All on the line as Kiwis clash with Bangladesh

New Zealand have won the toss and will bat first in a crucial clash in Cardiff that could yet secure the winner a Champions Trophy semi-final spot.

The toss was delayed an hour after heavy overnight rain left the run-ups at both ends too soggy, but had dried out enough for play to start 60 minutes late, but with no overs lost.

Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson said they would take an unchanged XI a dry surface helped convince him to bat first. Bangladesh made two changes to their line-up, with Imrul Kayes and Mehedi dropped in favour of brining in an extra bowler in quick Taskin Ahmed and allrounder Mossadek.

Both sides enter this match desperate for victory but knowing in this rain-riddled tournament, even a win may not take either of them into the semi-finals. But with a horrific weather forecast for Birmingham on Saturday for the Australia-England clash, a result here could be pivotal.

Both teams have a point apiece in the ODI tournament after they were each well beaten by England, while their respective matches with Australia ended in rain-induced no results.

England are already into the last four and Australia will join them there if they defeat the tournament hosts in the final Group A fixture at Edgbaston on Saturday.

It all leaves Bangladesh and New Zealand needing to win in Wales and then hope England put one over their arch-rivals, assuming more bad weather does not disrupt those calculations.

New Zealand should have the edge over Bangladesh when it comes to local knowledge given their 87-run defeat by England in Cardiff on Tuesday.

"When it's not seaming and it's not swinging, obviously we need to look at different measures," New Zealand paceman Trent Boult told reporters at Cardiff on Thursday.

"I think we all know the importance of getting wickets early in the innings and putting the team under pressure is where you can really set the game up.

"That's the challenge tomorrow. I'm sure we'd love to come hard at the top order, which has been playing very well."

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson made a brilliant hundred against Australia before following up with 87 against England – a match where he was fined but not banned for a dreadfully slow over-rate.

Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal also started the tournament with a century, against England, before making 95 against Australia.

For both sides the innings has tended to fall away following the exit of their key batsman, with New Zealand losing their last eight wickets for 65 against England following Williamson's dismissal.

"Yes, he is in great form but we cannot focus only on Williamson," said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza at his pre-match press conference.

"They have players like Martin Guptill who can change the game."

Bangladesh were just four overs away from all but certain defeat and tournament elimination when rain came to their rescue against Australia.

Their most recent meeting with the Blackcaps saw Bangladesh beat New Zealand by five wickets in a warm-up match in Dublin.

New Zealand, however, were without several key players in Guptill, Williamson, plus pacemen Boult, Tim Southee and Adam Milne.

"We have beaten their strongest team at home (in Bangladesh) but maybe not so strong in Ireland," Tamim told reporters in Cardiff on Wednesday.

"They have serious quality players. If we want to repeat the result again, we have to execute well," he added.

It was at Cardiff, now a much-changed ground, where Bangladesh caused arguably the biggest of all ODI upsets by beating a powerful Australia side in 2005.

Defeating New Zealand would not be such a shock, but it would be a huge boost to the current Bangladesh's side standing in world cricket.

"We knew before the tournament that we had to produce something special, otherwise it wouldn’t be easy to beat teams like England and Australia," said Mortaza.

"But we are a team that wouldn't let go of a chance, so if one is coming up tomorrow, we will have to make sure we don't let it slip."

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India beat Pakistan by 124 runs

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, No Result

6 June – England beat New Zealand by 87 runs

7 June – Pakistan beat South Africa by 19 runs (DL method)

8 June – Sri Lanka beat India by seven wickets

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (England v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)