Cricket: It was all in the mind, says Astle

KINGSTOWN - New Zealand's best one-day batsman, Nathan Astle, admitted he had to battle some mental frailties before his timely return to form in Trinidad on Thursday.

Astle was robbed of his 13th one-day international century by rain, which cut short his innings at 91 not out off 117 balls in the tourists' eventual nine-run win.

It was the first time the 2001-02 New Zealand player of the year had reached 40 in eight one-day innings since his series-winning 122 not out against England in Dunedin in February.

Having returned from a knee injury, Astle looked decidedly below par in his first three innings of the series in the Caribbean.

"I was mentally loose, not technically loose," Astle said. "Merv Dillon had been bowling a good line to me so it was a matter of getting through him and being more mentally tough. I was looking for ones that weren't there.

"It was just about trying to be selfish and try and get through the first 15 and be solid in my defence."

Astle's admission showed up a problem that has affected the entire top order during the series and will need to be solved if New Zealand are to square the series in St Vincent on Monday.

Astle, Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan have had one significant score each from four innings, and Chris Nevin has made promising starts without delivering.

New Zealand's first four wickets have fallen for 76 or less on all four occasions, but they recovered on Thursday thanks to Astle and Scott Styris' rescue partnership of 122 runs.

"For some reason we get through the first 14 or 15 overs two down, then we lose three quick ones," Astle said.

"It's just clumps we lose them in. It's more a mental state and we've got to be harder in that area."

Astle admitted he and McMillan were two of the main culprits in the first three matches, when the West Indies raced to a 2-0 series lead after the opening match was rained out.

It led Fleming to give an impassioned speech to the side before the fourth match.

"I've had a few of those talks from him but it needed to be said," Astle said. "It's a professional game. Sometimes hard words have to be said.

"To be fair, Craig and I probably haven't given Flem enough support in that area. In professional sport if someone's not giving 100 [per cent] you should be able to tell them that."

Astle, though, showed class was permanent in delivering a patient knock on Thursday mixed with some of the memorable shots from his world record 222 in the first test against England in March.

Despite Astle's sublime form last summer, he said this had been a tough run of form to break out of.

"I miss out four or five times then get a big one. Maybe I have to change my state of mind, be a little harder on myself earlier on rather than try and hit it from the start."

Astle's big innings on Thursday coincided with a surprise return to the bowling crease and he reported no ill effects on his knee.

The team's medical panel gave him the green light to bowl and he should give Fleming an effective option in the two-match test series.

* Scott Styris has been confirmed as the 14th member of the New Zealand squad for the test series against the West Indies.

Before the tour, the New Zealand selectors named 13 and left one place open. Allrounder Styris grabbed that spot with one-day scores of 85 and 63 not out, and his match-winning six for 25 on Thursday.

"There has been some healthy competition for the final test place and I guess you could say Scott has emerged from the pack," convener of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee said.

The first test starts in Barbados this Friday.

NZ squad: Stephen Fleming (capt), Matt Horne, Mark Richardson, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Lou Vincent, Chris Harris, Scott Styris, Robbie Hart, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Ian Butler, Shane Bond.

- NZPA