Cricket: Momentum, injuries make it tough for NZ

Australian allrounder Shane Watson is likely to return for the second test in Hamilton. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand will somehow try to bolster their bowling attack without one of their key men while Australia could get even stronger for the second and final cricket test in Hamilton.

The teams travel to Hamilton today with Australia at short odds to complete a 2-0 victory after their 10-wicket win at the Basin Reserve.

The injury news mirrored the result, with New Zealand losing senior paceman Daryl Tuffey with a broken bone in his left hand while Australian captain Ricky Ponting spoke hopefully of key allrounder Shane Watson returning from a hip injury for the second test starting at Seddon Park on Saturday.

It was a cruel bowl for Tuffey, who reinvented himself as a No 8 batsman after a strong one-day series then a fighting 47 not out in the second innings here.

With the ball he took no wicket for 49 off 22 overs in Australia's first innings of 459 for five, comfortably the most economical but without success.

"He's a bit down in the dumps. He wanted to finish this season on a high, play the test in Hamilton then build up to the Twenty20 World Cup. Now it's all touch and go for him," captain Daniel Vettori said.

"He's been pretty consistent since he came back into the team. He's done a really good job, he didn't take the wickets in this game that he would have liked but he bowled relatively well. He knows Hamilton conditions well so he is a loss for us."

Tuffey's absence could mean a reprieve for Tim Southee after an expensive Wellington test when just five Australian wickets fell, while Vettori said spinner Jeetan Patel was in contention depending on pitch conditions.

New Zealand had only a handful of success stories from the first test - Brent Arnel's debut performance with the ball, opener Tim McIntosh's fighting 83 and Brendon McCullum's fifth test century, a hugely composed 104 in the second innings of 407.

McCullum was dismissed in the fourth over on the final day yesterday, having hoped to lead New Zealand to an honourable draw.

"It's incredibly hard to rein myself in. My first instinct is to attack and in the first innings I tried to counter attack and that can go one of two ways," McCullum said.

"Dan (Vettori) is probably the same, in that the fast scoring game suits us better but this situation required something a bit different. We did it well for periods but not for long enough."

Ponting said his three pacemen Doug Bollinger, who had match figures of seven for 108, Ryan Harris, six for 112, and Mitchell Johnson, two for 145, were exhausted and would have a light few days of buildup in Hamilton.

Watson would ease that bowling burden, meaning young opener Phil Hughes could miss out despite his blazing 86 not out yesterday.

"Every team in the world is after someone who bats in the top six and can bowl like he (Watson) does," Ponting said.

"He has shown since he has been in our side just how important he is, so hopefully we'll get him back. If we do it means the bowlers won't have to do as much next week."

- NZPA