Cricket: NZ eager for early warm up

Batting coach Craig McMillan (left) talked of a sense of excitement heading to history that is the inaugural day-night test. photo / Warren Buckland

The opposition may be lightweight and it's not the ideal venue, but New Zealand are relishing the chance for some pink ball work when they play a Western Australian XI at the Waca over the next two days.

The first day-night pink ball test starts in Adelaide next Friday and a leadup game there rather than in Perth made more sense. The lights are inferior at Perth and the ground conditions are certainly different from what they'll face in Adelaide.

The problem with the preferred scenario was insufficient time to get the test pitch ready while playing a game on an adjoining pitch.

Plus ageing Australian rockers AC/DC have a concert on the oval tonight. Ground repair work is needed on the oval to ensure it isn't a highway to hell after that.

"All our preparation over the next week is going to be important, not only the two days here," batting coach Craig McMillan said.

"You can do all the training you want in the nets but nothing replicates being out in the middle, whether it's a first-class game or a two-day game. We'll have a couple of days training in Adelaide, see the ... stadium and we'll be ready."

All New Zealand players will take part in the two-dayer. They've had three days off, apart from some gym sessions. Sore bodies and tired minds called for a break, which McMillan reckons has had a refreshing effect.

McMillan talked of a sense of excitement heading to history that is the inaugural day-night test. There are no pre-conceptions about what to expect.

"We're heading into it with our eyes open. There will be difficult times throughout the test, as there are in any test. We'll just deal with whatever is thrown at us."

The West Australian XI has been shorn of leading players with Adam Voges, and brothers Mitchell and Shaun Marsh in the Australian test squad.

The most promising of the side are batsman Will Bosisto, who hit his maiden first-lass century against Victoria this week; highly rated sharp left armer Joel Paris, who's yet to play a first-class game but is on a list of seven fast bowlers identified by Cricket Australia's national academy officials as future test players; and Yorkshire-born batsman Sam Whiteman who is rated in the group of test middle order contenders below the incumbents.