KEY POINTS:
Don't expect Stephen Fleming to automatically play second-fiddle to opening partner Brendon McCullum when the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka begins this afternoon.
McCullum's bright but brief pyrotechnics at the top of the order have been a feature of New Zealand's experimentation this summer - but Fleming said his partner's need for speed wasn't set in stone.
"I don't want to underplay my own ability to create a strike-rate," said Fleming, who returns from a three-game layoff to take over the captaincy from understudy Daniel Vettori.
"Sometimes I find myself in a position where I'm tempted to turn over the strike for Nathan [Astle] or Brendon [McCullum] in a way that probably sells my potential a bit short.
"I've got to make sure that if it's my day, I can seize it and that Brendon is the one who adapts. He's not solely in charge of creating the strike-rate; I've got to make sure I do my share."
McCullum, who started his ODI career as an opener in the 2001 tri-series against Australia and South Africa, seems likely to come full circle tomorrow week when he opens in the first tri-series clash at Hobart.
Fleming said the difficulty for the talented keeper-batsman was to recognise his options at the start of the innings and accept that sometimes he'd need to adjust his game-plan on the hoof, and let someone else take the lead. "He probably doesn't feel that he can rein in his game at this point and, speaking from experience, that's all part of learning your role as opening batsman," Fleming said.
"You have to understand the emotions involved with hitting the ball to, and over, the boundary; and that creating that strike-rate often comes at a price. Finding a balance takes a bit of time but the selectors are aware of this and will give him that."
Whereas coach John Bracewell is pinpointing the development of an end-of-innings specialist as one of his key priorities, Fleming ranks the need for a consistently productive top-order as his biggest aim.
New Zealand never recovered from last year's collapse in the Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia, and have proved little better in the five day format - suffering calamities against South Africa and Sri Lanka.
"We need substance at the top, full-stop," said Fleming. "The nature of the one-day game means the onus isn't necessarily on the opening pair but on the quality of our top five. But our trend has been to lose too many wickets at the top and leave the Franklins and the Marshalls to do the hard work when really they're there to finish an innings, not create one."
New Zealand caused a stir the last time they contested Australia's annual one-day tri-series, knocking out the home side after a controversial loss in their final preliminary game against South Africa, before being beaten 2-0 in the finals by Shaun Pollock's side.
"What we've got in Australia is a pretty important tournament," he said. "It's one I'd love to win. It would give us a pretty big boost heading into the Chappell-Hadlees and then the World Cup.
"So there's a lot of focus being put on winning this series against Sri Lanka, then giving our full concentration to Australia."
Fourth ODI
Eden Park, Auckland, live Sky Sport 1 from 1.30pm
New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (c), Andre Adams, Shane Bond, Peter Fulton, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Hamish Marshall, Michael Mason, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Jeetan Patel, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori.
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (c), Marvan Atapattu, Malinga Bandara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ruchira Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Upal Tharanga, Chaminda Vaas.
