New Zealand left arm spinner Daniel Vettori, unwanted throughout the cricket World Cup campaign, came in from the cold with a strong performance on the opening day of the tour match against Combined Universities in Oxford.
He grabbed his first opportunity leading up to the test series against England with five for 80 from 33 overs yesterday as Universities were dismissed for 231.
At stumps, New Zealand were 56 for one in reply, with opener Matt Horne on 26 and captain Stephen Fleming yet to score.
It was a pleasing performance by Vettori, who was one of two World Cup squad members who didn't get a game during the tournament, the other being Northern Districts team-mate Simon Doull.
Doull, who also missed out on a World Cup match, captured the first wicket, but Vettori dominated the Universities innings.
One of his victims was New Zealand legspinner Greg Loveridge, caught by Horne for four.
"It was very good for batting so it was just a matter of building up dot balls against them," Vettori said. "It's good to get into a little bit of rhythm and it's a lot different from bowling in the nets."
Doull, Shayne O'Connor and part-time medium pacer Craig McMillan shared four wickets between them.
New Zealand played all four new arrivals, wicketkeeper Martyn Croy, opener Matthew Bell, swing bowler O'Connor and legspinner Brooke Walker.
New Zealand coach Steve Rixon was happy with young legspinner Walker's debut, bowling nine overs for no wickets but conceding only 29 runs.
"We're not putting any pressures on the kid," Rixon said. "We want him to get into the rhythm of things, having him around and keeping him in touring mode and getting the feel of what this level of cricket is all about."
Rixon said Walker bowled tidily on a pitch which offered little help for the slow bowlers and was "a belter" for the batsmen. "He'll be eased into situations. We're not going to ask for excessive amounts out of him at this point."
New Zealand have one other county match before the first of the tests against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham next week. They play Somerset at Taunton in a four-day game, starting next Monday. - NZPA
Cricket: Vettori turns in strong showing
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