It is possible that New Zealand are not punching above their weight but that their punch perfectly matches their weight and that is why they are in this final
Osman Samiuddin at Lord's 13-Jul-2019It is possible that this Lord’s surface stays as green, or even slightly less green than it was a day before the final, and that it behaves as green surfaces are usually meant to.It is possible that Williamson calls correctly at the toss and that he has read the pitch as well as he usually does – the Pakistan game apart. It is possible – but not necessary – that New Zealand choose to bowl first, as they have done four times out of the six times they have won the toss.ALSO READ: Boult, Henry, Ferguson – Brutal, Hellish, FastIt is possible that Trent Boult has first use of a new white ball, cloudy above, green below, and, at the least, one of the two elements in his favour.It is possible that Boult does not balk at the first few boundaries either of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow drive off him, like slaps on a bleary-eyed face first thing in the morning. It is possible that Boult resolves to keep going full, in order to squeeze out whatever swing there may be, little or a lot. As he did against Quinton de Kock earlier in a memorable first over when it looked as if the fuller he went the more firmly and cleanly de Kock hit him until he hit de Kock’s stumps. It is possible that he curls that white Kookaburra through either, even both, or finds a shin, firmly placed and set to drive.
It is possible that Williamson does come out with his side in trouble and plays to type – that type being genius. It is possible that after such an innings he is the first name you take when talking about the Big Four, not the last (fine, this one’s a stretch).
It is possible that Lord’s plays up to its tournament trend in which left-arm fast bowlers average less than 14 runs a wicket and less than 17 balls a wicket. It is possible that England’s top five play to type against left-arm pace, against which they average between 29.6 and 34.6 (other than Joe Root, who has 44.2).It is possible that Matt Henry backs Boult up, as he has done so often over the last couple of years. It is possible that he recreates the delivery that ended Rohit Sharma’s love letter to this tournament, that he angles one in and then straightens it just enough to catch an edge.ALSO READ: Dot-ball devil Santner is up for the Lord’s challengeIt is possible that England are not entirely familiar about the threat Lockie Ferguson poses, simply because they have only played him once in an ODI and didn’t face him in Durham. It is possible that in those middle overs, he lets go of a bouncer, maybe touching 150kph, radars into Eoin Morgan’s right armpit and hurries him into a top-edged pull.It is possible that Ben Stokes has a bad day with the bat.It is possible that Mitchell Santner slips by unnoticed, having quietly bowled through those middle overs and tied up one end. It is possible that he doesn’t control as much as 6-2-7-2 against India but that he controls nonetheless.It is possible that New Zealand do what they do day in and day out in the field, make the impossible possible, like no other side in world cricket.Kane Williamson’s side can be the nicest bunch in the game and the world champions•Getty ImagesIt is even possible that Williamson himself doesn’t come out to bat in the first five overs.It is possible that Martin Guptill somehow defies a tournament average of 20.87 and 94 runs in his last eight innings. It is possible that Guptill ends up being remembered for what he does with the bat in this final rather than for the two most electrifying pieces of fielding this tournament has seen.It is possible that Williamson does come out with his side in trouble and plays to type – that type being genius. It is possible that after such an innings he is the first name you take when talking about the Big Four, not the last (fine, this one’s a stretch).It is possible that his genius finds an accomplice in Ross Taylor, the resident genius before this genius arrived.It is possible that Jimmy Neesham plays as he has been playing this tournament – 12 wickets at 20.75 and averaging 35.50 with the bat – and it is possible that he plays as well as he tweets.It is possible that losing in 2015 has no impact on what New Zealand do in 2019. It is possible that the six other semi-finals they have lost mean nothing.It is possible that this game means just as much to New Zealand and New Zealand cricket as it does to England and English cricket.It is possible that New Zealand are not punching above their weight but that their punch perfectly matches their weight and that that is why they are in this final. It is possible that New Zealand are not scrapping. It is possible that New Zealand don’t play the underdog. It is possible that they are not pooping any party on Sunday but merely hosting a massive one of their own.It is possible that a nation of less than five million can produce 15 world champions in one sport because five million is still a lot of people from which to find 15. It is possible that they can be the nicest team in cricket as well as the world champion team in cricket.It is possible that when Williamson says anything is possible, he really means anything is possible.
