GROS ISLET (St Lucia), March 19: New Zealand coach John Bracewell has promised his side will treat their match against Kenya with the same importance as they did their opening World Cup win over England.

Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming spoke after the team's six-wicket success of now having a “game in hand” leading into the second stage, Super Eight phase for which New Zealand and England are favourites to qualify from a Group C also featuring Canada.

But Bracewell said that Kenya's seven-wicket win over Canada last week meant New Zealand couldn't let up when they played the surprise semi-finalists of four years ago on Tuesday.

“We've got two points to carry through should England qualify. That's the importance of the Kenyan match. We have to win that just in case it's Kenya who qualify because they are the other team with two points in the bag.”

While England coach Duncan Fletcher has talked of his side needing four wins to get to the semi-finals in the Caribbean, Bracewell said he was not yet prepared to look that far ahead.“For us it's game by game because rhythm is quite an important thing in any tournament on getting on a roll,” the former New Zealand off-spinner explained.

Bracewell, who said he hoped to give all his squad a run-out during the Black Caps two remaining matches, said he'd received a briefing on the Africans from Andy Moles, the former Kenya coach.

Moles, who as a player was an opening batsman for English county Warwickshire, is now coaching New Zealand first-class side Northern Districts.

“We've got a fair degree of notes from Andy Moles who worked with them over an extended period so we've got a fair bit of scouting done on them.”

The New Zealand coach added that all his squad, including the four players who didn't face England, batsman Peter Fulton and seam bowlers Michael Mason, Daryl Tuffey and Mark Gillespie (currently battling a shoulder problem) had it in them to play significant roles at the World Cup.

“They went about their business servicing the team but they also had to prepare to play. I don't regard them as 'dirt-trackers.'”

Kenya coach Roger Harper, the former West Indies off-spinner, said he hoped his local knowledge would prove an asset.

“The advantage here is that the wicket hasn't changed much so my experience counts for something. I've been here before. I know what to expect as far as the conditions and the culture are concerned.”

And as for the prospect of Kenya advancing to the Super Eights, Harper added: “Our objective is to play our best cricket in each game and if we can do that the result will take care of itself.”

But Harper was in no doubt about what playing at a World Cup meant to his non-Test side.

“It gives the Kenyan players, the team and the nation, an opportunity to showcase it's talents, to make the whole world aware of what the standard of cricket is like in Kenya, and what the team and players are capable of.”

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