The Black Caps are smarter: Michael Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the Black Caps are "a smarter team" since Kane Williamson replaced Brendon McCullum as captain, reports the Stuff.co.nz.

 

"Under Brendon McCullum they were bold, fearless and great to watch. Williamson has taken all that aggression, but also been a little bit smarter as well. That is dangerous for England," Vaughan wrote in his Daily Telegraph column before the England-Black Caps T2 World Cup semifinal in Delhi.

 

He said the Black Caps had been "the smartest team in the tournament so far".

 

"They have played at four venues, traveled thousands of miles and adapted quickly. England have been lucky in the sense they have played at just two venues and conditions have suited them. They have even got away with failing to read the conditions properly in their first matches at Mumbai and Delhi."

 

Vaughan, who captained England to an Ashes series win in 2005, noted that England's Kiwi-born all-rounder Ben Stokes had said they will keep playing aggressive cricket.

 

But the former skipper said it was "smart cricket that won England the game" against Sri Lanka to make the semifinals. 

 

"We want the same again. It is not about being gung ho and trying to smash New Zealand. Beat them with brains not brawn."

 

Vaughan was impressed with New Zealand's tactical switches and said they had lost "just one of their last 13 games in World Cups [and that was the final in Melbourne last year], which tells you they are a high quality team."

 

The Black Caps had bowled out two teams for fewer than 100 runs and their highest runs total against was 158 against Pakistan.

 

"They have had [the] best operation in the field. Tactically they have been excellent ..."

 

Vaughan said Mitchell Santner had been the best left arm bowler at the World Cup, but he predicted England would find leg spinner Ish Sodhi more difficult because he "will fire it in a bit more".