Cricket: Vettori aims to deliver in next test

New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori hopes he can take his form into the second cricket test against England next week at Lord's, where he should be called on to shoulder much of the attack.

The 20-year-old Vettori did not figure much in proceedings in the first test at Edgbaston last month when England went 1-0 up in the four-match series.

Vettori yesterday captured five for 92 off 37 overs as New Zealand came up one wicket short of beating Hampshire in their four-day match at Southampton.

Hampshire showed no inclination to chase their victory target of 321 and ended up at 227 for nine.

Vettori's long spell of bowling was the best news from the match for the tourists, with the second test starting at Lord's next Thursday.

"I just hope I can take this form into the test match because I didn't get much of a chance in the Birmingham test," Vettori said. "The wicket will be flatter at Lord's and I could have a lot more to do. I hope my batting form carries on, too."

Vettori had innings of 50 and 45 with the bat against Hampshire.

He had Hampshire against the wall with the ball after tea when he chipped out four batsmen. When they were eight down, he was unlucky not to get another wicket in the last hour's play.

"We had a couple of shouts and a few close calls didn't go our way. It was a bit frustrating," he said.

"I had a close leg-before-wicket shout when they were eight down and you know what that normally means. The umpire didn't put his finger up. We were always putting pressure on them and we were unlucky not to get a wicket.

"We gave ourselves the best chance. One or two calls could have gone our way and we would have finished it off but it wasn't to be."

Stand-in captain Dion Nash could hold his head up after making a magnificent contribution in the game, scoring 135 not out and 62, as well as producing bowling figures of seven for 39 in Hampshire's first innings.

He bowled just seven overs in the second innings yesterday and saved himself from suffering an injury with the test less than 10 days away.

"I was just a bit sore after bowling a lot of overs in the first innings," Nash said. "I didn't want to stretch myself too far with the second test match coming up and another game between now and then."

New Zealand play Sir Paul Getty's XI in a friendly one-dayer at Wormsley today before moving on to Canterbury to play Kent in a four-day fixture starting on Thursday.

They still have to solve one problem - getting runs out of the top order, and they now have injury concerns over swing bowlers Simon Doull and Shayne O'Connor. - NZPA