Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua:

ONCE UPON a time a West Indies versus New Zealand contest was expected, most times if not all the time, to be a one-sided affair with the West Indies, the once-mighty Windies, dominating the action.

Over the years, however, things have changed, and they have changed so much that when the two teams meet today at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St. John's in the second round of the Cricket Word Cup, New Zealand are not only expected to put up a good show but also to win the match.

Based on their rankings and probably their recent performance against neighbours and big guns Australia, based on their victory over England in the first round of the Cup, and based on the West Indies' pathetic performance yesterday in their loss to defending champions Australia, the Black Caps, or the Kiwis, are expected to win, and fairly easily at that.

Some are even willing to bet on it.

On top of that, and apart from the fact that they have contested the semi-finals of the World Cup on four occasions and lost to the eventual winners on two occasions, where as the West Indies, for a long time but for a brief time recently, are ranked number eight and near the foot of the ICC's one-day rankings, New Zealand, for a long time, have been ranked at number three or four and nearer, much nearer, to the top than to the bottom.

Favourites

There is one other reason, however, why New Zealand, one of the favourites to win the Cup, are favourites to win today's match: it is the presence of some wonderful and exciting players - players who, like the Musketeers and D'Artagnan, play as one under the skilful and astute leadership of their captain Stephen Fleming.

With the left-handed, stroke-playing Fleming himself leading the way, New Zealand boast, as batsmen, a couple of artists in Hamish Marshall, who has replaced the injured Lou Vincent, and Ross Taylor, a couple of fast scorers in Scott Styris and Craig McMillan, a couple of hard hitters in Jacob Oram and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, and as bowlers, a genuine fast and yet accurate bowler in Shane Bond, three good pacers in the all-rounders James Franklyn, Oram and McMillan, one of the best spin bowlers in the business, left-hander Daniel Vettori, and in Jeetan Patel, a more than competent offspinner.What is equally important in placing bets, however, is the fact tha they can be inconsistent, and very inconsistent at that led by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, they were embarrassing yesterday, in Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Samuels, captain Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo, plus Dwayne Smith, the West Indies parade a batting line-up that, if it clicks, if it fires, if it does not slit its own throat by careless and reckless strokeplay, God will have to be in the corner of Fleming, Bond, Franklyn, McMillan, Vettori and company to protect them from a beating.