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NORTHAMPTON - The forgotten batsman of New Zealand cricket, Peter Fulton, insists the tourists' confidence has only increased despite their second test defeat to England.
Fulton has been named to open with Aaron Redmond in the three-day match against Northamptonshire, scheduled to start tonight (NZ time), for just his second innings of the tour.
He watched from the sidelines and fielded as a substitute during the gut-wrenching six-wicket loss in the second test in Manchester.
While the defeat pained the tourists after they wasted a dominant first innings position, Fulton felt the opening two days were significant as they eye a series-levelling win in the third test at Trent Bridge starting next Thursday.
"In a funny sort of way it's almost helped our confidence," Fulton said.
"It seems a strange thing to say, the fact we dominated the game for so long, just that last day we let it slip.
"It's shown the guys that we are as good as them and for all that's written in the papers and on TV, we have got a good side and if we can put them under pressure there's no reason why we can't tip them over in the third test."
While the tall right-hander was upbeat about the side's chances of saving face next week, he was not as buoyant about his own form after a prolonged net session at Northampton's County Ground.
Fulton has not batted on tour since his 28 in the opening one-day match at Arundel on April 25, apart from a brief innings of four for his old club, Lytham, in the Liverpool league last weekend.
His chance for an innings against Kent at Canterbury was thwarted by rain and he has not been selected since, as James Marshall was given an extended run in the No 3 spot.
"It's pretty frustrating, you tend to over-analyse things. Because the nets are your only chance to have a bat I guess you seek the perfect net.
"So if things don't go the way you want them to you get a little bit disheartened."
That eased a fraction in the past few days, with Fulton aware he has an outside chance of playing the third test.
A lot depends on Daniel Flynn's recovery from a nasty head knock on the opening day of the second test, or whether Fulton clearly outperforms Marshall in the match against Northamptonshire.
Fulton described it as a hollow feeling watching the second test slip away when he could not contribute, but it meant the aftermath was not as devastating on a personal level.
"If you're not involved in a game you can't experience the same lows and you can't experience the same highs.
"If we'd won I would have been delighted but it doesn't mean as much if you're not actually involved. Anyone who says it does is probably fibbing a bit."
The past six months has been a tough period in his international career spanning seven tests and 43 one-day internationals.
Dogged by a knee tendon injury which finally healed in March, he played only a fleeting part in the international summer at home and his last test was against Bangladesh in January.
He still averaged better than 40 for Canterbury, and the signs his luck was changing came with misfortune to others.
With opener Jesse Ryder ruled out of next month's one-day series, Fulton won his spot, and now the uncertainty over Flynn offered more hope.
But it's a tough ask to hit the ground running.
"There's a bit of mental stuff that goes with it. It's a chicken and egg situation, I've got to tell myself to be confident but in saying that the confidence won't come until I've hopefully got to 20 or 30."
- NZPA
