The New Zealand Cricket Team, popularly referred to as the Black Caps, is one of the best cricketing teams in the world today. One of the oldest cricket playing nations, New Zealand appeared in its first Test way back in 1930 against England in Christchurch, and won their first test in 1956 against West Indies at Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand played its first One-day International against Pakistan on February 11, 1973 at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. The New Zealand Cricket Team has produced several legendary cricketers, including John R. Reid, Geoff Howarth, Ian Smith, Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Danny Morrison and Chris Cairns. Stephen Fleming, the current captain of the New Zealand cricket team, is the most succeesful cricket captain of New Zealand. John Bracewell is the coach of the New Zealand ICC World Cup 2007 squad.
The New Zealand cricket team has taken part in all cricket World Cups since 1975. They reached up to semi-finals on four occasions in 1975, 1979, 1992 and 1999 cricket World Cups, but lost to opponents on all occasions. Today, New Zealand cricket team is rated as one of the strongest and most challenging teams in the world, and it has the potential to upset any team in the world. The current New Zealand cricket team has several outstanding cricketers, including the captain Stephen Fleming, and all-rounders Chris Harris, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris and Craig McMillan. Shane Bond is one of the fastest bowlers in the world today. New Zealand is placed in Group C in the ICC World Cup 2007 groupings, along with England, Kenya and Canada. The team will start its 2007 World Cup campaign against England on March 16, 2007 in Saint Lucia.
Stephen Fleming (captain), Daniel Vettori (vice-captain), Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Michael Mason, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Lou Vincent.
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 is a Twenty20 cricket tournament scheduled to take place in England in June of 2009. It will be the second World Twenty20 and will consist of 12 teams, contested by all Test-playing nations plus qualifiers (Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland)
The Champions Twenty20 League, formed with the official sanction of ICC will kick off in October 2008. Eight domestic teams from four nations will participate. Cricket Australia will partner the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The champion team in the Champions Twenty20 league will get US $5 million, which is the highest ever prize money for a cricket event.
The 2007 Cricket World Cup was hosted by the West Indies from March 11 to April 28, 2007. It was contested by 16 nations.
The ten Test Match-playing countries qualified for the World Cup automatically, along with Kenya, which had ODI status and five further teams qualified via the 2005 ICC Trophy. The field of sixteen teams was the largest ever for the Cricket World Cup.
The teams were divided into 4 groups, with each group playing its matches at one ground.
The top two teams from each group competed in a Super 8 format, similar to the previous "Super 6" format, from which the semi-finalists were decided. Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa won through to the semi-finals, with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final to win their third consecutive World Cup.
There were 51 matches overall, spread over eight venues across the West Indies, which were selected to host the World Cup final tournament.
Notable events of the tournament included the death of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, which happened one day after his team's defeat to Ireland, which put them out of the running for the World Cup. India scored 413-5 in 50 overs against Bermuda, breaking the World Cup record for the highest team total. Herschelle Gibbs hit six sixes in one Daan van Bunge over for South Africa against the Netherlands, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in ODI cricket. Australia became the first team to win 3 consecutive World Cups.
I fully expect us to win every game we play, it doesn't matter what the make-up of the team is. Ricky Ponting, Australian skipper.
Is this a resignation issue? I'll have to talk with my superiors on that. former New Zealand captain and Match referee Jeff Crowe on the blunder by him and the umpires which
caused the farcical scenes at the end of the World Cup final.
I guess it was nice to finish off with a catch behind with Gilly. McGrath on Gilchrist catching Arnold to give him his last ODI wicket. He is the tournament's leading wicket-taker
with a record haul of 25 wickets and the most successful World Cup bowler of all-time.
It was really pleasing to do it on an important day. I've been getting a lot of starts but hadn't converted. Adam Gilchrist who smashed a final record 149 off 104 balls to set up the
victory.
It was simply a brilliant innings from Gilchrist, unfortunately I was the opposition captain watching it. Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene about Adam Gilchrist's 149 off just
104 balls.
My learned commentary is, my commentary is congratulations to Ricky and the boys, but to Glenn McGrath, that lanky bloke from Narromine, thanks for a wonderful contribution to Australian cricket. Prime Minister "cricket tragic" John Howard.
We listen to criticism, and there has been a lot of it from people saying it's been too long - so we'll look to make it shorter. ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.
Notable events of the tournament included the death of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, which happened one day after his team's defeat to Ireland, which put them out of the running for the World Cup. 
I fully expect us to win every game we play, it doesn't matter what the make-up of the team is. 
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