http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 captain Daniel Vettori plans to stick to winning formula in 2nd ODI at Queenstown
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is keen on sticking to the winning combination that helped the Black Caps stop their run of 11 consecutive defeats in the ODI format. The hosts thrashed a limp Pakistani side
in the opening match of the six-match series played at the Westpac stadium in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wellington-c864.
The match ended well in time as the men in green folded for a measly 124 runs, before handing the match on a platter to the hosts who cantered home inside 18 overs.
The introduction of South African fast bowling legend Allan Donald in the coaching department paid rich dividends in the very first outing as Tim Southee, Hamish Bennett and Jacob Oram broke the back of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755
batting line-up. Southee claimed 5 wickets while Bennett and Oram managed 3 and 2 scalps respectively.
Vettori has stated that the team management wants to stick to the same bowlers and have them bowl in the order that they did in the opening match. James Franklin is likely to partner Southee again at the start
of the bowling innings, while the strapping Bennett is better suited to first or second change.
The 23-year-old is regarded by many as the quickest bowler in the team, and he generated steep pace and bounce throughout the opening ODI. Indeed, he made the Pakistani batsmen hop and jump around besides getting
exaggerated movement off the seam.
"I think we'll look to use James, particularly in Queenstown where the wicket probably suits the swing and seam bowler," Vettori said. "When we get to the likes of Hamilton and Napier, maybe we'll revisit it on
the flatter wickets. On Bennett’s placement, he said, “I think that's where he's most comfortable, but if he keeps bowling as well as he did [on Saturday], there's no reason why he can't step up into that opening role. We just hope he keeps performing that
way."
Meanwhile, Bennett, who was playing his first match in his home country after taking part in two ODIs against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, revealed that that he had little experience of bowling at the Westpac stadium, which has
been introduced as an international venue only a few years ago. He hoped that the bowlers would have similar conditions to the one they found in the opening match.
He added that despite the favourable situation for the bowlers, he found the goings tough due to the heavy wind pressure.
"I think Franky and Timmy do a good job swinging the new ball so we've got to use that, especially with the conditions we had [on Saturday]," he said. "I probably rely more on bounce so if I can use that and bowl
a heavy nut it's going to help." I've never bowled [at the stadium] before so it was quite funny, it always felt like you were bowling into [the wind], so I found that quite tough. Hopefully in Queenstown I have the wind at my back. I think in Bangladesh last
year I got clocked just under 145kmh so if I can get the conditions going my way, hopefully a bit quicker but who knows? If it's not in the right area it doesn't really matter, does it?"
Bennett is being hailed as a solid future prospect for the team, especially since he can bowl the ball at a searing pace and jostle the best in the business; however, it remains to be seen if he can keep up the
momentum and trouble the fragile Pakistani batting line-up in the remaining matches of the series.
The two teams would play through to the early part of next month and would have barely a week or two to rest in before the World, Cup which starts on the 19th of February.
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