Cricket: If you hang on until days four and five, you can beat Australia

By RICHARD BOOCK

From the files of the strange but true: New Zealand believe they can extend Australia on the fourth and fifth days of the upcoming test matches - provided they are not annihilated within the first three.

The New Zealand squad leave for Australia on Friday as clear underdogs, having not beaten the world champions in a test since 1993 and having been whitewashed by Steve Waugh's men two seasons ago.

The rationale in the New Zealand camp, initially raised by captain Stephen Fleming and again by coach Denis Aberhart yesterday, is that the key to beating Australia is weathering their initial onslaught and then hanging on for grim death for as long as possible.

The theory is that Australia are so keen for the sprint that they have become unfamiliar with the distance race, and are therefore more vulnerable late in the contest.

Like a big-punching boxer, they decked England inside four days in the first two tests of the Ashes series and knocked them out inside three at Trent Bridge. But for the Leeds weather, the pattern might have continued.

Aberhart said yesterday that he was convinced his team could compete with Australia if they fought hard and ensured they were still in the game at the halfway point.

"No one is unbeatable," he said. "From what I've seen, it's going to be important for us to scrap every inch of the way and to take Australia into a part of the game they don't see very often - the fourth and fifth days.

"The way it's been going, they've been playing a very attacking brand of cricket and must be getting used to beating people pretty comfortably. We just think that if you can apply some pressure and hang in there long enough, you stand a better chance."

Australia's most recent series loss was against India this year, and the fact that the opposition challenge was spearheaded by two outstanding individual performances has not been lost on Aberhart. India snatched a thrilling series win after sublime efforts from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman VVS Laxman, and England's surprise win at Headingley was similarly influenced by the deeds of left-hander Mark Butcher.

"There needs to be a huge collective effort from the side to extend the match as much as possible. But there also needs to be some individual brilliance if you're hoping to beat a side as good as Australia.

"In that regard, it's encouraging to be heading over there with our full-strength squad, because I think that whenever New Zealand have everyone available they're a highly competitive unit."

For the first time since Boxing Day 1999, the New Zealand selectors have been able to include the highly influential trio of Chris Cairns, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori in their squad, something Aberhart said would make the upcoming series a fascinating contest.

"I know they're all looking forward to it - they all want to be judged against the best team in the world."