Daniel Vettori has never bowled a leg-spinner in a test match, though the Black Caps skipper admits chucking a few down for Northern Districts at first-class level.
He's struggled to land the delivery _ which spins with the wrist rather than the fingers _ in the heat of battle but under
soft lights in the Mount Indoor Sports centre, he had no such problems.
With nearly 50 schoolkids watching at an ABN AMRO Craigs-sponsored coaching clinic yesterday, Vettori nearly cut me in half with a delivery that snapped back off a good length straight into my torso.
"I tend to land them best in these sort of situations as opposed to anything important," the tall, reserved off-spinner noted dryly, before delivering another gem.
"That's the key to bowling to a reporter _ you've got to make him look confused."
Confused? Hell no. Bewildered, flummoxed and nonplussed, maybe ...
There's no confusion when you're facing the bloke currently rated the best one-day bowler in the world, with 245 test wickets to his name _ simply a deep respect and a strong desire not to make a dick of yourself.
After a couple of looseners, Vettori's first genuine delivery hit me on the pads as I was trying to work it to leg side. I latched on to the second ball, waiting for it and cracking it through point, and even drew a whistle of admiration. Actually, even that's a lie _ the whistle was from the next ball, the leggy, which appeared to be on a good length until it jagged back into my chest. With no more dignity to lose, I decided to get my footwork going for the fourth and fifth balls. Carl Hayman would have had more success on Dancing with the Stars. Luckily the bloke behind the stumps _ Otumoetai College first XI skipper Cory Brown _ is a promising batsman, not a 'keeper. Both balls beat my bat with the utmost ease, but luckily beat Brown's gloves as well. The last ball was quicker, flatter and virtually unplayable. In six balls, Vettori's variety and ability to drop it on a pinhead had me utterly stumped ... with every pun intended.
