KEY POINTS:
ADELAIDE - New Zealand cricket vice-captain Brendon McCullum is resigned to batting at No 7 for the home summer despite his blazing knock in a losing cause against Australia.
And he reiterated the current top-six have the talent and desire to do well at test level but the New Zealand cricketing public needed to remain patient despite the Adelaide agony.
It wasn't pretty at the Adelaide Oval yesterday as New Zealand perished against Australia by an innings and 62 runs in the second test after they could only manage 203 on a docile pitch on the fourth day.
Having farewelled the departing John Bracewell, the tourists return home for a few days' rest before reassembling with new coach Andy Moles in Dunedin for the first test against West Indies on December 11.
McCullum admitted the experiment to bat himself at No 5, which began on the winter tour to England, had been shelved for now after he offered to shift back to No 7 for the Adelaide test to accommodate an extra batsman.
"I'll be bluntly honest, it didn't work but at least it (No 5) was worth a go," McCullum said.
"I was trying to take a positive approach rather than sitting down the order trying to milk it and hopefully if we can get some platforms out of our top order, then hopefully I get some more runs."
A combative McCullum was reduced to blazing away as tailenders Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin clung on at the other end yesterday, smashing 84 not out off 134 balls, including 14 fours and two sixes.
He also copped two painful blows from speedster Brett Lee on the forearm and hand, but responded with consecutive sixes off Lee who ended with nine wickets for the match.
McCullum reiterated captain Daniel Vettori's thoughts on the underperforming top-six who slumped to 84 for six, with some loose shots against Lee yesterday.
Opener Jamie How was New Zealand's most experienced specialist batsman in Adelaide with 16 tests to his name.
"We are always pushing each other and trying to get the best out of each other, but the cold hard reality is we haven't got one experienced guy in the top-six who has churned out hundreds over their career or banked 10,000 first-class runs," McCullum said.
"This is the cream of the crop. The difference from first-class cricket back home to this sort of test cricket is not comparable, so until such time to we increase that we will have to develop players on the international scene.
"In 18-24 months or when these guys have played 20, 30, 40 test matches then you'll see them put up some decent stats."
There were four New Zealand centuries in Adelaide but all were conceded by the bowlers in Australia's first innings. McCullum's knock yesterday was New Zealand's highest individual effort over four innings against Australia.
Ross Taylor averaged 40, with a top score of 75 in Brisbane, while Daniel Flynn was next best with 29.33.
The revamped selection panel of Glenn Turner, Dion Nash and John Wright meet to pick their side for Dunedin and changes to the batting are unlikely.
Vettori said the main questions were over allrounder Jacob Oram's availability due to a cracked index finger, and whether fellow allrounder James Franklin would come in.
That would mean bad luck for recalled batsman Peter Fulton after his 29 and seven here, while Franklin's potential recall might mean paceman Tim Southee is under threat.
- NZPA
