This year’s ODI World Cup is scheduled to begin on October 5. The opening match will be a showdown between defending champions England and the last edition’s finalists New Zealand. The Kiwis have had an impressive history in the competition, yet they have not been able to win the marquee tournament even once. They reached the finals of the last two World Cup editions in 2015 and 2019 but could not make it past the finish line. Coming off some brilliant wins in warm-up games, New Zealand look hungrier than ever to clinch the trophy in India this time.
Here’s a look at New Zealand’s performances in the history of ODI World Cup.
1975: New Zealand reached the semi-finals of the inaugural World Cup in 1975. Despite having a good run in the tournament, the Kiwis were not able to get past the eventual champions West Indies. New Zealand’s Glenn Turner scored two centuries in that World Cup, finishing as the top-scorer of the competition.
1979: New Zealand were consistent in their second World Cup as they booked another semi-final spot in 1979. Despite making a second straight semi-final the Kiwis were unable to overcome their opponent England in semi-finals as they lost the match by nine runs. New Zealand’s BJ McKechnie finished as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker with nine scalps to his name.
1983: The World Cup in 1983 proved to be a major disappointment for New Zealand who were unable to make it past groups into the playoffs. They played a total of six games at the tournament conceding defeats against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England.
1987: New Zealand failed to make the playoffs for the second straight time at the 1987 World Cup after a terrible showing at the group stage. They finished 12 points below second-placed Australia. Both their wins came against Zimbabwe in the 1987 World Cup.
1992: New Zealand made a scintillating comeback in the next edition of the World Cup. The Kiwis topped the table with 14 points, losing only one game. The only team that the Kiwis were not able to beat in the group stage of the tournament were Pakistan. They faced Pakistan again in the semi-finals of the World Cup but were unable to overcome them for the second time in that edition’s event.
1996: New Zealand had finished third in their group below South Africa and Pakistan at the 1996 World Cup. They faced a star-studded Australian side in the quarterfinals. The Kiwis had to concede a six-wicket defeat at the hands of the Aussies in the quarterfinals.
1999: New Zealand had a decent run in the 1999 World Cup. They qualified for the playoffs again after finishing third in Group B. However, New Zealand’s trend of not being able to reach the finals continued. The Kiwis suffered a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the semi-finals of 1999 World Cup.
2003: Having finished third in their group, New Zealand qualified for the Super Six stage at the 2003 World Cup. However, the Kiwis only managed just one win at the Super Six stage, failing to make the semi-finals of the competition.
2007: New Zealand failed to qualify for the World Cup final once again in 2007 after losing their semi-final battle to Sri Lanka by 81 runs.
2011: The 2011 World Cup, held in India, saw the Kiwis pick up an easy 49-run victory against South Africa in the quarter-finals. But Daniel Vettori’s men went on to lose their semi-final against Sri Lanka by five wickets.
2015: New Zealand finally overcame their semi-final curse in the 2015 World Cup. Playing on their home turf in Auckland, joint-hosts New Zealand got the better of South Africa by four wickets with just one ball remaining in the semi-finals. New Zealand’s juggernaut, however, came to an end in the finals. The Kiwis faced a seven-wicket at the hands of Australia in the 2015 World Cup summit clash held in Melbourne.
2019: New Zealand defeated Team India in the the 2019 World Cup semi-final to book a second-successive final spot. Kane Williamson’s men lined up against England in what turned out to be one of the most thrilling World Cup finals in the history of the game. The two finalists could not be separated even after a Super Over in the 2019 World Cup final. It eventually came down to boundary count which helped hosts England in emerging 2019 World Cup champions.
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