Cricket: Flynn ready for spin test

Daniel Flynn knows the Sri Lankan bowling attack will provide a formidable challenge. Photo / Getty Images

You can tell you've got a purist in the house when they tell you they've been spending a bit of time lately watching footage of Mark Richardson.

No offence intended against a man who has probably forced his way past better players into the reckoning for any New Zealand all-time test XI, but Daniel Flynn is probably one of only two people with a Richardson highlights DVD on high rotation, the other being a Herald on Sunday cricket columnist/Radio Sport breakfast anchor.

But needs must. Flynn has spent the past two winter months preparing himself for the prospect of facing Sri Lanka in home conditions. As a top-order cack-hander, he knows he must shoulder a lot of the burden of nullifying the great Muttiah Muralitharan.

That's why video analyst Zac Hitchcock has given him footage of Stephen Fleming and Mark Richardson's epic 172-run partnership in the steaming heat of Colombo six years ago.

On just as high a rotation has been footage of Muralitharan and new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis and his sleight-of-finger trickery.

Flynn also knows that he can sit down and watch footage until his eyes start turning as square as a Muralitharan offbreak, but nothing will prepare for the relentless intensity facing them in a test.

"I've seen a bit of Fleming and Richardson but seeing it on TV compared to being out there facing it is a completely different story."

Playing spin leaves the batsman with myriad options, the trick is having faith in your ability to pick the right option every ball.

Those that are confident they can read the spinners out of the hand are more likely to have the confidence to use their feet and get out to the pitch of the ball, while the majority like the back-up option of sitting back and reading the ball off the wicket. Somewhere in-between those two schools lies certain lbw.

"Obviously you've got to try to read these guys from the hand but as a back-up watch it off the wicket," Flynn said.

"Generally I'm going to look to play them off the back foot as much as possible but I don't want to allow myself to be caught on the crease at all."

Flynn has a stated aim of making the test No 3 position his and his alone. Having been dropped from the one-day and Twenty20 sides he is anxious to make every innings a winner in the long form.

His will be one of the toughest jobs on tour. Not only will he be relied on to get the side through the new ball should, presumably, Martin Guptill or Tim McIntosh fall early, but also he will be expected to set the tone against the spinners.

The directive from Daniel Vettori and Andy Moles will be quite clear - don't become becalmed because it plays into the spinners' hands.

"I've been doing a lot of work on developing my game in that area," Flynn said. "It's a case of developing my game and working on my run-scoring options against them.

"Rotating the strike's a huge key. You don't want to be stuck down one end facing two overs of them because they've got so many variations that it gives them the opportunity to try them. Getting off strike is crucial."

Flynn has spent a lot of time working in the indoor nets with Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn and Mark O'Neill. More importantly for his tan, he had the opportunity to do some work in Brisbane recently on some outdoor grass wickets.

Nothing, though, will quite prepare him for what he's about to face.

Tour dates
* Aug 7-9: Sri Lanka XI vs NZ, Colts CC, Colombo.
* Aug 1-14: Sri Lanka XI vs NZ, Nondescripts CC, Colombo.
* Aug 18-22: Sri Lanka vs NZ, 1st test, Galle International Stadium.
* Aug 26-3: Sri Lanka vs NZ, 2nd test, Sinhalese SC, Colombo.
* Sep 2: Sri Lanka vs NZ, 1st T20, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
* Sep 4: Sri Lanka vs NZ, 2nd T20, R Premadasa.
* Sep 6: Sri Lanka A vs NZ, Sinhalese SC.
* Sep 8: Sri Lanka vs NZ, Tri-Series, R Premadasa.
* Sep 12: India vs NZ, Tri-Sereies, R Premadasa.
* Sep 14: Tri-Series final, R Premadasa.
* Sep 16: Sri Lanka XI vs NZ, one-dayer, venue TBA.