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CANBERRA, Oct 23: New Zealand manager Jeff Crowe laughed off suggestions Tuesday that the Kiwis had a weak bowling attack for their three-Test tour of Australia.
The tourists will be without injured left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori for at least the first two Tests of the series, which starts Nov 8 in Brisbane.
Crowe said he was hopeful Vettori, 22, who has taken 106 wickets at an average of 32.62 in 31 Tests, would return for the third Test in Perth starting on Nov 30.
Crowe said Vettori, who injured his ankle when fielding off his own bowling against Australian Capital Territory Invitation XI Sunday, would be sent home Thursday for treatment on torn ankle ligaments.
The Australian newspaper headlined a back-page story Tuesday: “Vettori’s exit reduces NZ to popgun attack”.
“We don’t read the media,” Crowe said. “The fact is we just get on and do our job.”
Opener Matthew Bell (107 retired) and Mathew Sinclair (145) did just that for New Zealand Tuesday, sharing a second-wicket partnership of 202.
New Zealand declared at 340 for four after the home side had made 439 for six declared and finished on 39 for none in their second innings at Manuka Oval.
Jack Smith (156) and Grant Lambert (101) made centuries in the first innings against the New Zealand attack, which must find some form ahead of next month’s Test series against the world’s top team.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said after the game that the bowling of all-rounder Chris Cairns, who completed match figures of one for 130 from 29 overs, could be better assessed on a Test-standard pitch.
Cairns was making his comeback from knee surgery.
New Zealand’s third tour match is a three-day game against a Queensland President’s XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane starting Friday.
ACT INVITATION XI (1st Innings) 439-6 dec (J.K. Smith 156, G.M. Lambert 101, D.S. Hazell 56, M.J. Phelps 51).
NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings, overnight 133-1):
M.H. Richardson c Dawson b L’bert 31
M.D. Bell retired 107
M.S. Sinclair c Heath b Clark 145
N.J. Astle lbw b Lambert 23
L. Vincent b Heath 4
G.P. Sulzberger not out 5
S.B. O’Connor not out 9
EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-14) 16
TOTAL (for four dec, 127 overs) 340
FALL OF WKTS: 1-65, 2-267, 3-321, 4-327.
BOWLING: Heath 32-8-90-1 (3nb); Kellar 19-7-44-0 (1nb); Lambert 33-4-89-2 (7nb); Clark 24-7-52-1 (1nb); Axelby 12-4-33-0 (2nb); Robson 5-0-26-0; Smith 2-1-4-0.
ACT INVITATION XI (2nd Innings):
J.K. Smith not out 24
D.G. Dawson not out 10
EXTRAS (B-4, NB-1) 5
TOTAL (for no wkt, 12 overs) 39
BOWLING: Cairns 4-1-15-0 (1nb); O’Connor 4-1-14-0; Sinclair 2-0-5-0; Martin 2-1-1-0.—Reuters
