One Day International Cricket Series: Aussies vs Kiwis

New Zealand is looking to square the ledger in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series with a win in the five-match series that kicks of in Napier.

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Tuesday, March 2, 7.30pm EST (2pm Napier local time)
Australia –300
New Zealand +220

With perfect conditions expected for both teams, the winner of the toss will look to bat first on a pitch that is predicted to be a belter, a far cry from the early 2000s when teams would elect to field if they were successful at the toss.

Now it seems there is plenty of runs on offer in the McLean Park pitch and if that’s the case the openers from both sides of the Tasman will be the ones who can capitalise and push of 300-plus score.

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum is facing his third consecutive duck at this ground having failed against Bangladesh and India last year and although he showed rare form in the recent Twenty20 in which he clobbered 116 off just 56 balls in Christchurch, he had a rough time against Bangladesh scoring 0, 9 and 19.

In the lead up to Bangladesh series though he blasted Pakistan in Abu Dhabi notching 21, 136 and 76 which means he isn’t far off his best and maybe the return home after five months away on tour to play against a mediocre opposition lulled him into a false sense of security.

You can be assured that won’t happen against Australia however.

The Kiwis other opener may be Peter Ingram, the 31-year-old school teacher from Taranaki who was drafted into the team ahead of the Bangladesh series. His three one-dayers to date haven’t set the world on fire depositing just 122 into his runs account at an average of 40.66 while Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait sent him back to the pavilion with his tail between his legs for an aggregate of two runs from two matches.

Ingram though was brought into the team more as a Test opener it seems and although he has big wraps on him in county level, the big step up in quality international opponents could see him struggle.

On the Australian side of the equation Shaun Marsh’s absence due to a back injury means Brad Haddin and Shane Watson will take on the roll as leaders for the tourists against one of the more volatile opening bowling combinations New Zealand has fielded in some time.

Shane Bond and Tim Southee will give the Australian openers plenty of grief, the latter really coming into his own of late while Shane Bond will be keen to get Watson onto the back foot.

Bond will try and capitalise on Watson’s suspect feet movement early on so expect him to bowl to a tight plan – several short balls early in the over followed by a full pitched swinging delivery to trap him leg-before.

Southee too will go to work on Haddin and despite all the talk surrounding the Bond versus Ponting match up in the media, Ponting did score 141 off 127 balls the last time they played at McLean Park, the interesting tussle will be with the openers because if they get set, either team could post a huge score.

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