By RICHARD BOOCK
ADELAIDE - It might be 70 years since the Don smashed an unbeaten 299 against South Africa on this ground, but the New Zealand pace bowlers will insist that precious little has changed since - particularly in terms of the pitch.
Whatever refurbishment has taken place since the wonder years, the 22 yards in the middle has retained its reputation for being one of the flattest batting strips in the world, something the New Zealand quicks were appreciating long before stumps were drawn last night.
Having been required to bowl first in temperatures above 30 degrees, the tourists fought tenaciously on the tarmac-like surface to restrict South Australia to 281 for eight at the close.
The chief beneficiaries were David Fitzgerald, who made 50, and Greg Blewett - who cracked his third century of the summer while looking a class above any other batsman on show.
From New Zealand's perspective, this was the match in which the three pace bowlers not used in the first test were supposed to press their claims for a berth at Hobart, particularly after the loss of Dion Nash and the injury cloud over Shayne O'Connor.
As it turned out, however, it quickly descended into one of those games where the fast bowlers had more chance of playing themselves out of the test team, than into it.
It was a close thing, but the initial pick of the trio was probably Daryl Tuffey, who moved the ball around a bit when it was new and took the only wicket to fall in the opening session, before returning to capture a couple after lunch.
Although it was a promising start for the tall right-armer, it all turned to custard later in the day as he bowled both sides of the wicket and either dropped short or pitched to full, and then came back to bowl a nine-ball over with the second new ball.
Without any assistance from the pitch in terms of pace or bounce, Martin struggled for penetration and suffered at the hands of Blewett, and Shane Bond was economical but hardly threatening in his first spell for New Zealand.
The most encouraging sign was the sight of Vettori wheeling down 30 overs and finding a reasonable rhythm along the way. He collected three wickets after somehow extracting some life from a pitch which was otherwise clinically dead.
Vettori, who looked to have lost some form at Brisbane, had opener Fitzgerald caught at short third-man while attempting to force the pace; Darren Lehmann skying a catch to Bond at mid-off before he had scored, and Ben Higgins expertly caught in the gully by Mathew Sinclair.
It was an improved performance from the key left-armer.
Meanwhile, not only have the Australian selectors named an unchanged team to take on New Zealand at Hobart, but skipper Steve Waugh has promised a better performance than at Brisbane.
Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel.
Cricket: Fast bowlers struggle on flat strip in battle to nail test spots
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.