No miracle at Bloemfontein despite Styris' efforts

Only a miracle can save New Zealand's World Cup now after a poor 47-run loss to Sri Lanka in their opening game at Bloemfontein.

Worst of all, the batting woes of the home summer were exported with the side to South Africa.

Only Scott Styris' 141 off 125 runs, the second highest score by a New Zealander after Glenn Turner's 171 not out against East Africa, was anywhere near representative of the batting ability in the side.

But having to chase 273 to win, the appalling start made it all but impossible. No side can afford the carnage New Zealand experienced in its top-order. All the hope and expectation lay in tatters by game's end.

Nathan Astle 0, Stephen Fleming one, Craig McMillan three.

New Zealand 15 for three wickets says it all.

The first wicket lost from a suicidal run out of Astle's choice, and two more examples of wooden shots played by leaden footed top-order batsmen Fleming and McMillan.

A pitch tailor-made for run scoring, as Styris and Sanath Jayasuriya proved.

Jayasuriya scored 120 off 125 balls but New Zealand started this run chase in the most important match of their World Cup campaign with an attitude as carefree as if it was going to be a dawdle in the park.

The only dawdle was for the Sri Lankan bowling attack.

Styris offered defiance of the type expected from all members of the side to achieve a fine maiden One-Day International century off 104 balls, a perfectly-paced innings but which went largely unsupported.

The looseness in thinking from the batsmen should not have been a surprise, it was evident throughout New Zealand's bowling effort.

Had it not been for the employment of Astle as the seventh bowler, who was basically asked to put seven stitches in the artery of cheap runs that had haemorrhaged, and Jacob Oram, whose 10 overs cost only 37 runs, Sri Lanka would surely have scored 320.

Having chosen to bowl first, Fleming would have had to be disappointed with his bowlers.

Certainly there was frustration over umpire Neil Mallender's failure to give out Jayasuriya to what was a blatant catch behind from Daryl Tuffey's bowling when he had scored only 14.

But to see Tuffey go for 36 runs from his five overs, and for Andre Adams see his first three balls despatched to the boundary en route to 58 off his nine overs was not, surely, in Plan A, B or C.

From the moment the team for this vital match against Sri Lanka was named there was a nervousness about how New Zealand were attempting to play this game.

It is difficult to understand why it was decided to reduce the effectiveness of one area of consistency in the New Zealand side this summer, the fielding in the circle. Lou Vincent is crucial to that strength because of the sheer dynamism he gives the side.

To ask him to take the wicket-keeping gloves is to reduce one outstanding strength of the side, while also reducing the effectiveness of the 'keeper.

And his batting was ineffectual facing only three balls before attempting a cut shot as loose in its way as the dismissals of the top order.

For all the talk about having batting length, it proved a false claim, a dream shattered. No side can afford to lose two of its batsmen after 1.5 overs, and certainly not three by 5.3 overs.

Apart from the softness of the top-order dismissals, Chris Cairns will have nightmares about offering Aravinda de Silva an easy return catch while Chris Harris and Oram were too easily undone by Muttiah Muralitharan and Adams' mid-wicket blast was desperation plus.

The selectors have some work to do because if New Zealand's lack of ODI success in South Africa is growing longer, the prospect of beating South Africa, a South Africa who will be equally desperate for success, has suddenly assumed huge proportions.

Will there be blood on the floor in the aftermath of this loss?

Something certainly has to happen if the slight crack in the Super Six door is to be pushed open a little.