Cricket: Batting changes loom for NZ

A desperate New Zealand will push their key men higher up the batting order as they look to keep the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy cricket series alive against Australia here tomorrow.

In what could be bad news for opener Peter Ingram and perhaps even Neil Broom, coach Mark Greatbatch today admitted changes needed to be made to the misfiring top order after Australia's six-wicket canter in Hamilton.

Chasing just 246 to win, they got there with 16 balls to spare last night thanks to opener Brad Haddin's second one-day century, and now have all the momentum at 2-1 heading to the fourth one-dayer here at Eden Park.

Ingram, who has scored 40, 14 and five in the series, could potentially make way, meaning Martin Guptill to open with Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor at three and potential promotions for key men Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori.

"Our best players have got to get in a position in the order to try and win this game of cricket," Greatbatch said.

"You've got McCullum, Taylor, Guptill, and Vettori comes into that. We might have missed a beat with Dan and he's a bit reluctant to go up sometimes. We need to get our best players in certain areas of that order to create that momentum we're looking for.

"There's lots of options and you'll see some changes."

Taylor made a welcome return from a hamstring strain and topscored with 62 yesterday before skying a hook shot after New Zealand slumped to 55 for three.

Styris has been New Zealand's most consistent batsman with scores of 49 not out, 46 and 41, but oddly hasn't batted above No 6, while Vettori scored a stunning 70 off 49 balls at Eden Park last Saturday from the lowly perch of No 8.

The New Zealand team headed up the motorway from Hamilton today with some attending Auckland Cup day at Ellerslie and others requiring fitness tests as they retained an expanded squad of 15.

Greatbatch expressed confidence that James Franklin (hamstring) and Daryl Tuffey (calf) could be passed fit for tomorrow to bolster the bowling stocks.

Although defending a substandard 245 at Seddon Park, just four specialist bowlers, Styris and part-timer Guptill left them a touch thin.

"You've got to give players opportunities but you also have to balance it with your best players. The players coming back, if they're fit, will make us stronger, then have a little bit of tinkering with that batting order."

The focus would be on the batting and trying to maintain early wickets and play each delivery on its merits, so the batting power play could actually have some late impact.

Dangerman Mitchell Johnson, who's taken seven for 95 in Australia's back-to-back victories, would also have to be treated with more caution, Greatbatch said.

"With our batting six guys got to 20 and only one passed 60. Everyone got starts we just need to nail it. We want two guys to push on. Our bowlers stuck at it pretty well considering our target wasn't good enough.

"It's a good opportunity to go back at them, they're in front and we're going to Eden Park which is a famous ground for New Zealand sport. We win there a lot so it's an opportunity to have a crack at them."

New Zealand will clearly prefer chasing runs on the odd-shaped Eden Park after Australian captain Ricky Ponting changed tack yesterday and sent the hosts into bat.

It worked as his pacemen put New Zealand under early heat and they never recovered.

Said Ponting: "I think it's probably New Zealand's favoured way of playing as well is to chase runs. I know a couple of series here in the past they have done it well against us. We did that really well (in Hamilton).

"Back to Auckland, that's a ground where chasing runs is pretty achievable as well so we will think about that again."