WELLINGTON Dec 14 (Reuters) – While New Zealand basks
in the glory of a first test match win over Australia in more
than 18 years, national cricket coach John Wright put the
victory in perspective and again told his top order batsmen they
must put more runs on the board.
The Black Caps beat Australia by seven runs in the second
test at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Monday to record their first
win over their closest neighbours since 1993, and first across
the Tasman since 1985.
New Zealand will look to build on the victory when they host
Zimbabwe early next year before South Africa, the world’s third
ranked test side, arrive for a series in February and March.
Wright, a former New Zealand opening batsman, said his
batters would have to improve.
“We won a test match without scoring 300 runs in any
innings, which usually isn’t enough,” said Wright, who had urged
his batsmen to raise their game after a nine-wicket loss in the
first test in Brisbane.
“The expectation in the top six is that you have to get
runs. I’m fairly confident we have got the best players, but we
just didn’t handle the conditions particularly well.
“In the end if you’re not getting runs then your position
becomes part of speculation. You can’t not score runs and expect
to make the team.”
Neither side scored more than 240 in an innings in the
Hobart match with only Australian opener David Warner (123 not
out) and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor and Dean Brownlie passing 50.
Of particular concern for Wright is the poor form of Jesse
Ryder, who was shunted up and down the order and scored just 58
runs at 14.50 in the Australia tests.
Continued…
