MCG Too Big for New Zealand, or Just Wishful Thinking from Aussie Legend?
You get the sense that there is some denial in Matthew Hayden's recent outburst. The former Australian opening batsman wrote in a news.com.au column that the longer boundaries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground may prove too much for the New Zealand big hitters.
"There were a number of times [in the semi-final] where the New Zealand batsmen appeared to be hitting big balls—but they'd be getting caught three quarters of the way to the fence at the MCG," Hayden wrote in his column. "They're going to have to change the way they hit the ball."
In some respects, it is a valid point.
The MCG is bigger than any of the grounds New Zealand have been playing on this summer. Eden Park certainly has ridiculously small straight boundaries, and Wellington's Westpac Stadium is not a whole lot bigger in any direction.
Will that really disadvantage New Zealand, though?
You could make the case that they are not used to playing on such big grounds. A lack of familiarity could therefore be a potential issue.
But it is not as if these men have never played outside of New Zealand. Indeed, they have a team full of players who have played all around the world in stadiums of various sizes.
Yet, perhaps the MCG is a different beast. So big, so prestigious, arguably the world's greatest sporting stadium. Could they be overawed by it? They have not played there since 2009.
To suggest that the boundary sizes will disadvantage the New Zealanders, though, is another thing.
The flip side of having such a large ground is that it becomes so much harder to defend for the fielding team. Boundaries may be harder to come by, but placing the ball to allow for effective running between the wickets becomes so much easier.
Should this not mean an advantage to the Kiwis?
Of the top six batsmen, only Brendon McCullum and Corey Anderson are really big hitters.
Martin Guptill, while capable of going over the top, is at his best when he is not trying to hit the ball too hard, pushing the ball around and looking to accumulate his runs.
Kane Williamson is as technically proficient as any batsman in the world, a player who has all the shots and plays them mainly along the ground with sparkling footwork.
Ross Taylor, in another time such a devastating hitter, has become a nudger and technically sound batsman, and Grant Elliott brings similar qualities.
McCullum's innings tend to be quick-fire, action-packed affairs. Hayden's comments of getting caught three quarters of the way to boundary may seem relevant here.
Perhaps not, though. McCullum's tendency in this tournament has been to exploit the powerplay at the beginning of the innings. He hits the ball hard and over the top to cash in while the fielding team is forced to have their field up.
While he may not hit all of the sixes he has been hitting, he merely has to get it over the inner ring of fielders to be effective. He hits hard enough that he will still score fours, while those that do not go far enough will need to be chased down. His speed between the wickets, along with Guptill's, means that the New Zealanders should be able to get maximum value out of this.
Anderson is the only key batsman it seems the longer boundaries will really affect. Even so, he is a player who generates a huge amount of power from his forearms and regularly hits his sixes 85, even 90-plus metres.
It should be remembered that the short boundaries go both ways, as well. While the batsmen will be unable to fall back on the smaller fields, the bowlers will be less hittable, too.
So often, the New Zealand bowlers have been all over their opponents, only for a six on a short boundary to relieve some of the pressure. With this out of the equation, the Australian batsmen will have to rely on more regular good ball placement to score runs in order to alleviate the pressure the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori are capable of creating.
They will have to place it well, too, as in the field this New Zealand team are outstanding and are capable of limiting the run value of shots.
In Guptill, they have possibly the world's best fielder. His quick reactions and good hands make him valuable at stopping runs and taking catches in the gully, while his speed and good arm allow him to restrict runs in the outfield.
Williamson is similarly good in the covers, while the effort and intensity of McCullum chasing to the straight boundaries is normally worth at least five runs. You then have a safe pair of hands in the slips in Taylor, an experienced head who still provides hustle in Vettori and a pure athlete in Boult.
There is hardly a weak link out there, and the larger field will only allow them to have more effect.
So will the MCG really be too big for New Zealand? Anything could happen, but it is hard to see the logic behind that at this stage.
