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New Zealand v Afghanistan, World Cup 2015, Group A, Napier March 6, 2015

Key player Vettori on verge of milestone

Andrew McGlashan in Napier6 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter CommentTim Southee and Trent Boult have bowled two of the most destructive spells of this World Cup, but they have beensupported by an oldhand - Daniel Vettori, who has performed his role to perfection shares 6

Daniel Vettori is two short of becoming the first New Zealand bowler to take 300 ODI wickets

The headliners in New Zealand's bowling attack in this World Cup have been Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Andjustifiably so. But there has been a third crucial member too: Daniel Vettori has eight wickets in four matches alliedwith an economy rate of 3.33, the best of anyone to have sent down more than five overs in the tournament.

Vettori's thriftiness has been a hallmark of his career and stands out across eras. There are few contemporary bowlerswith such a low economy across a vast number of innings: Saeed Ajmal is nearby, as is Mohammad Hafeez and ShakibAl Hasan, among those who have bowled in at least 100 innings. Others whose careers have crossed with Vettori arelong retired.

It makes his tournament figures more remarkable, even accounting for the lower scores in New Zealand compared tothe plunder in Australia. The pressure Vettori applied played a key role in all of New Zealand's games, ensuring no letup after the early sorties by Southee and Boult.

In the opening contest against Sri Lanka in Christchurch, which now feels a long time ago, he collected 2 for 34 -Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene were his scalps. Scotland were less of a challenge, but he nipped in with3 for 24, and against England he began their dramatic slump by enticing Eoin Morgan to loft into the deep.

However, Vettori's stand-out performance was last weekend in the cauldron of Eden Park, where he bowled his tenovers straight through to quiet Australia's flying start and help build the pressure for Boult's multiple incisions. He kept

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David Warner on a tight leash, lured Shane Watson into finding deep square-leg - and what an impact that dismissalhas had on Watson - then nicked the edge of Steve Smith.

Smith was Vettori's 298th one-day international scalp - 290 for New Zealand and eight for World XI teams in 2005 -and he has every chance of adding two more against Afghanistan to become the 12th bowler to reach 300. He hasbeen well clear among New Zealand bowlers for some time, with Kyle Mills next on 240 wickets. It will be a significantmilestone for a player whose career was in jeopardy as he battled his serious Achilles injury.

There is bigger glory up for grabs in the next few weeks than personal landmarks and Vettori's long fight to provehimself ready for this tournament was arguably his greatest success. However, while he maintained the team-firstapproach that has been New Zealand's mantra, he afforded himself momentary satisfaction.

"I suppose for a long time the Test records were really important to me and in some ways one-day cricket was put alittle to background. I've come into the tournament with a similar view," Vettori said. "It's been about how we aredoing as a side and because it 's been going so well and I've been able to contribute I haven't really thought about it,but it will be a lovely thing to achieve."

When an international career spans 18 years it comes with the territory to take things in your stride but even Vettoritalked of the "deafening" experience of playing in Wellington and Auckland as "very special." He is more than happy,though, for those cheers to be generated largely by the feats of his bowling colleagues. It is not only the headline-grabbing wicket hauls that mean a bowler is doing his job.

"It's about knowing that my role is to be a complementary piece to our attacking bowlers and to be able to do thatwith Trent, the way he bowled against Australia, and for me to tie up the runs it was a really good combination.That's the most satisfying thing," he said. "So if I can be as economical as possible it allows Trent, Tim, Mitch, Adam,Kyle, whoever plays, to attack for those wickets. That's how Brendon likes to captain."

Vettori listed all five frontline quicks available in the New Zealand squad though only three have played so far. MitchellMcClenaghan and Kyle Mills are among four players who have not been required and there is a balancing act to bestruck by Mike Hesson and Brendon McCullum against Afghanistan, with New Zealand having had a week of downtimesince facing Australia. Ensure all the players have had a match before the quarter-final by breaking up a winning team,or keep the XI together and hope nobody pulls up lame before Wellington?

"There's a bit of desperation to get out there and play," Vettori said. "It's been a long time between games and notsomething we are used - we often play every couple of days so once a week is a bit of a challenge."

When it is going as well as it is for Vettori right now, and he continues to defy a body that threatened to make thistournament a step too far, it is easy to understand why having a match off is the last thing he would want toconsider.

Andrew McGlashan is a senior assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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