Cricket World Cup: Fielding the focus at MCG

Fielding has been a focus for the New Zealand cricketers at training today as they cope with the approximately two hectares they will cover on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the World Cup final against Australia.

The majority of the New Zealand squad came to Victoria's grand sports precinct in October on a reconnaissance mission, but didn't get to sample the turf because it was undergoing a revamp.

Today they practised their high catching in outposts from long leg to long on, trying to channel the best of Mathew Sinclair catching Matthew Hayden one-handed on the legside boundary in a 2004 one-day international at the 'G'.

They didn't appear to be at their sharpest, although it was difficult for fitness trainer Chris Donaldson to generate consistent distance moonlighting as a slogging batsman. It's no easy job trying to heave shots an estimated 90m square.

New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee was not fazed by speculation they'll somehow be caught short with the bat because of the expanse.

"Most guys have played a lot of cricket round the world on big grounds so they've got enough experience. Grounds in New Zealand are reasonably small but Hagley Park is quite big."

Southee relished the boost to cricket's popularity that has enabled ground size to seize headlines as New Zealand prepare for their inaugural final.

'It's important to us to have cricket compared to rugby and the following [that's built] over the past few months has been amazing.

"We're sometimes seen as the little brothers from across the ditch. They've had the wood on us for the last few years but we're slowly starting to even the ledger.

"As a kid it was always New Zealand v Australia in the backyard."

That regular staple, the 1981 underarm incident, also got an airing in the questions, but Southee dismissed it as a motivational factor.

"A few of us were a bit young to see it, but know it happened. We haven't heard too much about it this week."