Cricket: NZ batsmen have good workout

New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill. File photo / Mark Mitchell

Mission accomplished for New Zealand's batsmen in the second Australian tour match in Canberra yesterday.

After the bowlers had their workout against the Chairman's XI a day earlier, as the hosts made 325 for four declared, New Zealand reached 368 for eight before the two-dayer ended.

The fall of wickets is misleading; six New Zealand batsmen retired out, having got decent runs and had a good sighter against a handy, if far from stellar, bowling attack.

The two batsmen to miss out were opener Martin Guptill and senior player Ross Taylor. Guptill, who has been in good form, including making 90 against the Prime Minister's XI on Friday, made a duck, lasting nine balls, bowled by seamer Billy Stanlake.

Taylor, who made a duck on Friday, got to 16 off 36 balls before being caught behind by wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman off left armer Jason Behrendorff.

The best batting of the day came from opener Hamish Rutherford and Kane Williamson, who shared a 101-run stand for the second wicket, Williamson making 68 off 80 balls, Rutherford a more sedate 41 off 59.

Captain Brendon McCullum and wicketkeeper BJ Watling then put on 99 for the fifth wicket.

McCullum used his now-standard assertive methods, getting his 58 off 49 balls, while Watling made 41.

There was time for offspinner Mark Craig to demonstrate his highly useful lower order batting talents with a run-a-ball 60 before the end.

New Zealand have now completed three days cricket in Australia and the tour is about to get more serious.

They start a four-dayer against a Cricket Australia XI in Sydney on Thursday, which is their final leadup game to the opening test against Australia, starting at the Gabba in Brisbane on November 5.