Cricket: Fleming out to end losing streak

By RICHARD BOOCK

Stephen Fleming is pushing the quality-over-quantity theory as he eyes New Zealand's make-or-break Champions Trophy one-dayer against Australia on Thursday.

Having accounted for the United States in record-breaking, but almost laughable fashion at the weekend, the New Zealand side are faced with having to beat their long-time nemesis to progress through to the tournament semifinal.

Fleming's side have lost their past six successive ODIs against Australia, dating back to their VB Series match at Melbourne in January 2002, and the majority of the bowling attack are yet to taste their first success.

Allrounder Jacob Oram, who took five wickets during New Zealand's 210-run victory on Saturday, has been in the losing side in all five matches he's played against Australia, and Daryl Tuffey is still waiting for his first win after four games, as are Kyle Mills and Ian Butler.

However, with New Zealand impressing during their triumph in the recent NatWest tri-series, and with 10 consecutive wins under their belt after the arrival of coach John Bracewell, there is a thought that Thursday's contest might be closer than previous results.

Fleming is clearly rating his side's chances of reversing the trend against Australia, but has cautioned against the notion that endless training sessions and saturation practice will make much difference.

"We have to be careful - we don't want to practise ourselves silly," he said after the match against the United States.

"It's more about being intelligent and working out how we're going to meet our goals - where we're going to attack them, how we're going to attack them, and what we need to do to be successful."

But Fleming said the side already knew that they were in for a battle if they were going to topple the world champions, and stop them challenging for the only international cricket trophy they haven't won.

Apart from a couple of exceptions, wins against Australia have mostly been close-fought affairs, requiring New Zealand to live with the heat for near enough to the full 100 overs before gaining the upper-hand.

And the New Zealand skipper said it would probably be no different on Thursday at The Oval.

"It's usually that way against Australia," he said. "They can stay in the game for a long time, and they've wriggled off the hook on a couple of occasions - most notably at Port Elizabeth in the World Cup, and at Pune in the TVS tri-series.

"To beat them you have to go the whole nine yards, but that's something we've all accepted and are prepared for."

New Zealand had Australia 84 for seven at Port Elizabeth last year but still managed to lose by 96 runs, and blew another opportunity at Pune, when they dropped several late catches before losing by two wickets.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, big-hitting openers Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist and fast bowler Glenn McGrath have been numbered among the stars at the Champions Trophy, but Fleming singled out allrounder Andrew Symonds as the player to watch.

"Their strength is in their all-round qualities," he said. "Symonds is playing well at the moment, but they have a number of players who can win games on their own."

He said relief was his main reaction to the huge win against the United States, when New Zealand posted a tournament record 347 for five after Nathan Astle struck an unbeaten 145 and Craig McMillan blasted 64 off 27 balls - as 136 runs were pummelled off the last 46 balls.

McMillan, who struck seven sixes and two fours, brought up his half-century off just 21 balls, equalling Lance Cairns' famous onslaught in Melbourne in 1983, and taking just four balls more than Sanath Jayasuriya's world record.

The United States succumbed for 137 in 42.4 overs following Oram's second five-wicket bag, and three wickets from left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori.