Cricket: NZ going from strength to strength - Rixon

By Terry Maddaford

Steve Rixon simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

On a day when the New Zealand women's cricket team beat Australia in the first Shell Rosebowl one-day international and the Dayle Hadlee-coached under-19 men's side thumped England by an innings and 11 runs, the New Zealand Black Caps were brought down to earth by tying with the Little Caps in a Birkenhead backyard.

The game, played between the New Zealand team a day after their Eden Park triumph, and the Wadsworth Family Xl as their reward for winning a competition promoted by cricket supporters State Insurance, was a light-hearted diversion.

Today it will be back to business as the build-up towards the first test gains momentum.

Tomorrow the New Zealand team, without Matt Hart, who will turn out for Northern Districts against South Africa in the three-day game starting this morning in Hamilton, will begin a two-day practice match against an Auckland Xl on Eden Park's outer oval.

The Auckland team will not be finalised until later today but it seems new-ball bowler Jonathan Lintott will switch camps to bowl for the national side to give left-armer Geoff Allott and captain Dion Nash some respite.

It has already been agreed between the two camps that the New Zealand team will bat tomorrow and have a bowl on Wednesday.

"We have to be careful, even a little cautious," said Black Caps coach Rixon.

"We have to look after these guys. We want them to be fit for this series - but still playing in a couple of years time.

"But this is a full-on practice match and we want the best opposition - bowling and batting - against us."

It seems most unlikely that Bryan Young will play, however, as he returned from Auckland's Shell Trophy loss to Central Districts in Masterton still suffering from a virus which had him feeling ill.

There are also doubts over Blair Pocock and Brooke Walker for the match at Eden Park but Rixon hopes both will play.

Rixon is unlikely to see much of the match, however, as he intends to go to Hamilton with selection panel convener Ross Dykes to have a look at Hart and, no doubt, the South Africans.

"We are going from strength to strength," said Rixon reflecting on the one-day win over South Africa.

"And individually, the players are starting to see the daylight."