We need partnerships - Vettori

BY KEN BORLAND

Building partnerships would be the answer to New Zealand's recent batting woes as they enter the Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa, captain Daniel Vettori said yesterday.

The Black Caps' batting failed miserably in a triangular one-day series involving Sri Lanka and India earlier this month, being bowled out for 119 and 115 in their two games.

They were also dismissed for 173 by Sri Lanka A in a one-day warm-up match before the triangular series.

"The lack of consistency in the batting is a worry and there may be a lack of competition for places," Vettori told reporters in Johannesburg.

"But the batsmen all have pretty good stats, Grant Elliott and Martin Guptill are averaging nearly 50, and Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum have had great seasons in the past.

"We just need to put it together as a team."

Vettori said the pressure would be on the top-order to build partnerships if his team were to succeed.

"The team that steps up with partnerships will be the team to win the tournament," Vettori said.

"We haven't been doing that of late, particularly in Sri Lanka and across all formats of the game. Partnerships will win this tournament."

Vettori warned that his team could find similar conditions in South Africa to those they struggled on in Sri Lanka.

"Both our coach (Andy Moles) and assistant coach (Mark O'Donnell) have extensive experience with domestic teams here and there's been a lot of talk about the early-season pitches being slow.

"We'll have to wait and see what we get."

Vettori, his country's most successful spin bowler, can at least rely on a decent pace bowling attack after the return to the team of Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey, who had been playing for an unsanctioned Indian league and barred from internationals.

"Shane Bond played all the games in Sri Lanka and, although Daryl Tuffey played just one, the experience they bring is great and they both have very good records.

"There's a lot of competition in the seam bowling department and any good team has that."

New Zealand are in Group B and will open their campaign against hosts South Africa in Centurion on September 24 before meeting Sri Lanka again on September 27 in Johannesburg. England are the other team in the group.

Australia, West Indies, India and Pakistan are in Group A.

The tournament begins on September 22 with South Africa meeting Sri Lanka in Centurion.

- Reuters