We're a few sleeps away from the first World Cup game and besides raising expectations to slightly unbearable levels, the past two warm up games will ensure that everyone involved with the Black Caps will be sleeping good.

The Black Caps got a fair hit out with the bat against Zimbabwe before the rain came and obviously it was good to see Martin Guptill get a nice century. The fact that the Black Caps were 157/7 should put everything in to some sort of perspective though, for Guptill, this was a nice net session. For everyone else, well, let's chuck the feet up.

Then came the 'thrashing' of South Africa. T'was good to see Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson pass the 50 mark while Ross Taylor got a healthy 40 odd, throw in to the mix a 5/51 from Trent Boult and well job done. We'll ignore the fact that Dale Steyn didn't bowl and that Hashim Amla didn't bat, once again some perspective, context and balance.

Apparently people were desperate to watch that South Africa game? Not sure why.

So here we are. The Black Caps are firmly sitting up the top of the World Cup pecking order, sniffing around Australia and South Africa which will result in the kiwis being the favourites for their opening encounter against Sri Lanka.

For the Sri Lankans, they've got to show a whole lot more than what they showed in the series a few weeks ago against the Black Caps. You'd expect them to be a lot more polished and it's going to be interesting to see how the Black Caps counter that, as this will be the first game we really get to judge the Black Caps.

I've struggled to really judge the Black Caps in all these games that don't matter, but if the Black Caps show up and serve up the same swashbuckling dose to the Sri Lankans, then we'll know ... we'll know that they are in a good space.

Sri Lanka's bowling attack won't strike fear in to the Black Caps, but if the Black Caps aren't quite on point, they could find themselves being dismissed for between 150-250. That's the sketchy thing about this game as Sri Lanka's veteran batting unit will know that they simply have to be the main run-getters under pressure.

Sri Lanka are in an odd space because Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tilerkaratne Dilshan know that if they don't score runs, they won't win anything. But they're all good enough to accept that and deal with it ... by scoring runs.

That's why this game for me is about our bowling attack vs Sri Lanka's batting. Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Big Mitch and Daniel Vettori, that's my attack, can they either roll through Sri Lanka's top order? Or can they restrict them and protect a total of 250ish?

It's the perfect way to start the World Cup, an awesome bowling attack against the game's best batsmen. Personally, I reckon the Black Caps have too much class in all facets and should win, but ya never know.

After such an impressive run of form leading in to the World Cup, a first up loss definitely wouldn't be ideal. Not necessarily for the players and coach Mike Hesson as they'll have many opportunities to right the ship, but the public have seen this side roll through Sri Lanka over and over again, yet they can't do it when it matters?

It's high stakes, it's the World Cup. It's fucking here! C'mon the boys.

And shout out to B-Mac for the Halberg, but we don't really care about the Halbergs soooooooooooooo...

But we care about you B-Mac, so nice work.