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| New Zealand’s dispiriting defeat at Old Trafford was cited by Daniel Vettori as the turning point of the series © Getty Images |
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Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, may have some way to go before hecan begin to emulate the astute leadership of his predecessor, StephenFleming. But after losing the third Test against England at TrentBridge, along with the series, he demonstrated the same despondencyabout New Zealand’s future at Test level that Fleming voiced for somany years.The end was quick and painless, like a plaster being removed, and asVettori licked his lesions, he admitted that England had dominatedthem ever since that fateful day at Old Trafford when New Zealand wereblitzed by Monty Panesar.”I don’t want to take anything away from England,” he said. “They’vedominated since the third day at Old Trafford, they’re deserved winnersand they’ve thoroughly outplayed us from that point on, so we’d liketo think the gap is smaller but we have to appreciate how well Englandplayed and they made the most of everything they did. Particularlytheir swing bowlers.”It probably sums up the state of affairs we are in,” he said. “We were able tocompete for some of the time but unable to compete for a whole fivedays. If you look back to the last six Test matches, the only time wewere able to do that was at Hamilton – which we won. Unfortunatelyevery other time we haven’t been able to keep up to the pace ofEngland.”I guess it’s a lack of ability on our part, maybe a lack of fortitudeas well. It’s something we’ve got to find a way to do. But havingsaid that we’ve still got a number of guys who have played under 10Tests so it’s hard to put any blame on them. It’s more the experiencedguys who need to stand up and take control of the situations.”England took just 63 minutes to take the final five New Zealandwickets – 5 for 35 in 40 clinical balls – with Ryan Sidebottomreturning to somewhere near his best in picking up his fifthfive-wicket haul. Only Jacob Oram resisted, clattering the unusuallywayward Stuart Broad over midwicket for one ofonly two sixes in the match, and showing the sort of aggression andintent so lacking from New Zealand’s top-order throughout this series.Indeed, Vettori laid the blame for their successive series defeatsfirmly at the feet of his more wizened charges.”The experienced members have to step up at the crucial moments,” hesaid. “We did at times, not at others. Brendon and mine’s performanceswere decent and I’m reasonably happy with them, but when you’ve got ayoung team…you’ve got to take them along with you. You’ve got pocketsof performances from some of the young guys like Ross [Taylor], withhis 150; Jamie How, who I think averaged over 40 for us. So littlethings like that you take with you, but experienced performers muststand up at all times.”The fact we performed for pockets of the Test match but not for thewhole five days is what’s letting us down, and the only way you canrectify that is by playing more and giving young guys like DanielFlynn, Jamie How, Ross Taylor the chance to play day after day of Testcricket. That’s not going to happen. We don’t have too much say in ourscheduling but we’ve got to make the most of these Test series whenthey do come along. If they’re going to be few and far between, we’vegot to perform when we do turn up.”
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| The fact we performed for pockets of the Test match but not for thewhole five days is what’s letting us down, and the only way you canrectify that is by playing more – Daniel Vettori on New Zealand’s inexperience |
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The most telling problem to blight New Zealand’s cricket over the pastdecade was observed by their coach, John Bracewell, before the firstTest at Lord’s. Speaking candidly at the press conference, headmitted: “We don’t play enough Test cricket. [Brendon] McCullum madehis Test debut three matches before Andrew Strauss did and withoutmissing a single match has played 32 Tests. In the same time Strauss,who missed a series, has played 46.” Strauss, the Man of the Series, can now expect to bring up his half-century of caps when South Africa come to Lord’s in July. Who knows how long McCullum will have to wait for his milestone.It is not a problem easily rectifiable in these changing times.One-day cricket – the format which most suits New Zealand – dominates.And Twenty20 has the potential to leapfrog 50-over cricket as thegame’s principle format, if it hasn’t done so already. Vettori – whostill looks far too young to have played 84 Test matches – insistswhere his allegiances lie, in spite of representing Delhi Daredevilsin the recently concluded Indian Premier League. And in spite of NewZealand’s continually poor Test record – the last time they won aseries was in 2006, beating West Indies 2-0.”From a personal point of view [Test matches] are my favourite part ofthe game,” he said. “It’s the hardest part of the game and themost rewarding. You never hurt this much from a one-day loss or aTwenty20 loss and you’re never as elated with the same. Test cricketis the most important thing for a lot of guys around the world, but westill have to back that these forms of the game are coming into it …and if we can find a window, then hopefully that will sort outeveryone’s problems.”The sporting phrase of choice these days appears to be “journey”, andVettori’s trip as captain – to a destination yet unknown – will belong and draining. As these six Tests against England havedemonstrated, their inability to string consistent performances overfive days has cost them dearly, and not even Vettori’s intellectualleadership can provided any viable solution.