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LONDON - Jacob Oram is confident of playing a full part in the fourth one-day cricket international tomorrow as a rejuvenated New Zealand eye their first series advantage of a trying tour of England.
The New Zealand allrounder got through a solid training session in warm sunshine at The Oval in south London today, including two bowling spells in the nets, and declared himself ready to return from a hamstring strain.
"At the moment it feels fine. I'll have another bowl at training tomorrow to make sure 24 hours later it's shaped up okay (but) at this stage I'm really confident of playing," he said.
"I bowled a good couple of spells at pretty much my highest intensity. If I wake up fine tomorrow then I'll be putting my hand up to bowl on Wednesday."
Oram strained his left hamstring when he took off to chase a ball during warmups less than an hour before the Twenty20 international in Manchester 10 days ago.
He said his regular battles with injury were providing some mirth among the team - "I get the piss taken out of me a little bit" - but there wasn't much humour in receiving wakeup calls at 2am, 4am and 6am from medical staff to ice the injury in the ensuing days.
At least, Oram said, he was becoming an expert in the art of recovery and positive thinking.
"Unfortunately, I've got used to knowing how to rehab. I could probably write a book now on looking after yourself.
"It's not something that I really want to hang my hat on but unfortunately I'm pretty used to it.
"A lot of the time it's more mental than physical but I've managed to keep myself up and amused looking forward to these games."
Since his one-day debut against Zimbabwe in January, 2001, Oram has played 115 matches but missed another 66 for various reasons.
He had targeted a comeback as a batsman only in last Saturday's third one-dayer in Bristol but, after a fitness test on the eve of the match, it was deemed too big a risk.
Luckily for Oram and his New Zealand teammates, their matchwinner returns with the side in their best frame of mind on their two-month tour with the series poised 1-1 with two matches to play.
Inspired by man-of-the-match Kyle Mills and recent debutants Tim Southee and Grant Elliott, who only got his chance because of Oram's injury, New Zealand somehow defended 182 to beat England by 22 runs in Bristol.
Oram described the performance as "one of our better wins I can remember for a long time".
"The win was full of character and fight, and after the six or seven weeks leading up to that which has been very tough, you could sense this was something more than just a normal one-day win.
"The guys were up a level in happiness and satisfaction in the changing room and that is carrying over. We had a day off to recover then a long hard training today, and you sense the energy and the desire's still there.
"If we don't win here in London and we lose 3-1 we won't be remembered for one win in Bristol, so we have to knock it off here."
Oram's return will likely be at the expense of wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, assuming Brendon McCullum's ongoing back problems allow him to take the gloves.
New Zealand have played just four one-dayers against test-playing nations at The Oval and lost them all, against West Indies in 1975, England in 1983 and 1990, and Australia, who eliminated them from the 2004 Champions Trophy.
- NZPA
