NZ, Aussies wary ahead of WC pool match

WELLINGTON, Feb 24 (AP): Cricket World Cup favourites Australia and New Zealand have are circling each other warily ahead of their Pool A game at Eden Park Saturday, as a lack of familiarity breeds respect.

The Australasian neighbours haven't met in a one-day international since the last World Cup - they were due play each other at the 2013 Champions Trophy, but that match was washed out.

While they won't be lacking intelligence on each other - both use analysts to minutely explore the strengths and weaknesses of opposing players and most play with and against each other in Twenty20 leagues - facing each other as national teams will be a new experience.

Australian opener Aaron Finch called it "strange" that teams so geographically close have played each other so rarely.

"I didn't really know until I saw it yesterday (that it had been so long since Australia and New Zealand last played)," Finch said. "It's just one of those things isn't it?

"With so much cricket being played around the world, you do tend to play everywhere else except at home sometimes."

Finch has only played against New Zealand once, in a Twenty20 warm-up match, but he doubted either side would be disadvantaged by the lack of recent contact.

"You watch so much on TV," he said. "We were all watching the game the other day (between New Zealand and England).

"You do see a lot of cricket and you do see a lot of footage and you have access to almost too much footage sometimes, it can wear you down a little bit."