KEY POINTS:
How often does a New Zealand cricket team belt an Australian side by more than 100 runs in a one-day match?
New Zealand A served notice that they aren't on tour in India for the scenery by whipping Australia A by 129 runs in the opening match of the A tri-series in Hyderabad on Monday night.
And there were interesting pointers for the New Zealand selectors out of the match, the first of six for the A side in India.
The wickets were primarily shared by international pair Mark Gillespie and Jeetan Patel, with three and four respectively as the Aussies, chasing 236 to win, were rolled for 106 in only 26.1 overs.
The batting was dominated by A captain Peter Fulton, who carried on a good run of early-season form with 75, to follow scores of 83 and 139 against Queensland en route to India.
Fulton is doing precisely what New Zealand coach John Bracewell wants to see on the A tour, in which New Zealand play a powerful India A in Hyderabad today, both India and Australia again in Chennai on Sunday and Monday before two four-day matches against the Indians at the end of the month.
Bracewell believes A tours have three prongs to them.
"They're about getting guys back into form; finding out about domestic players who have been in form, and whether they can make the next step; and looking at point of difference players," Bracewell said. "They are players who can change the structure and nature of a team."
Bracewell might have had Fulton in mind when he said that "in one or two cases" solid performances could get players back into the international frame.
Fulton had a miserable time on New Zealand's tour of England this year. He had one chance before the tests, getting 28 in a one-dayer against an McC team. Opening against Northamptonshire, he got 57 and 16 between the second and third tests, then got 2 in a one-dayer against Worcestershire before the ODI series, and a duck in a Twenty20 international against England.
He was surplus to requirements for the ODI series, which New Zealand won 3-2.
But a first-class average of 45.0 over 65 games, and an ODI average of 34.41 from 44 games suggests a batsman, at 29, who should not be written off. New Zealand showed by their insipid performances during the tests in England they can't afford to discard any batsmen lightly.
And there's another point to Fulton's good run of form - middle order pair Neil Broom and James Marshall are also showing good touch on the A trip as well.
New Zealand have three ODIs and two tests in Bangladesh next month. From there they head to Australia for a couple of tests in Brisbane and Adelaide in November, and extreme heat of a different sort.
If Fulton and company keep the runs coming, they will provide the selectors with options should those getting the soft trip to Bangladesh blow it. National selector Glenn Turner is managing the A team and will have a sharp eye on the batsmen.
