Pitch to test New Zealand revival in second one-day
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
HAMILTON, New Zealand, Feb 11(AFP): New Zealand are expecting an English backlash in their second one-day cricket international here Tuesday after pulling off an upset victory in the series opener.
"They'll be feeling the same as we did after the Twenty20 games, they'll come back pretty hard at us," New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said.
England thrashed New Zealand in the two warm-up Twenty20 games and said their unfamiliarity with the drop-in pitch was partly to blame for the dramatic form reversal that saw New Zealand win the first one-dayer with 20 overs to spare.
"We were expecting a better (of a wicket) and instead none of us could get going," England skipper Paul Collingwood said of the slow and low drop-in pitch when they were dismissed for 130 in Wellington.
He was also full of praise for the New Zealand bowlers who he said "bowled plenty of cutters."
England's team selection was also a surprise, with in-form allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas dropped in favour of Ravi Bopara as coach Peter Moores wanted to retain the same team that beat Sri Lanka 3-2 in November.
"They'll be feeling the same as we did after the Twenty20 games, they'll come back pretty hard at us," New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said.
England thrashed New Zealand in the two warm-up Twenty20 games and said their unfamiliarity with the drop-in pitch was partly to blame for the dramatic form reversal that saw New Zealand win the first one-dayer with 20 overs to spare.
"We were expecting a better (of a wicket) and instead none of us could get going," England skipper Paul Collingwood said of the slow and low drop-in pitch when they were dismissed for 130 in Wellington.
He was also full of praise for the New Zealand bowlers who he said "bowled plenty of cutters."
England's team selection was also a surprise, with in-form allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas dropped in favour of Ravi Bopara as coach Peter Moores wanted to retain the same team that beat Sri Lanka 3-2 in November.