Cricket: Spearhead Allott gives edge to Kiwi attack

By Richard Boock

CARDIFF - There is a new edge to this New Zealand cricket team at the moment, and it seems to have a lot to do with a bloke who answers, a touch incongruously perhaps, to the nickname "GQ."

Incongruous, because Geoff Allott is probably the last person at this World Cup you would associate with the fashion periodical (even though a certain New Zealand wicketkeeper probably subscribes to it), and for some time thought his team-mates had simply got his initials wrong.

Not at all one of our most fashionable players, the left-arm paceman earned the handle after another one of those promotional shoots this year, which in case anyone has forgotten, was the same year in which he set world records for the longest time without scoring a run in a test (101 minutes), and the highest bowling average in a three-test series (240.00)

He had been long heralded for his pace, and equally hammered for his lack of variation, and there were quite a few - me included -- who had already filed his name in the drawer labelled "eminently smashable."

But everyone deserves their dues.

As it turns out, when New Zealand square off in their Group B showdown against Australia tonight, Allott will carry the reputation of a genuine spearhead after impressing English observers against Bangladesh on Tuesday with a direct and sharpish opening spell.

And while it might seem in direct contrast to reports previously dispatched this year, his in-swinger has ceased to be a myth and is now as real as Roger Twose's goatie - as both Bangladesh openers discovered to their cost the other day at Chelmsford.

This one variation on his usual slanting stuff has the potential to transform the 27-year-old Cantabrian from mediocre to decidedly useful, and it is testimony to his progress that he is now one of the first players chosen in the final XI.

His role is to make a pre-emptive strike on the opposition's top-order batting, where explosive elements like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya, and in the case of Australia, the mercurial Adam Gilchrist, are preparing to wreak their particular brand of havoc.

New Zealand were not all together convincing in their opening pool match, particularly as far as the batting was concerned, but are again likely to be favoured by a slow and low pitch at the Sophia Gardens, where the Glamorgan County side are based.

This will tempt coach Steve Rixon and captain Stephen Fleming to leave their spin-bowler Daniel Vettori out of the final mix again, and they might feel they have little option anyway, given Gavin Larsen's man-of-the-match effort against Bangladesh and Twose's unbeaten 30.

There are pros and cons to every game, and while the Kiwis' win at Chelmsford was emphatic, their batting was quite the opposite and will require far more composure if they are to make an impression on the Australian attack.

Contrary to popular belief, while New Zealand's bowlers might enjoy bowling on these sluggish May pitches, their batsmen certainly do not enjoy batting on them, and no one looked completely convincing during the chase on a featherbed pitch in the first match.

Australia, meanwhile, were hardly in classic form themselves while subduing Scotland by six wickets in their opening match at Worcester.

Apart from anything else, the Australians were untypically lax in the field, missing three catches and a string of run-outs, to the extent that disappointed coach Geoff Marsh said: "I don't think it could get any worse."

It might be tricky trying to forecast the weather over here - and Cardiff is likely to see the occasional shower - but it is perfectly safe to forecast a backlash from the Australians.

As Shane Warne said yesterday: "Everything starts getting a lot harder from now on ..."

New Zealand (likely): Stephen Fleming (captain), Matt Horne, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Roger Twose, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, Dion Nash, Gavin Larsen, Geoff Allott, Daniel Vettori.

Australia (from): Steve Waugh (captain), Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody, Michael Bevan, Shane Lee, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, Glenn McGrath, Paul Reiffel, Brendon Julian, Adam Dale.