Cricket: Drumm old enough to beat nerves

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Emily Drumm admits there will be first-day nerves when she leads the New Zealand women's cricket team against Australia in the World Cup this morning.

But these, she admits, will be different to the nerves she experienced as a teenager playing in her first cup.

"I have gone from being the baby of the team to captain," the 26-year-old said on the eve of the cup. "The jury is still out on my captaincy, but I can't worry about that.

"From a personal viewpoint, my main objective is to bat for long periods. I have to try to curb my natural [attacking] game. I'm no good back in the pavilion. At 40 overs either Debbie Hockley or I have to still be out in the middle."

In three warm-up matches against England in Timaru and Oamaru, coach Mike Shrimpton shuffled the batting order to give some of the middle and lower-order time at the crease.

Frustratingly for Drumm, those players did not take the opportunity afforded them.

Does that mean some players are still in awe of the "Hockley factor" and content to let the veteran of four previous World Cups again prop up the team?

"I'm sure there is some of that," Drumm said. "But we have tried to get the 'Deb factor' out of their thinking."

If Drumm is relatively inexperienced in leading the White Ferns, she shows a quiet determination to get the best from the players around her.

"It has been a long time together,"she said. "While the last World Cup was only three years ago, it seems like 10. So much has happened in the meantime. We have given ourselves the best possible preparation.

"We lost the 1997 World Cup final to Australia and lost again to them this year. If we had carried on in the same way we would lose again. We have worked hard to do something different. I can sense that.

"We have to try to plan our games and play to our strengths. On these tracks we know it is going to be about scoring runs. Given the number of matches, the hard wickets and outfield, we will want to rest key players - especially our quicker bowlers - when the opportunity arises."

While Drumm and Hockley bowl only sparingly in international play these days, Drumm is not discounting either as an option.

"Along with [vice-captain] Catherine Campbell, we are the most experienced players and we must do all we can to get the best from the other players.

"There should not be a big difference between batting or bowling first. If I had a choice, I suppose I would like to see the runs on the board. With a three-hour time limit, plus two drinks breaks, to bowl 50 overs, there is not a lot of time. That is something I have to be aware of.

It is a huge challenge for Drumm, but one which she is obviously relishing.

If the rest of the team are as relaxed as she appeared yesterday, she could be celebrating a winning start this evening to the CricInfo-sponsored tournament.