Cricket: Vettori and team take a pasting

By MARK GEENTY in Canterbury

Daniel Vettori sees short-term memory loss as New Zealand's best friend and says the past few days have not dented his confidence or the team's prospects for the first test against England.

The tourists boarded their bus for a 90-minute ride to a plush London hotel immediately after their shock nine-wicket loss to Kent yesterday.

No one was hurting more than Vettori after Kent cruised to their target of 189, inflicting notable damage on New Zealand's key spin bowler along the way.

Vettori's figures of none for 43 off eight overs gave him a match analysis of one for 143 off 23, hardly an ideal build-up for the first test starting at Lord's on Thursday.

But after receiving a vote of confidence from his ever-positive coach, John Bracewell, Vettori, 25, felt he still had the goods as New Zealand chase a second consecutive test win at the home of cricket.

They won there in 1999 as New Zealand went on to take a test series in England for the first time.

"It's disappointing, you never want to go for that many runs, but you've still got to look within yourself. I'm still feeling pretty comfortable with the way I am," Vettori said.

"The confidence has to take a hit, being bashed around like that, but I took five for 100-odd at Worcester last week and I'll look more back to that game than the results out here.

"I bowled really well there and I'll take heart from that."

Vettori appeared too slow through the air to be effective on the featherbed St Lawrence Ground pitch, and kept his arm ball hidden from the likes of England gloveman and century-maker Geraint Jones.

Dual century-maker Robert Key attacked Vettori and afterwards said he could expect more of the same from England's batsmen.

Having claimed 154 victims from 53 tests, Vettori's lack of wickets has been a worry in the past year after the flying start he made to his test career.

He went wicketless in his past five test innings against South Africa and his last big test haul was nearly three years ago when his eight-wicket bag all but spurred New Zealand to victory over Australia in Perth in 2001.

Bracewell has stood by Vettori and said his test place is not under threat.

Lord's, though, is an early-season haven for pacemen, with no England spinner taking more than one wicket there since Phil Tufnell in 1999.

"Maybe the spinners haven't been good enough," Bracewell responded.

England named a predictable 13 yesterday, fresh from their 3-0 series win in the West Indies, and are not certain of playing their spinner, Ashley Giles.

Five years ago, Vettori did not bowl in the first innings at Lord's, then took two for 62 off 31 overs in the second as the tourists won by nine wickets.

He expected a similar role this week as the focus goes on Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Jacob Oram and Chris Cairns, with Shane Bond to be rested and aimed for a comeback in the second test.

Captain Stephen Fleming is set to return to open the batting with Mark Richardson, although concern remains over his hip flexor injury, which still causes him pain when running between the wickets.

"We have a track record of not playing well in warm-up games which isn't a good one to have, but we seem to front up in the test matches," Vettori said.


- NZPA