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New Zealand team likely to be boosted by Fleming's return
WELLINGTON: A reinvigorated New Zealand cricket team is likely to be further lifted by the return of captain Stephen Fleming in the third match of the Chappell-Hadlee limited overs series against Australia at Christchurch on Saturday. Fleming missed the first two matches of the series, both won by Australia, while recovering from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his jaw.
He played in a four-day domestic match for his province Wellington this week, scoring 62 in Wellington's only innings, and seems likely to return to international play Saturday, replacing Daniel Vettori as captain.
Australia won the opening match of the series in Auckland by 147 runs, dismissing New Zealand for 105. But the Kiwis regained some confidence when they scored 320 in Wellington on Wednesday to lose the second match by only two runs.
The Wellington loss was New Zealand's sixth consecutive in one-day matches after its 4-0 drubbing in South Africa in November, and its 14th against Australia in the teams' last 15 meetings. But there was more character in New Zealand's performance on Wednesday that recently and Fleming's return is likely to further bolster his team's strength and confidence.
"I think we've made a lot of progress as a unit," coach John Bracewell said. "Each batter looked independently at what they had to do to try and win the game. To get confronted with such a score and respond as they did, it was a magnificent achievement." While Fleming is set to return on Saturday, fast bowler Shane Bond is likely to be unavailable because of the hamstring injury which ruled him out of the first two matches.
Australia will be without bowling spearhead Brett Lee, who has returned home for nasal surgery. His place has been taken by Queensland fast bowler Mitchell Johnson.
Lee is again a figure of controversy in New Zealand after bowling a high full toss at Kiwi wicketkeeper Brendan McCullum in the final stages of Wednesday's match, the fifth "beamer" he has bowled at a New Zealand batsman in the past year.
Bracewell has refused comment on the incident after attacking Lee over similar deliveries last year. Both Lee and Australian captain Ricky Ponting insist the incidents were accidental. Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Adam Parore said Friday he fears Brett Lee could kill a batsman unless measures are introduced to stop beam balls.
"I don't think he is doing it deliberately, but he probably needs the ropes put on him," Parore told the Adelaide Advertiser in Australia. "It's a bit too regular. If he was unlucky, there is a very real possibility he could kill someone."
Lee was the focus of crowd misbehavior in the Auckland match and his withdrawal from the Australian side may be partly intended to prevent further incidents in Christchurch.
Teams:
Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Hussey, Brad Hodge, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Brad Hogg, Andrew Symonds, Cameron White, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Lewis, Mitchell Johnson.
New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Kyle Mills, Chris Martin.
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