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SYDNEY - The prospect of three more New Zealand-England tri-series matches this summer seems about as appealing as a fish milkshake to Australia's public and media.
Yesterday's three-wicket win by England in Hobart, to deal the Black Caps back-to-back losses, was given a zero-star rating by Australian scribes accustomed to their team taking all before them this summer.
"In the end, it was a shame there had to be a winner," wrote The Australian's cricket correspondent Andrew Ramsey.
"Despite its best efforts to the contrary, England eventually overcame its own shortcomings and a marginally more dreadful New Zealand to record the first win of its Australian tour -- albeit with a solitary ball to spare."
The teams meet again in Adelaide in a crucial match on Tuesday next week, after New Zealand play the hosts in Sydney on Sunday.
Ramsey wasn't expecting much better when the two sides joust again.
"Fortunately, one of the few international teams less likely (than England) to contrive a means of winning is New Zealand."
Sydney's Daily Telegraph focused on England breaking their winning drought after more than 70 days in Australia, but was also not impressed.
"After the blazing spectacles put on by Australia this summer, it was anything but entertaining at Bellerive Oval yesterday as England and New Zealand both played like they were dead scared of losing," its cricket correspondent Iain Payten wrote.
Just 6500 people turned up at Bellerive Oval, a large majority English with a smattering of New Zealand supporters.
It was 10,000 fewer than the crowd which saw Australia beat New Zealand at the same ground last Sunday.
This could well be the last tri-series New Zealand compete in, with Cricket Australia reportedly reviewing the competition which has run for almost 30 years as they question the value of having four neutral matches amid a sea of cricket for home fans.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting reportedly suggested in his recent tour diary that both touring teams play the hosts in a one-day series at either end of the summer, thus eliminating the neutral matches.
- NZPA
