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SYDNEY - An irked New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori admitted an extra batsman and one fewer pace bowler was now a consideration for Thursday's first cricket test after their Sydney capitulation.
Vettori's side fly to Brisbane today for a daunting date with Australia after being humbled by six wickets by a second-string New South Wales team at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.
After innings of 266 and 256 on an easy-paced pitch, New Zealand set the hosts a meagre 162 which they achieved with 12 overs to spare.
Vettori was unhappy with the batting effort - opener Jamie How's outstanding 170 aside - and said selection posers awaited him, vice-captain Brendon McCullum and coach John Bracewell.
Asked if they would take an unchanged 11 to the Gabba, Vettori said: "A couple of decisions may need to be made to try and make sure that balance is right, if we actually did have enough batting with myself at number seven.
"It's a fine line whether we'll get more out of another batsman coming in, or the fourth seamer. In the next few days we'll have a look at that wicket and go from there. "
A lineup of four pacemen - Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien and Tim Southee - appeared the logical choice on a pace-friendly Gabba pitch, but injured allrounder Jacob Oram's absence has noticeably weakened the batting.
Batsman Peter Fulton, who arrives in Brisbane today with backup gloveman Gareth Hopkins, could slot in to give the batting more depth.
In that case Southee would be most likely to drop out, leaving four frontline bowlers including Vettori, and backup from fit-again allrounder Jesse Ryder who has 41 first-class wickets at 26.34.
Accomplished batsman Hopkins could also replace a bowler and take the gloves, if McCullum's troublesome back is seen as a risk and he plays as a batsman only.
In any case, Vettori said the batting effort at the SCG was unacceptable as they eye a pace attack of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and either Mitchell Johnson or Shane Watson.
"Particularly when a guy gets 170 on the first day and rest of us can only manage just under 100.
"We know to compete with Australia we've got to put at least 350 on the board in the first innings and take our chances from there. If we've got any chance in Brisbane that's what we have to do."
Vettori, who topscored with 73 in New Zealand's second innings, was largely happy with the bowling which was offset by five dropped catches in the NSW first innings of 361.
Martin was the pick, with five for 88 off 35 overs for the match to show his readiness after missing the Bangladesh tour with a hamstring strain.
But there weren't too many positives for Vettori as NSW completed their third consecutive win over a New Zealand touring team after 1997 and 2004.
"Obviously Jamie's innings, that was one of the best first-class innings I've seen. He'll go into the test with some confidence.
"Chris Martin started to hit his stride near the end and bowled particularly well... there are probably some others..."
The result left little doubt over who would be hot favourites for the two-test series, despite some perceived vulnerabilities in the Australian lineup after their 0-2 loss in India,
"Australia's the No 1 team in the world and we're No 7, so we've got far more to prove than they have," Vettori said.
- NZPA
