Cricket: Some rest, then four consecutive tours

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

New Zealand's cricketers will welcome a two-month break, captain Daniel Vettori says, before they brace for four consecutive tours to the subcontinent, including the World Cup in February.

New Zealand's 2009-10 season officially ended yesterday with a whimper in Florida, as they posted just 81 in the second T20 international before Sri Lanka cruised home by seven wickets to level the series 1-1.

It was the first international series played in the United States and, while it promoted cricket in the home of baseball, the spectacle was a let-down on a substandard pitch at the otherwise impressive Broward County Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill.

The next international assignment for New Zealand isn't until a tri-series against India and hosts Sri Lanka starting on August 2 in Dambulla.

After a season which began on a high with a defeat to Australia in the 50-over Champions Trophy final in South Africa last September, Vettori said a freshen-up was just what the players needed.

"I think all the guys are ready for it. They've been going nonstop for about nine to 10 months so everyone's due a break. We've got to make sure that we use this break to try and improve as a side and when we go to Sri Lanka we're ready to try and win over there," he said.

Some, like Indian Premier League (IPL) players Brendon McCullum (Sussex) and Ross Taylor (Durham), will play for English county sides in their Twenty20 competition next month while McCullum, and possibly Vettori, will miss the Sri Lanka tri-series in August because of impending fatherhood.

After Sri Lanka, there are scheduled tours to Bangladesh in October (two tests, three ODIs) then India in November-December (three tests, five ODIs), before the World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February-March.

New Zealand performed best in the 50-over format in season 2009-10, winning 10 of their 16 matches.

They beat Sri Lanka, England and Pakistan to reach the Champions Trophy final before a six-wicket defeat to Australia, then beat Pakistan 2-1 in Abu Dhabi and clean swept Bangladesh at home before a creditable 2-3 defeat to Australia at home.

In Twenty20 cricket in 2009-10, New Zealand won eight from 14, including the one-over eliminator thriller against Australia in Christchurch after McCullum's whirlwind century.

While the batting will be a must-improve for New Zealand on the subcontinent, where rising star Kane Williamson is likely to be given his chance, the search for a pace bowling spearhead will continue after Shane Bond's retirement from all cricket after the world Twenty20 tournament.

- NZPA