Cricket: McCullum backs bowlers to bounce back

Tim Southee and the New Zealand bowling attack failed to impress in the second Twenty20 against South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

South Africa put New Zealand's bowlers under pressure for the first time this home summer in Hamilton on Sunday night, and the results weren't pretty.

But Black Caps' captain Brendon McCullum is backing his bowling unit to bounce back from the one-man mauling that was Richard Levi.

The opener broke records and New Zealand spirits in leading his side to a comprehensive eight-wicket win to level the Twenty20 series at one, putting the hosts on the back foot heading into tomorrow's decider at Eden Park.

It's an unfamiliar position for this Black Caps outfit, who grew accustomed to having it their own way during Zimbabwe's forgettable tour earlier in the summer. Now they'll have to regroup and show resolve if they wish to put one over the Proteas, something McCullum reckoned his side were more than capable of doing.

"That's the beauty of it - the ability to be able to step up and really show the kind of side we are,'' he said yesterday. "We've got that opportunity in a couple of days' time so that's pretty exciting.''

Pretty exciting didn't come close to describing Levi's innings at Seddon Park. His 45-ball century was the fastest in T20 international history, his 13 sixes also set a new mark, and his final score of 117 not out equalled Chris Gayle for the highest ever.

Whatever way you look at it, Levi's was a vicious knock, but it was aided by some unimaginative bowling from New Zealand's pace attack, in particular. In taking 17 runs from Doug Bracewell's first over, Levi set the tone for the innings and proceeded to plunder anything short or off-line.

McCullum admitted the diet of short-pitched bowling they fed the 24-year-old played into his hands, but explained the plan was conceived after Tim Southee's success in dismissing Levi in the first match in Wellington.

"That's what we tried - a couple of our plans early on were to test him out with the short ball. We saw Tim do it with good effect the other day.''

What was of more concern in Hamilton was the apparent absence of a plan B. McCullum refused to be too hard on his bowlers, and called them "shell-shocked'' at the ferocity with which Levi took to the attack.

"He hit from the word go and we could never really get it back,'' he said. "[The bowlers] have been excellent for us so far this summer and they came up against a guy tonight who put them under extreme pressure.

"The only thing we could have done was take early wickets to negate that. We weren't able to do so and [Levi] exposed our bowling in areas we probably haven't been exposed in for a few months.''

To avoid being exposed again at Eden Park, McCullum said the next couple of days would be spent devising a formula to counter the stocky South African.

"We've got to be smarter and come up with some ways to try and negate his hitting power. But we certainly don't slack off in that area - we spend a lot of time trying to come up with some plans against both their batters and bowlers''

Aside from learning the lessons from Levi's onslaught, the Black Caps would aim to forget last night's loss pretty quickly, according to McCullum.

"I think the key thing from the coaching and my point of view is to make sure we don't try to over-analyse this one too much. We're disappointed but we've got to try channel that into a performance for the next game.

"One-all in the series, and everything to play for in Auckland.''