James Neesham Reveals The Conversation With Martin Guptill Before Super Over

There must have been tonnes of pressure on New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham and opener Martin Guptill when they went in to bat in the Super Over. New Zealand required 16 runs to be the World champions and the onus was on these two batters. It was not going to be easy for these two batsmen as they had to face Jofra Archer who had never conceded 16 runs in the Super Over.

However, James Neesham was able to make the tensed situation a bit relaxed as he told Martin Guptill that they have come a long way while playing together. Both of these players had played together in club cricket in Auckland.

Neesham had a fine World Cup.

Meanwhile, James Neesham was able to get 14 runs from five balls in the Super Over. In fact, he was also able to get a six towards the deep square leg boundary. On the other hand, Martin Guptill could not complete the second run when New Zealand required two runs from the final ball.

“It’s something I’ve done a lot of work on,” Neesham says. “When I first came into international cricket, I sort of feared those big moments. It gets conditioned into you as a sportsman that these moments are so important and you’ll feel pressure, and you’ll be nervous,” he told the Guardian.

“I think what I’ve done while I was away from the game is that I’ve changed my relationship with moments like that to a relationship of enjoyment.

Subsequently, Neesham who had a fine World Cup with both bat and ball revealed that he was not at all nervous before he went out to bat in the Super Over. However, New Zealand didn’t have the rub of the green on their side. England was able to clinch the title on the basis of more boundaries.

It was a heartbreaking loss for New Zealand.

“Guppy [Guptill] and I sat on the sidelines before we went out for the super-over and we actually played club cricket together in Auckland in about 2009 before I left to go to Otago.

“I turned to him and said ‘From batting together at Ken Maunder Park 2009, to a World Cup final at Lord’s – how good is this?’ And we had a little laugh and walked out.

“So I wasn’t nervous at all. It was a feeling of excitement and possibilities. The cards didn’t fall our way that day, but I’m still very proud of how we went out and took the game on and maybe in four years’ time, it will be different.”

James Neesham scored 232 runs in the eight matches of the World Cup at an average of 33.14. Furthermore, the medium-pacer scalped 15 wickets in the 10 matches of the ODI showpiece.