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NORTHAMPTON - New Zealand's cricketers headed to Nottingham armed with renewed confidence they can square the test series as debate looms over the makeup of their top-six.
The tourists made the one-hour bus trip up the M1 immediately after their draw with Northamptonshire, with Ross Taylor's rollicking 150 dominating the third and final day at Wantege Road.
Another top-order batting collapse to 54 for four in their second innings was the lowlight, but stand-in captain Brendon McCullum was adamant they remained in high spirits.
"To be able to put ourselves in the position where we should have won the second test is something, heading into the test, we may not have wholeheartedly believed," McCullum said.
"To do that, and come out here and put on a performance like we have, in terms of the clinical batting we showed at times, was pretty good."
Taylor's 154-ball knock, including 17 fours and six sixes, led New Zealand to 317 for seven in their second innings and the hosts, missing more than half their frontline side, ended 85 for two after being set an unlikely 467 to win.
Still, a consistent effort from the top-six remains New Zealand's concern as they look to avenge their six-wicket defeat in Manchester when the third test starts on Thursday.
McCullum and fellow tour selectors John Bracewell and Daniel Vettori will choose their side with Peter Fulton the main discussion point.
Coach Bracewell last week inferred he wanted to keep faith with the top-six despite the Manchester defeat, but No 3 James Marshall's struggles mean his place will be examined.
Since his 128 against Essex a month ago, Marshall scored 12 in the second innings at Chelmsford, 10 and 15 against England A, 52 runs in four test innings then 11 and two at Northampton.
McCullum said batting changes wouldn't be made lightly.
"James scored a brilliant hundred in trying conditions against Essex and I don't think you can discount those sorts of contributions in tour games."
But Fulton made a strong case here, McCullum said, after stroking his way to 57 in the first innings then being brilliantly caught in the gully for 16.
"On the form he showed in that first innings you'd be a fool not to consider him, but in what capacity, I'm not sure."
After a torrid time since his Old Trafford dental drama, Daniel Flynn is the other batsman under the microscope.
Flynn had his fourth bout of surgery on Saturday to clean up the bottom tooth which had a nerve removed, and faced just 12 deliveries in two innings at Northampton.
But with players and management talking up the 23-year-old's durability, his test place appears secure unless he displays any further after-effects from the James Anderson bouncer.
"I'm judging it on face value, and from my perspective he's a tough little character and he was certainly pretty keen to get out there, even at Old Trafford," McCullum said.
"I'm sure that the confidence issue won't affect him too much. He's got another few days to work things through in the nets and continue to build that confidence for himself."
The bowling attack appears settled, with Iain O'Brien looking likely to be the unlucky one despite his gutsy efforts into the wind at Old Trafford.
Tim Southee and Kyle Mills snared six and four wickets apiece at Northampton, with both generating welcome swing and Mills showing some hostility as swing-friendly Trent Bridge looms.
"(Southee) was allowed to bowl as well as what he did by the way Kyle Mills set it up for him," McCullum said.
"We talked about bowling in partnerships leading into this game and not just trying to push for test selection."
- NZPA
