Daniel Vettori closing in on 100 tests

PHIL REID/The Dominion Post

ON 99 AS OF TOMORROW: Daniel Vettori at Black Caps training at the Basin Reserve.

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Daniel Vettori is within touching distance of his coveted cricketing milestone and is determined to mark it in style.

The New Zealand captain will lead his side onto the Basin Reserve against Australia tomorrow for his 99th test, within one of joining his former skipper Stephen Fleming (111) as the country's only test cricketing centurions.

"I'm just trying to get it out of the way. You want to play a huge part in the series but once that 100th one is over then I'll look towards Stephen's record," Vettori said today.

"To play 100 tests was always my primary goal when I started and to be able to tick it off at my home ground against Australia will be something special."

For the statistically minded Vettori, who debuted 13 years ago, the century will fittingly come up against his favourite opponents in next week's second test at Seddon Park, Hamilton, the city he grew up in.

First things first, and 31-year-old Vettori will bat No 6 and settle in for a heavy bowling workload at a breezy Basin Reserve in the next five days, on a pitch expected to offer little turn but encouraging bounce.

"Normally you camp down one end (into the wind) and try to tie it up for the seamers coming down the other end," he said.

"The key for me is to not get too aggressive when you're bowling into it because you have a role, same as the seamers. That's why Iain O'Brien was so successful, just running in and putting it in the right areas.

"It's one of your biggest challenges in test cricket (playing Australia). If you can't get up for that then you're not going to get up for much.

"They've got some of the best batsmen in the world, so to compete and do well against them should be the thing you look forward to."

Vettori has played 16 tests against Australia - including for the World 11 in 2005 - and taken 57 wickets at 35.33. His overall numbers are 318 wickets at 33.61.

New Zealand haven't beaten Australia in a test since 1993 but Vettori has gone close; including his best test figures of seven for 87 in Auckland in 2000 and a memorable six for 87 in Perth in 2001 as Australia's tailenders just held on at the end.

But it's been leaner times of late. Vettori hasn't taken a five-wicket bag in New Zealand's last four tests against their trans-Tasman rivals, since his five for 106 in Christchurch in 2005.

- NZPA