Enthralling opener vital for New Zealand's prospects

As New Zealand prepare for their World Cup opening match against Sri Lanka, on Monday, their need for success is heightened not only by the possibility of lost points for their refusal to play in Kenya but the daunting opening they have to the competition.

No-one on New Zealand's side of the competition has a draw like it.

New Zealand must play Sri Lanka, the West Indies and South Africa, the three other contenders for Super Six berths, in their first three matches.

Sri Lanka, by comparison, after their opening game, have the relatively easy road of playing Bangladesh, Canada and Kenya before having two big games to finish the round.

While the West Indies play South Africa in their opening match, and then meet New Zealand, they at least have Bangladesh and Canada before they meet the Sri Lankans.

And the host side have their West Indian match and Kenya before playing New Zealand.

On the other side of the competition Australia meet Pakistan and India in their first two matches before playing the Netherlands.

But that is the worst of any country on that side.

So, if they weren't already aware of it, and their planning has been such that the thought has assuredly not been over-looked, they have the knowledge that theirs is the hardest road to the finals.

Sri Lanka represent a formidable opponent first up, especially given the side's inability to deal with them in recent history.

However, captain Stephen Fleming goes into this game with the best side available, and that hasn't always been something that has occurred in the past.

When the side last played Sri Lanka, at home in the summer of 2000/01, Shane Bond hadn't emerged, Chris Cairns was undergoing knee surgery, Lou Vincent and Jacob Oram were fresh faces on the block, and Brendon McCullum was in the cricketing equivalent of nursery school.

Since then the side has developed in confidence at India's expense, in difficult conditions for both sides, at home.

They also know what to expect. Whenever they finished their day's play against India, or had a day off, there was always the television coverage from Australia where the Sri Lankans were playing in the annual tri-series.

New Zealand know what they are up against.

Bloemfontein represents the sort of challenge Fleming and his men have come to relish and while most pundits are picking Sri Lanka to be a side with the potential to make the semi-finals at least, they should find a highly-combative unit up against them in the opening match for both sides.

The key for New Zealand, as always in matches against Sri Lanka, is to make the early breakthroughs when bowling with Sanath Jayasuriya the key wicket, but not the only one, that needs to be picked up quickly.

And in the bowling, it is the continual mystery posed by Muttiah Muralitharan that needs to be overcome, especially as he returns from a thigh injury which he will be seeking to put behind him as soon as possible.

Sri Lanka has held the upper hand in recent contests but if New Zealand are to advance the importance of this game will not have been lost on them. A potentially epic contest is in prospect.