Cricket: Now we need the runs

Stephen Fleming switches sports during a training session at the Basin Reserve. Picture / Mark Mitchell

If anyone's wondering how much today's second test means to New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, they should direct their inquiries to New Zealand assistant coach Bob Carter.

The former Northamptonshire professional was taken within an inch of his life during a torturous net session at the Basin Reserve yesterday, providing so many throw-downs for Fleming that he nearly had to be carried away on a stretcher.

Fleming has been working feverishly on his game in an attempt to reverse a frustrating form-slump, resulting in consecutive test scores against Australia of 0, 11, 83, 3, 18 and 17, and an even bleaker run in the one-dayers.

Apart from consulting at length this week with technical adviser Ashley Ross, he must have averaged about 500 throw-downs a day from Carter, who was last seen staggering off the Basin yesterday with his right arm dragging two metres behind him.

The two coaches have each played a significant role in Fleming's success story, Carter refining his technique in his teenage years, and Ross playing a leading hand in a major reconstruction at the end of the 2000-01 tour to Australia.

Fleming said the low scores were frustrating, but added he could only work hard on his game, show trust in the processes that had worked previously and remain confident about his ability.

Yesterday's exhausting net session was just part of that.

"That's what's required," he said. "I had a disappointing start to the test series and the one-day series.

"I want to be scoring a lot more, and should be scoring a lot more than I have been.

"Part of that is putting in the hard yards so it works in the middle, simple as that."

Although he looked in impressive form up until the start of the pre-Christmas series, he has been troubled by the persistence of the Australian pace attack, and has found Glenn McGrath a particular threat, falling to him in four of the past six test innings.

Fleming believed he had become a shade uncertain "technically", which had led to indecision at the batting crease.

"It's just dealing with pressure, and when you're anxious you resort back to type, and my type for quite a few years was the tendency to lose my balance.

"I've been working hard on my balance. That's been the foundation of my success in the past two years, so getting that back will mean a lot."

Bad weather is forecast for Wellington today and New Zealand will wait until assessing the conditions this morning before naming an XI.

However, there were more signs at practice yesterday that off-spinner Paul Wiseman might be ready to step into the side, possibly at the expense of pace bowler Iain O'Brien.

Fleming confirmed Wiseman was a serious option, but conceded it would mean taking a risk in terms of adequate pace bowling options.

"Paul's bowling extremely well and he was very close to playing in the last game. We went for the safer option of three seamers in case we bowled first, and this may be the same.

"But he's in great form; he's taken 11 wickets for Canterbury so it's coming out well; he's trained well, and he's a real contender."

Australia have stuck with the same XI who launched such an impressive counter-attack in Christchurch last week, meaning Michael Kasprowicz will join McGrath and Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee will again be the waterboy.

To make matters worse for Lee, he was also left out of the New South Wales team for their Pura Cup final against Queensland at Brisbane. 
 
How they line up

New Zealand: (from) Stephen Fleming (capt), Craig Cumming, Hamish Marshall, Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Paul Wiseman, James Franklin, Chris Martin, Iain O'Brien.

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

Umpires: David Shepherd (England), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa).