KEY POINTS:
Jacob Oram was considered as a specialist batsman before being pulled from this morning's World Cup match against Australia.
Oram was rested from the match on the basis of a nagging bruised heel and the need to ensure he would be fully fit for the semifinal showdown against Sri Lanka in Jamaica on Wednesday.
Coach John Bracewell said that while it wasn't a great concern for the team, it wasn't worth the risk of playing Oram when so much was riding on the next match, and when New Zealand had so many other useful options.
"It's no more a concern for us than it is for Sri Lanka with Lasith Malinga. We talked about it with Jake, in terms of playing him possibly as a batter only, but we didn't want to weaken the balance of the side by going in with a bowler short.
"It also gives us the ideal opportunity to feature all of our bowlers going into the semifinal as well. One of the reasons he isn't playing is precautionary, so he doesn't suffer any further damage."
The absence of Oram also meant Bracewell was hoping to make more of James Franklin's batting worth, given the talented all-rounder had demonstrated a useful run-scoring potential down the order at No 9.
"James is looking forward to the challenge. He's batted well for quite some time, it's nothing new for him to be batting in the middle order at any level. It's a great opportunity for us and it's also got long-term benefits because he's a genuine all-rounder."
Although little was riding on this morning's result because of the huge difference in run-rate, Bracewell still had his special reasons for wanting to lord it over the Aussies once more, following New Zealand's 3-0 win at home.
"If we end up second, we get preferential treatment in terms of receiving the early morning practice. The choice would be ours and we want to practise first in the morning, because it gives us a longer rest time after a travel day on Sunday."
Meanwhile, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has noticed New Zealand's more confident approach to the World Cup, particularly Stephen Fleming's comment yesterday that the Kiwis in an ideal world would like to beat Australia in the final.
"I've regarded them as a very good one-day team for a number of years now," Ponting said. "They deserve to be able to talk the way they are talking at the moment."
