January 30, 2007	Tuesday	Muharram 10, 1428

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PERTH, Jan 29: New Zealand's improving one-day side have a genuine chance at the upcoming World Cup, according to Australian wicket-keeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist.

The Australians are short-priced favourites to win their third World Cup in succession in the Caribbean and are unbeaten in the triangular one-day series against the Black Caps and England.

However, the Kiwis have gone close to beating the Australians in their last two encounters and Gilchrist said their impressive form was no fluke.

On Sunday, the Australians scored a WACA record 343-5, but a Jacob Oram century saw the Kiwis fall just eight runs short in the chase.

Gilchrist noted that the Black Caps nearly won despite resting pacemen Shane Bond, who boasts an amazing record against Australia, and James Franklin from the game.

“They are a very dangerous team at full strength,” Gilchrist said on Monday.

“They weren't at full strength yesterday – Bond was out and Franklin has been playing in their first picked team recently.

“They have got Oram back and that gives them a nice balance with bat and ball. They are a dangerous team, there is no doubt about it.

“They are a team we have to look out for in this competition and teams in the World Cup will have to watch them.”

He expects the Black Caps to be Australia's opponents in the tri-series finals and said they had “great potential”.

Gilchrist said one of New Zealand's strengths was their batting depth, particularly when they are chasing a target.

“Guys like Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum and even Daniel Vettori, that middle to lower order is an extremely dangerous part of their batting line-up,” he said.

“They've chased us down before and got close a few times, so we know they can do it. They like to chase, they have proven that and they have stated that.”

Meanwhile, Oram used a jibe in the Australian press as a spur to produce the fastest century by a Kiwi batsman in One-day Internationals.

Writing in The Australian on Jan 23, Andrew Ramsey described Oram, who had just rejoined the New Zealand squad after injury, as a “poor man's Chris Cairns”, referring to the big-hitting former Kiwi all-rounder.

The often injury-plagued 28-year-old responded with successive career-best performances with the bat.

The towering all-rounder made 86 against England in Adelaide last week and then smashed his maiden One-day International century on Sunday, making 101 not out.

Oram, who averages just a fraction under 40 with the bat in Test cricket, took just 71 balls to reach his century and cleared the fence six times in the process.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said the comment in The Australian had stung Oram into action.

“He was irked by one of the press calling him a 'poor man's Chris Cairns,” Fleming said.

“That really spurred him, surprisingly, because he is a fine player. He can strike the ball as well as anyone in world cricket,” Fleming said.

Ironically, Cairns was one of the previous record holders for New Zealand's fastest limited-overs century, he and Craig McMillan both making 75-ball hundreds.

Oram's innings was also the fastest ever limited-overs hundred against Australia.

Fleming conceded Oram, who has taken 100 wickets in 89 games, was yet to regain his best form with the ball, his seamers costing 50 runs from just five overs against Australia on Sunday.

However, Fleming is confident Oram's bowling will improve as he plays more games and will further strengthen their team.

“We'd like a little more with the ball and that would give us more options in terms of the two spinners,” he said.

“But with the bat, and his off-field contribution, it is great to have him back.”

Gilchrist, no stranger himself to batting blitzkriegs, said Oram was one of the best strikers of the ball in world cricket and compared him to Andrew Symonds.

“He is a very clean hitter and strong bloke,” he said. “It seems like his mis-hits go for six. He's in the same category as Andrew Symonds I think.”—AFP