Cricket: Top order key to NZ test chances

EAST LONDON - All attention might be on New Zealand's new-look bowling combinations, but the acid is on the top-order batting in the lead-up to the second test starting at Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

New Zealand went 0-1 down after losing to South Africa by five wickets at Bloemfontein last week, and if the winning of the three-match series is to remain even a theoretical consideration, they will need to score a shock win against the hosts in the showdown at St George's Park.

And to do that, the batsmen will need to show a more streetwise approach at the first opportunity, otherwise they will almost certainly find themselves battling to save the test, as happened at Goodyear Park.

In that match, New Zealand virtually donated the South Africans their first innings, before demonstrating precisely how they should have played when they followed on 242 runs behind.

"The key to Port Elizabeth is that we have to bat well in the first innings," coach David Trist said yesterday.

"That's absolutely vital and if we cannot do that, then we're going to struggle - and we're going to struggle in the third test at Johannesburg, as well."

New Zealand have enjoyed spasmodic success from their top-order batsmen, but have not gone into a test for a long time when the top three or four were all demonstrating good form and productivity.

Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming have probably been the best on this tour, but Craig Spearman and Mathew Sinclair have yet to make a sizeable contribution, and Nathan Astle has struggled for consistency as well.

Instead of the tourists' batting line-up working as a combination, they have got by with random performances and no small amount of assistance from No 6 batsman Craig McMillan.

"The others have to work harder for longer, to get in that zone which allows them to play at test-match tempo," Trist said.

"We're still tending to rush things a bit and finding that the game's going a shade faster than we're used to, and that means our risk management sometimes is not as effective as it should be."

As for the bowling attack, Trist confirmed that the only position under scrutiny for the second test was in the pace battery.

And although he did not mention specific players, it seems the decision will be between retaining Daryl Tuffey or calling in Andrew Penn for his first test cap.

Tuffey has shown promise, but still appears a shade raw for test cricket, while Penn has only limited opportunities to impress the selectors before the team selection.

"We won't be playing Glen Sulzberger, as indicated by him missing out on the present game," Trist said.

"We'll always be playing Brooke Walker, even if it's a green-top, so the only possibility of a change is in the pace attack."