Cricket: Vettori wary of ODI challenge

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

NAPIER - New Zealand's thrilling Twenty20 win this week was one thing; carrying on the good work in the ODI form is the next challenge, starting in Napier today.

Dan Vettori, while acknowledging there is a good feeling among his players, quipped that he was having a dose of "personal captaincy paranoia" over whether there might be a down side from the emotional high of the exhilarating eliminator over victory in Christchurch on Sunday.

"We're trying to address that and make sure the guys take the good things out of the last game but realising there's a number of things we can get better at," he said yesterday.

"It's a horrible cycle that you go through, the highs and lows, and you just want the guys to ... work hard and prepare the same way."

Which sounds suspiciously like a variation on the old line about keeping one's feet firmly planted on terra firma.

New Zealand's ODI record against Australia recently is good. They drew the last series 2-2 in Australia a year ago, and have won the last four on home turf, so they should be confident.

Australia have been in rich form this summer and can point to 20 straight wins across the international forms of the game before Sunday.

They'll doubtless look at that defeat as a blip rather than something to have had them heading for a couch in a darkened room.

"It means a lot to us and it's basically our credibility within world cricket," Vettori said.

"If we can step up against these guys and play well and win, then people will respect us as a team. If we roll over, then our summer's been a disappointment."

Rival captain Ricky Ponting looked fresh and sprightly yesterday, having arrived after a short break with four other teammates to bolster the squad.

He averages 48.51 from 45 ODIs against New Zealand - five runs up on his overall mark from 340 games - and reckons he's in good nick.

"Generally when I've had a break I've come back and played pretty well. The break probably came at the wrong time because I'm finally getting into some good touch again," he said.

Ponting knows his team's form has been outstanding but gave New Zealand their due.

"The last few series against New Zealand have been good ones so both teams will be up for it," he said.

"We know we have to give the Kiwis a lot of attention because they are a very good one-day outfit and they have some match winners in their side as you saw the other night."

Ponting confirmed there had been some talk within his squad about Brendon McCullum's supercharged 116 not out off 56 balls in Christchurch, but he suspects the New Zealand opener would be more restrained in the 50-over version, putting the runs versus balls factor, plus the extravagant shot making, down to the format.

"He'll feel a bit more responsibility being one of their more experienced players and batters in the best form, so he'll put it on himself to bat for longer periods of time."

Vettori confirmed that the same top six from the last ODI against Bangladesh in Christchurch will get first dibs in this series.

Allied to the dangers an offspinner can face on a ground with short boundaries square of the pitch, that means Scott Styris and Nathan McCullum are likely to sit the game out.

Expect plenty of runs today, with a minimum of 300 appearing a par score. McLean Park's reputation as the batsmans' friend remains firmly intact.