Cricket: NZ look to turn tables as England stumble early

1.00pm - By MARK GEENTY

DURHAM - New Zealand's cricketers are eyeing their chance to turn up the heat on England for once on this tour as the hosts look vulnerable for the first time in the past five weeks.

Having been robbed by the rain yesterday when looking set for victory over West Indies, the tourists today watched their opponents cruise past England by seven wickets chasing just 148 to win at Nottingham's Trent Bridge.

It dropped England, crucially without their best one-day player Andrew Flintoff, to the foot of the NatWest Series table after one full round, and gave New Zealand the chance to put them into danger territory in game four at the Riverside ground here on Tuesday night (NZ time).

New Zealand coach John Bracewell, who gave his side a healthy pass mark for their efforts in the Birmingham rain, wasn't yet prepared to declare England an inferior one-day unit but said the task was clear.

"I haven't made that assessment at all until I see them first hand. They're a confident unit because they're on the crest of a winning wave, and it's our job and the West Indies' job to knock them off that," Bracewell said.

New Zealand trained in welcome sunshine at the match venue in England's far north today, and the only concern was Daryl Tuffey's fitness which has him a doubtful starter.

Tuffey suffered a strain to his left thigh during his useful new ball spell of 10 runs off five overs yesterday, and didn't bowl at training with the injury heavily strapped.

Bracewell said Tuffey wasn't yet ruled out, with another day of physiotherapy to come.

"We won't know how he is until tomorrow. He hasn't bowled at all today, it's a 48-hour assessment."

If Tuffey is ruled out, the ever improving Ian Butler will likely be unleashed for his 11th one-day international.

New Zealand were, in Bracewell's words, just half an hour short of victory at Edgbaston which would have seen them top of the table after today's upset result.

The rain-marred contest started four hours late and the West Indies posted 122 for four off 21 overs after New Zealand won a crucial toss on a green, seaming pitch.

With the benefit of batting second and chasing a Duckworth-Lewis re-calculated target of 140 off 21, New Zealand were cruising at 97 for two in the 14th over when a final downpour ended it.

Hamish Marshall and Scott Styris were both in control after adding 47 off 41 deliveries unbroken for the third wicket.

"I thought we hung in there pretty well and kept them to a well below par score," Bracewell said.

"The guys were quiet because they saw a missed opportunity, but we were pretty happy with the processes we put in place. There are some things you can't control."

The only alarm for New Zealand was the sight of Jacob Oram being savaged by West Indies captain Brian Lara who scored 36 off 22 balls.

Having taken one for five off his first two overs, Oram's fourth over went 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, 1 as Lara innovated by walking across and clipping the ball past short fine leg.

"When you get thrown into a shortened game, I think our bowlers controlled themselves pretty well. You can point out an over like Jacob's, but he actually put the ball in the right areas and Lara improvised pretty well."

Oram, who has had to revamp his action to more front-on to protect his injured right side, remained a death bowling option, Bracewell said.

- NZPA