Cricket: Zimbabwe promise genuine fight

By RICHARD BOOCK

The tourists' coach, Carl Rackemann, dismisses what he calls a condescending attitude to his team on the eve of the first cricket test at the Basin Reserve.

As Boxing Day cricket tests go, this one has all the makings of a classic pillow-fight.

In one corner stand a New Zealand side with a barely recognisable bowling attack, and in the other stand an equally depleted Zimbabwean team who have just lost one of their best batsmen.

At the same time that Australia square off against the West Indies at Melbourne, and South Africa take on Sri Lanka at Durban, Zimbabwe will try to win their first test against New Zealand, without the assistance of veteran batsman Grant Flower, who broke his hand during the tour match in Christchurch.

While New Zealand have been making all the noise about weakened combinations, Zimbabwe have suffered just as much misfortune in recent times, losing Neil Johnston and Murray Goodwin to defections, and legspinner Paul Strang to injury before Flower's mishap.

Left-arm seamer Bryan Strang joined the walking wounded after injuring his back on Thursday, and Dirk Viljoen broke his left little finger while fielding.

On top of that, tour captain Heath Streak and seasoned campaigners Alistair Campbell and Stuart Carlisle could not play at all against Canterbury because of illness.

Considering the remarkably small player pool servicing the national side, Zimbabwe have undoubtedly felt their losses more keenly than New Zealand, though coach Carl Rackemann is not about to start making excuses at this stage of proceedings.

Well known for his competitive streak during a test career which stretched from 1982 to 1991, the former Australian paceman has carried a similar fighting attitude into his role as coach, and is promising New Zealand a fair-dinkum scrap when the test starts at the Basin Reserve at midday.

"This is an exciting time for us because we don't get to play a lot of test cricket," he said.

"We didn't need the injury to Flower, that's for sure, but there's no question that we'll be up for the test, and that we'll be a handful.

"This is an experienced side.

"People think we're old, but the players have just started young and are still going.

"There's a lot of cricket in this team, and I know they are looking forward to playing New Zealand," Rackemann said.

Since arriving in New Zealand, Zimbabwe have been mildly patronised by various sources.

The New Zealand national convener of selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee, described them as a defensive team on national radio last week, and suggested that the following series against Pakistan would be tougher.

"I hope that sort of talk continues," Rackemann said.

"It's perfect for us and I can tell you that the more we hear about things like that, the better."

Asked if he agreed with the popular New Zealand sentiment that Zimbabwe's tactics usually involved playing for a draw and hoping the opposition would make a mistake, Rackemann said his side's dressing-room was full of talent and ability.

"I'm not even going to respond to that sort of condescension, apart from saying the team will be ready to play at Wellington," he said.

For all New Zealand's self-proclaimed favouritism, the tourists can at least boast a fairly stable new-ball pairing in Heath Streak and Henry Olonga, and a batting line-up which has some form on its side, even without the presence of Grant Flower.

On the other hand, New Zealand seem likely to introduce left-armer James Franklin to the test environment and thus form yet another new attack.

And question-marks still hover over the form of the top order.

If the drumbeats were to believed last week, one faction of the selection panel - which also seemed to be pushing the case of Warren Wisneski - was extremely keen to have Hamish Marshall included at the expense of either Craig McMillan or Nathan Astle, both of whom are now under pressure to retain their places.

Astle's lean trot in South Africa may have something to do with the fact that he was used as the team's main bowler, wheeling up more overs than any other New Zealander, while McMillan's slump in form also coincided with additional bowling responsibilities.

As for Zimbabwe's line-up, the injury to Flower seems likely to extend an opportunity to either Trevor Madondo - who could become the first black African batsman to play test cricket - or young hopeful Douglas Marillier.

New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Matthew Horne, Mark Richardson, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, James Franklin, Paul Wiseman, Brooke Walker, Shayne O'Connor, Chris Martin (one to be omitted).

Zimbabwe (from): Heath Streak (captain), Gavin Rennie, Stuart Carlisle, Alistair Campbell, Andy Flower, Guy Whittall, Gus MacKay, Mluleki Nkala, Bryan Strang, Henry Olonga, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier.