent batting display by the two Victorians,&nbsp;Aaron Finch&nbsp;(135) and&nbsp;Glen Maxwell&nbsp;(66), and the MCG was alight with so much energy in the stands. It&rsquo;s been a long time since this has happened, I can&rsquo;t really remember a time maybe Dean Jones and Simon O&rsquo;Donnell.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">I am sure&nbsp;Michael Clarke&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shane Watson&nbsp;are a little edgy, as they both want to play. The rained off game against Bangladesh didn&rsquo;t help both these guys, who would have liked to get sometime in the middle.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nAfter this match they will be up against Afghanistan in Perth, which will be another week away yet. World Cups are always structured like this but you don&rsquo;t really need games washed off as it can stop momentum.<br \/>\r\n&nbsp;<br \/>\r\nIt should be an exciting night on Saturday, and even in saying all this about the two teams it will be a clean slate, come Saturday afternoon.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p>Source - ICC<\/p>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n",
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    "created": "2015-02-27 10:37:00",
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