The record books could be in for a hammering at McLean Park.
Minnows Afghanistan, fresh from conceding a Cricket World Cup record 417 runs against Australia in Perth, face the unlikely task of derailing the runaway train that is the unbeaten co-hosts New Zealand.
Captain Brendon McCullum is keen to win the toss and bat on a surface that has offered plenty of runs in the past and the Black Caps’ biggest ODI score at home – 8-373 against Zimbabwe – set at the ground in 2012 could be in danger.
Just last month they amassed 5-369 in crushing Pakistan at the same venue.
“If we do bat first we’ve just got to make sure that we’ve got what we think is a score just above par. If we can get well above par then that’s great, but you’ve got to get yourself to a stage where you think you’ve got a winning score,” said McCullum.
With six New Zealand totals passing the 300-mark on the ground a well-above-par score could put Australia’s record set last week in Perth under threat.
If the hosts, who go into Sunday’s match unchanged for the fifth game in a row, do pass the 400-mark for the first time at home it is more than likely going to need a contribution from Ross Taylor who has been short of runs in the tournament to date.
He has managed just 39 runs in four innings but regards McLean Park as a happy hunting ground – averaging almost 86 in ODIs there with a hundred every four innings – his most recent coming last month.
The Black Caps’ batting has been questioned after scrambling to victory by one wicket against Australia chasing 152, but McCullum has belief in his batsmen who have only batted first once in the tournament.
“The nature of how we’ve played the games and had success bowling first means our batting hasn’t been as challenged as other teams.
“We’ll never know until we get in those situations, but I’m very confident the guys we’ve got are very good under pressure.”
He is vowing no let-up in their approach for the first meeting between the sides and Afghanistan coach Andy Moles is promising a better showing than their 275-run humiliation at the WACA despite an arduous travel schedule.
“We know we are in for a very tough examination, but as a group we are putting our best foot forward.”
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (c), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
Afghanistan (likely): Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.
NZ’s HIGHEST SCORES AT McLEAN PARK
8-373 v Zimbabwe Feb 2012
5-369 v Pakistan Feb 2015
7-340 v England Feb 2008
9-336 v Bangladesh Feb 2010
5-335 v Bangladesh Dec 2007
6-324 v West Indies March 2006
ROSS TAYLOR ODIs AT McLEAN PARK
Matches 12, Hundreds 3, High Score 128*, Average 85.75, Career ODI average 41.18
