Cricket: No verbal sparring for Fleming

Don't expect New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming to inflict a verbal barrage on his South African counterpart Graeme Smith next month.

After disposing of the West Indies 2-0 following the third test washout here yesterday, the New Zealanders leave next week for a three-test series in South Africa.

The Proteas are currently 0-2 down to world No 1 Australia in a three-test series at home during which spats between the players have featured prominently as Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist have traded words with South African fast bowler Andre Nel.

Fleming needled Smith, then a novice captain, when he toured New Zealand in 2004, but said he had no plans to repeat that approach.

After New Zealand and the West Indies shared a drawn third test here yesterday after poor weather wrecked the match, Fleming steered clear of suggestions he would engage in another sparring session with Smith.

"Graeme is developing as a captain and stamping his style and authority on this South African side, but it was a one-off. I've stated that right from the outset. It's not my style," Fleming said.

"We know this tour is going to be tough, full stop, but you get that (psychological advantage) by playing well and winning.

"If there's any other area to exploit we'll look at it."

Fleming is looking forward to the challenge in South Africa, buoyed by his side's relatively easy series win over the West Indies and the fact the tour party have not been depleted by injuries.

"With this side we've got going over, cricket wise, we've got some good players and they're fully fit.

"Often when we've toured other countries we've been substandard because of our fitness and having new players in the side coming up to speed.

"But with this series against the West Indies we've been able to introduce new guys who have played well, and older guys who have put up their hand and played well through the summer."

Fleming chose his words carefully when previewing the South African tour and, despite cleaning out the West Indians in the tests and 4-1 in the one-dayers, he acknowledged the New Zealanders still had plenty of work to do.

New Zealand's record against South Africa is poor. They have never never beaten them in a test series, either at home or away, and their last two test outings there have ended in heavy defeats.

"All areas need to keep improving," Fleming said.

"We weren't as polished as we wanted to be in both tests (against the West Indies). We had opportunities to nail both tests, but we didn't take them so it became even more of a struggle.

"Even in the test we won by 10 wickets we could have put that away better in the first innings.

"We have to make sure if South Africa come at us harder, we're more professional in the positions we get into."

Fleming has extra incentive to hit the ground running in the first test at Centurion on April 15-19 when, barring illness or injury, he will become the first New Zealander to play 100 test matches.

"I'll very rapt with the milestone," he said.

"Once I take the field and get it under my belt it will be nice. It's something I've wanted to do for some time and it will be nice to perform well in that test and to win would be great."

- NZPA