KEY POINTS:
Focusing on the next job at hand is invariably the simplest sporting policy, but thinking longer term can also offer a positive spin-off, according to New Zealand new-ball bowler Kyle Mills.
He believes there are significant benefits to be accrued beyond the five-game ODI series against England if New Zealand keep their noses in front after a resounding six-wicket win in the opening clash in Wellington.
Amid talk that New Zealand are fancied in the limited-overs series, but will find the three-test rubber a stiffer test, Mills pointed out that good things tend to lead on to others.
"Whoever wins the one-day series is certainly going to have an edge going into the first test," he said last night. "They'll have the confidence and team morale is going to be high. It's always nice coming off a series win going into the next series, and that's why it's so important in the next game we try to keep the pressure on England, keep them down.
" If we can get a bit of momentum and get on top of them they'll struggle to fight back into the competition."
Although wicketless, Mills played an important role as part of a strong collective display from the New Zealand bowlers in Saturday's victory.
He and Chris Martin were superb in the opening overs, buttoning down England's openers on the sort of pitch on which New Zealand's formidable home reputation has been built. It was a pitch to bring tears of joy to slow-medium dobbers Gavin Larsen and Chris Harris of recent vintage.
Even though England's batsmen failed to adapt to demanding conditions, New Zealand's bowlers, backed by expert, committed fielding, did a top-class job.
"We adjusted our lines and lengths and stuck to our plans really well at the top of the order," Mills said. "There was definitely pressure on us to bowl well after losing the Twenty20s, and the guys fielded out of their skins."
Martin could easily have been man of the match, rather than Scott Styris. He consistently gets good batsmen out and - given his present importance in the ODI set-up - it's curious to reflect that 10 months ago he was effectively on holiday at the World Cup.
Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder did the team a big favour by getting the chase for 131 under way briskly. Teams pursuing small targets can get twitchy if things go wrong early. There were no alarms at Westpac Stadium.
Ryder, who flicked an effortless six into the crowd, looks to be fitting the part. Coach John Bracewell last night took an equally well-judged flick at those bagging Ryder's selection.
"Despite the ignorance of his critics, there is an enormous talent there which can be harnessed for New Zealand cricket," he said.
Bracewell said the win was a "typical New Zealand team performance as opposed to having star performers. It was hard to pick a man of the match because everybody contributed, which is the way we play our cricket".
New Zealand will know it's only a start. But they will feel good about themselves, knowing a third successive loss to England inside a week may have raised all sorts of unpalatable thoughts. They will also remember the old line about swallows and summer.
"England have got very good players who have played a lot of cricket," Mills said. "They understand the game very well so we definitely can't rest on what we've done in Wellington. Two-nil is going to be huge against these guys," he added, looking ahead to the second ODI at Hamilton's Seddon Park tomorrow.
Off-spinner Jeetan Patel, who nipped in for the last two wickets in Wellington, added his bit to the bullish air around the squad yesterday.
"If we can carry the excitement we've got at the moment, I think we'll go close to winning the series pretty quickly," he said.
