Mommsen: We’ve got to play smart cricket

2015 World Cup

Cricket365
February 16, 2015

Scotland captain Preston Mommsen admits that his side will have a tough task on their hands if they want to beat co-hosts New Zealand, when the two teams meet at the University Oval in Dunedin on Tuesday.

The Black Caps come off a resounding win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament, and are currently playing some fabulous cricket which has underlined their status as one of the favourites.

It will be Scotland's first match at this year's event, and their first World Cup game since 2007, and the skipper has advised his charges to think on their feet and not become overawed by the occasion.

Mommsen said: "Obviously New Zealand are a quality team, and the form they are currently in, they're going to be a difficult team to break down. I think we've got to play smart cricket to have any chance."

The one advantage that the Scots will have is their coach Grant Bradburn, who is a former New Zealand international, having played seven Tests and 11 ODI's for the Black Caps, and has extensive knowledge of local conditions.

Mommsen added: "He's got huge experience with playing in New Zealand and coached probably a lot of the guys in that New Zealand team. He's given us some valuable insights in our prep for the game tomorrow."

The skipper also spoke of the excitement in the Scottish camp at the moment, with it being their first appearance in the global event since playing in the West Indies eight years ago.

The captain concluded: "It's been an awesome couple of days. We really felt like we were a part of it, and the World Cup had started for us."