Cricket: Fleming looking for upset

Stephen Fleming wouldn't half mind if his team could replicate their deeds from four years ago, when they took Australia within a blind umpire of an upset series result at Perth.

The New Zealand captain brought the 2001 nailbiter back to life yesterday as he spoke of his team's desire to snatch an opportunity in the third and final test against Australia, starting this morning at Eden Park.

Already 1-nil down, New Zealand are in the unlikely position of still being able to square the three-match series over the next five days, a result that would almost defy belief after their performance this summer.

New Zealand were completely outplayed in the one-day series, savaged in the first test at Christchurch, and were only saved from further humiliation in the second by, of all things, Wellington fog.

Fleming said the lucky escape meant his side had an unexpected but welcome chance to prick Australia's bubble.

"This is a one-off opportunity for us to win a test against Australia, and draw the series, and to finish the tour on a high," he said.

"It's been tough playing these guys over a long period of time but when it comes down to a one-off game, you fancy your chances more because of the nature of it."

His comments brought to mind New Zealand's effort in the third test at Perth in late 2001, when they would have won but for some dreadful howlers from Zimbabwean umpire Ian Robinson.

That was the tour when New Zealand were completely outplayed in the first two tests, saved by the weather on both occasions, and then rolled up to Perth with the chance to steal the home side's thunder.

For all that, Fleming's side will start today's match partly on the run after being smashed for the past few weeks, the resulting carnage prompting changes in both personnel and position.

Craig McMillan's axing allowed room for coach John Bracewell to bring in debutant James Marshall, and to drop Fleming down the order to No 4 - where he believes his best batsman will be better protected.

Marshall, the identical twin of No 3 batsman Hamish, will open the innings instead, in what will be the first occasion of identical, rather than fraternal twins, playing in the same test side.

Fleming, who has fallen cheaply in all four innings of the series, said he could see the logic behind his positional shift, and doubted he would return to the opening role again.

"It doesn't mean you've got a hundred beside your name batting at No 4 - the same challenges will apply," he said. "I'm pretty sure McGrath will come on as soon I walk to the wicket. I don't really see anything different in the degree of difficulty."

New Zealand were undecided on their eleven last night because of the wet weather, which was causing Bracewell and Fleming to defer any thoughts of playing both off-spinner Paul Wiseman and left-armer Daniel Vettori.

Wiseman has been omitted from the twelve in the previous two tests, while Vettori just needs four more wickets to become the third New Zealander (after Sir Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns), to take 200 wickets.

On the other hand, Australia had no compunction in naming an unchanged line-up, with Brett Lee again left on the outer as the selectors continue to reward the efforts of the incumbent bowling attack.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting yesterday hailed the performance of his bowlers, saying his tactical assignment as skipper had been made much more straightforward by their standard of excellence.

"You can have as many plans and tactics as you like, but unless the bowlers can deliver them for you then it doesn't matter what you come up with," he said.

"That's where I'm lucky I guess. I can go up to the bowlers and more or less tell them what to do and how I think we can get this guy out and set fields accordingly. Then they just come in and do it for me."

* The Sri Lankan team arrived for their rescheduled two-test tour of New Zealand yesterday, taking little comfort from the home side's struggles against Australia.

Captain Marvan Atapattu and coach John Dyson led a 14-man squad into New Zealand for the first time since their original tour was postponed after the first one-day international because of the Boxing Day tsunami.

Sri Lanka have one three-day warm-up game against a Craig McMillan-captained Major Associations XI at Christchurch's Village Green starting on Monday, before the first test starts in Napier on April 4.

Eden Park, live on SS1 and Prime from 10.30am

THE TEAMS

New Zealand (one to be omitted): Stephen Fleming (c), Craig Cumming, James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Paul Wiseman, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath.