Cricket: Bracewell's historic bowl to victory

Doug Bracewell celebrates with his team after taking the final wicket to lead NZ to victory. Photo / Getty Images

Proud father Brendon Bracewell was surrounded by his raucous cricket academy pupils as he watched his son Doug spearhead New Zealand's historic seven-run test victory over Australia yesterday.

The group shared dinner and celebrations in Napier last night before Bracewell senior partied on with a few other mates as they waited for a phone call from Hobart and the young fast bowler.

The night before 21-year-old Doug destroyed Australia's second innings, the pair had spoken about the bowling tactics needed to claim a win.

"I was so proud, he just hit a line and length," said Bracewell senior after his son had taken six wickets for 40 runs to destroy Australia.

"The Aussies are like anyone. If you keep the ball on a 5m length and around off-stump they battle. The whole test we had been in it and those were the things we reinforced in our chat.

"Doug's got a big ticker, he has what it takes."

He started at both cricket and rugby at school and would have been a useful five-eighths, according to his father, if he had not been picked for Central Districts rep cricket sides as a teenager.

"He is a good athlete, he has got wheels and I always encouraged him to go for runs, sprints and get a real fitness base. He can bat too, he hits it hard but he has batted a bit too carefully lately. But how handy was that 20-odd runs Trent Boult scored for us at the tail, that made the difference."

While Bracewell senior - who played six tests for New Zealand himself - can be hyper and powers through the cigarettes as he watches, his son is very laid back.

"He never gets too excited about things, he is pretty cruisy. He is a good listener and we talked through things that any over could change the game. He keeps going and I urged him to have a bowl before the game to warm up well. I told him Michael Clarke was worried about him."

The spell before lunch when Bracewell claimed Ricky Ponting, Clarke and Mike Hussey was the perfect reminder of how quickly a game could change.

"Hussey first up was key," the young fast bowler said. "To go bang, bang just before the break [lunch] was a good positive for us."

When New Zealand pleaded for several leg before wicket appeals against tailender Nathan Lyon, Bracewell snr was equally vociferous. The first was plumb he thought as he also mused whether technology was reliable.

But when his son knocked over Lyon's wicket for a remarkable seven-run victory, pandemonium set in at Bracewell's lounge.

"I had 14 guys here, watching and learning. It was just great. Doug's shown he has the temperament and now he is in the environment he is sharpening the knife all the time - he is getting all the right advice and help."

The young bowler admitted to some late nerves as Australia ground closer to their target.

"But we knew we were a chance if we kept Warner at the other end. He was on 100 and striking it well. Every ball we were a chance bowling at the No 11. "Thankfully he missed a straight one and it was game over.

"The pitch was doing its thing, it was a bit up and down and we talked about building pressure through dot balls and always knew we were in with a sniff."

New Zealand felt they owed themselves and their supporters after the way they misfired in Brisbane.

"To create a bit of history like that is unbelievable."