Cricket: Butler sees his chance

Ian Butler will hope to serve up some delights tomorrow. Photo / Getty Images

Ian Butler is likely to be the only change for New Zealand as they look to maintain their stranglehold over Bangladesh in the second one-day international in Dunedin tomorrow.

Butler sat out the first ODI in Napier on Friday night, won by New Zealand by 146 runs, but coach Mark Greatbatch said he was a likely starter to play in front of his home crowd at the University Oval.

Greatbatch didn't say who would be omitted at Butler's expense but it would make sense to give newcomer Andy McKay another run, given his recent elevation to the Black Caps.

McKay made a decent start to his international career, taking 2-40 off eight overs as well as an excellent catch, and clocked 146km/h in his seventh over.

"Andy McKay had a really good debut," Greatbatch said on the Black Caps' arrival in Dunedin yesterday.

"He showed good pace and came in when we were under the pump. So he was under more pressure but soaked that up and bowled mid-140s [km/h].

"He showed what we have been seeing in domestic cricket and transferred it. He may get another opportunity in the next couple of games... Ian Butler may come in and that might mean a rest for one of the bowlers."

Greatbatch said his bowlers were too short in Napier and wanted them to employ a fuller length in Dunedin to force Bangladesh to hit down the ground and give themselves more chance of taking wickets.

The visitors put on an opening stand of 71 in a little over 10 overs before collapsing.

Butler played in the first of three one-day internationals against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates as well as both Twenty20 matches there.

But he missed out on the Twenty20 international against Bangladesh last week as well as Friday's first one-dayer.

The 28-year-old has played 24 one-day internationals since making his debut in 2002 and has taken 25 wickets at 37.48 at an economy rate of 5.61. The hard-hitting lower-order batsman averages 8.87 in 12 innings with the willow.

The make-up of the New Zealand XI should matter little against Bangladesh. The Black Caps have been far superior in both matches so far, although Bangladesh made bright starts with both bat and ball.

Greatbatch has asked his players to maintain their ruthlessness, especially with the Chappell-Hadlee series coming up against Australia.

"Every game we go out there, we want to win and we have a chance to play well in Dunedin," he said. "If we can play as well as that [in Napier] and improve in one or two areas, that's got to the stage of being ruthless.

"I think against any team, if we can play that well - positively, fearlessly - it doesn't matter who we play. As long as we execute, we perform.

"Bangladesh put us under pressure for 20 overs batting and bowling but we soaked that up. We are going to have to make the intensity ourselves a bit. But it's about what we can do well."

Along with McKay, opening batsman Peter Ingram made a fine start to his ODI career, hitting 69 from 74 balls and sharing a promising stand of 98 with Ross Taylor after New Zealand found themselves 19 for 2. Neil Broom also played a good innings of 71, his first 50 in 17 one dayers.

"Neil was exceptional," Greatbatch said, "because it was quite a mature knock for a guy who hasn't had a lot of success in one-day cricket. He batted through that [difficult] period and batted well with the captain [Daniel Vettori] and pushed on."

Meanwhile, the real Jacob Oram appeared to be back. In the past 18 months, a poor imitation of the Oram who regularly plundered the world's best bowling attacks has been wearing a Black Caps uniform.

On Friday night the 31-year-old smacked 83 from just 40 deliveries against an admittedly tame Bangladesh. He hit his 12th ODI 50 in just 28 balls and then accelerated as he took advantage of the five-over batting power play.

He hit eight fours and five sixes during a record seventh wicket partnership against all countries of 123 from 67 balls with Neil Broom (71).

Sometimes it takes just one innings, even one shot, for a player to get back in form. It's hoped Oram has done just that.

"A lot of credit has to go to Dan and Neil and the way they rebuilt the innings after we were 135 for five," man-of-the-match Oram said after the match. " It's been a while since I struck the ball like that."

We know. His last innings of any great note before Friday night was the 75 he scored against Bangladesh in Dhaka 16 months ago.

If that doesn't really count, then you have to search through the records back to the 88 Oram blasted against England at Eden Park in February 2008.

He scored an anaemic 108 runs in 10 innings at an average of 12 and a high score of 33 not out between October 2008 and last Friday.

"I thought Jacob Oram's performance, particularly his batting, was exceptional," Greatbatch said.

"He has been a bit frustrated with results but [on Friday] we saw a guy who, if we can get him back to where he was 12-18 months ago, is going to be a big help to this side."