'NZ can reflect on the ballet-shoed foot they apply'

Conservatism is the limiting factor for New Zealand

Lynn McConnell

November 23, 2004

Ian Butler was fit but not selected for Brisbane © Getty Images

The old adage that when making an important decision you should go with your first instinct was not applied by New Zealand in their choices for the first Test against Australia. They suffered accordingly.

Their innings-and-156-run defeat at Brisbane was a harrowing reminder that attempting to match the world champions should be a risk-free business, and baulking at following the instincts that resulted in the initial team selection did not bode well for New Zealand.

They also had to remember that they had lost the surprise value associated with their last campaign in Australia, and they had added nothing to the bowling package that was going to allow them to add to the relative success of that occasion, if a result-free series can be judged a success.

But the legacy of this humbling defeat, with their 76 the third-lowest score in New Zealand's history against Australia in yet another lamentable second innings, will be the fact that this batting effort probably ranks worse than the 42 and 54 suffered at the hands of Bill Brown's side in 1945-46. New Zealand's captain Walter Hadlee erred in batting first on a wet pitch on that occasion, and his side had had no real cricket since before the start of the Second World War, six years earlier.

In the wash-up of this tour, one of the more intriguing points will be the explanation for the change of heart surrounding the inclusion of Craig McMillan and the non-selection of Hamish Marshall and Ian Butler.

These factors alone would not have changed the probable outcome of a victory to Australia, but they might have made New Zealand more competitive - and Butler's selection at least might have provided the hurry-up New Zealand needed to end the match-breaking last-wicket partnership between Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath.

Certainly, there was nothing in this performance that warranted McMillan's inclusion. And after Mathew Sinclair's first-innings performance, the prospect must be that McMillan will face a long period in exile.

However, the instinct that suggested Marshall was worth trying in the initial squad should have been persevered with, and as it turned out, nothing would have been lost. The fall-back option suggested nervousness about the original selection that did not reflect well on the selection process.

Vettori was New Zealand's last selectorial gamble © Getty Images

That fall-back option also typified the conservatism in talent identification that has been the bane of modern New Zealand cricket. The last time a bold selection was made was with the choice of Daniel Vettori straight out of school. And even that decision wasn't made by a New Zealander, but by the then coach Steve Rixon, an Aussie. Had it been left to New Zealand's selectors, Vettori may have waited another two or three years before getting an international call-up.

In licking their wounds - which are not by any means mortal - New Zealand can reflect on the ballet-shoed foot that they seem to apply to the throat of opposing sides in the middle stages of matches. A much heavier boot would have seen off Pakistan, South Africa, and England in matches where the lack of finishing finesse has cost the side dearly, and would have made Australia work harder for success on this occasion.

Stephen Fleming's men, 18 months ago, were on the cusp of being regarded as New Zealand's most successful team - but they have retreated from that heady position and are back among the also-rans, lacking the basic savvy to know how to win a match against half-decent, let alone better, opposition.

It has become a crisis of confidence, and there is no point in saying things might have been different had Shane Bond been available. He has only played ten Test matches, and had not become a regular enough player in the side to have had a longer-term impact.

New Zealand were on the wrong end of the worst umpiring decisions in the match, but they appeared to let that affect them, while bad fielding was just as responsible in contributing to their below-par performance.

And speaking of decisions, it was a little rich to see Adam Gilchrist teeing off at McMillan. Gilchrist, when on 7, had been the beneficiary of one of the more charitable leg-before decisions, but when where the benefit of the doubt was given to the McMillan, he let rip. And Gilchrist might now well say that the end justified the means as McMillan was out next ball.

Which about summed up New Zealand's match ...

Lynn McConnell is a freelance journalist in New Zealand

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