Cricket: Bracewell calls for second test encore

New Zealand will hope to chip away at one of their more galling trademarks when the second test against Zimbabwe starts at Bulawayo tonight.

The side, who smashed their hosts by an innings and 294 runs in the first test, are acutely aware of the need to back up with an equally committed performance in the second, an area in which previous New Zealand teams have often struggled.

Coach John Bracewell said yesterday that his players knew they needed to be as hard-nosed at Bulawayo as they were at Harare if they wanted to help shed a 75-year predilection towards chronic inconsistency.

Asked what more a coach could say to a combination who had just won a test inside two days, Bracewell replied that he only had to raise the issue of New Zealand's erratic international history to make a point.

"Far too often in the past New Zealand teams have enjoyed successful days, or even tests, only to let themselves down soon after, and go back to square one," he said. "We've been terribly inconsistent, and this team's now got a chance to do something about it.

"Traditionally, New Zealand teams have been the bullied rather than the bullies, and because of that they've had little experience of being the favourite and performing consistently.

"We became accustomed to the underdog tag; it wasn't that long ago that a solitary win would be greeted by great jubilation and celebration, and would often be followed by unnecessary disappointment."

Bracewell said the other priority being emphasised in the lead-up to tonight's opening session was the need to be patient, and to remain structured and calculated whatever the standard of opposition.

His players had to resist the temptation of trying to take wickets with every delivery or trying to strike a boundary off every ball simply because they were the clear favourites.

"There's a fine line between being aggressive and responsible, and being aggressive and reckless, and that's something some of our players are still learning," he conceded. "It's a matter of experience."

As for his second test line-up, he said the pitch at Bulawayo appeared to be dry and possibly layered, indicating that it might develop a crust and favour the spinners later in the match.

Bracewell may be leaning towards adding off-spinner Paul Wiseman to the team, although on present form there seems little chance of Zimbabwe surviving long enough to justify his inclusion.

The sides

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, James Franklin, Shane Bond, Chris Martin, Paul Wiseman, Jacob Oram.

Zimbabwe: Tatenda Taibu (captain), Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Stuart Carlisle, Graeme Cremer, Keith Dabengwa, Dion Ebrahim, Neil Ferreira, Anthony Ireland, Blessing Mahwire, Hamilton Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Brendan Taylor, Craig Wishart.