Rowe anguish fires World Cup push

England Women endured the anguish of a defeat in the final of the Women's World T20 to Australia but for Susie Rowe, her frustration was multiplied by having to watch the tournament from her home in Kent.

Rowe, a lower-order batsman, had been a feature of the England T20 side that won 29 out of 32 completed matches since her debut against Sri Lanka in November 2010. She made 20 appearances before breaking a thumb in the second of a five-match T20 series against West Indies, which England won 4-1. The injury at Old Trafford ruled her out of the Women's World T20.

"I've never felt anything quite like it really," she told BBC Radio Kent. "The moment I had that X-ray and put into terms what that actually meant, missing the World T20, there's no way I can describe that feeling."

England fared well in Rowe's absence, comfortably winning four matches en route to the final. But they failed to regain the title they won in 2009, losing to Australia by four runs.

"It was very painful to not be there," Rowe said, having been forced to become an armchair supporter. "Seeing them on TV when I wasn't there was a bit strange to get my head around. I think my niece heard a few swear words. I was getting quite into it."

Rowe will now turn her attentions to the longer format of the game, targeting a place in the squad for the Women's World Cup in India in February next year. She has something to prove having only made one ODI appearance. "My forte is more Twenty20," she conceded. "The 50-over format has no guarantees for me. I'll be looking to get into that final 15 for the World Cup. I need to work hard and put in good performances in training."

England will travel to India as defending champions, having won the 2009 World Cup with a four-wicket win over Australia. Rowe is keen to quickly regain her fitness and begin pressing a claim for more caps in the 50-over side. "To be honest, they know generally who they want to take," Rowe said. "I'm going to do everything that I can to try and put my case forward."

She began by entering the Great South Run. "I'm literally twiddling my thumbs at the moment for rehab. I hope to be training properly in a couple of weeks once I get my thumb fully strong and mobile. I've started batting already but I feel like a village cricketer at the moment."

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Title win was no fluke - Haddin

Brad Haddin, the victorious Sydney Sixers captain, has said his side's comprehensive ten-wicket-win in the Champions League final was no fluke, and that they had been preparing for the big game for over two weeks. The Sixers restricted the home side Lions to a below-par 121 on a Wanderers pitch expected to favour the batsmen, and needed just 12.3 overs to chase the target.

The Sixers, winners of the Big Bash League in Australia, were the only team to remain unbeaten throughout the tournament. They began with a 14-run win in a high-scorer against Chennai Super Kings and won their next three matches convincingly until they were stretched to the final ball in the semi-final against the Titans.

"We've been building for this the last two weeks. If you look at the start of the tournament we were very nervous," Haddin said. "We had a lot of nervous energy in the first game and the semi-final, but leading into today's game we were quite relaxed. I'm just glad it came on the big stage. We've worked hard and the performance tonight wasn't a fluke."

The Sixers had one of the strongest seam-bowling attacks in the competition, comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. However, Haddin chose to open with his spinners, Nathan McCullum and Steve O'Keefe, and the change in strategy worked in the Sixers' favour as the Lions top order suffered a meltdown. The hosts were reeling at 9 for 4 and despite a fighting innings by Jean Symes, the Lions couldn't post a challenging total.

Haddin said giving the second over to the left-arm spinner O'Keefe was a spontaneous decision.

"I made the decision to give O'Keefe the second over after the fourth ball of the first, but I was always going to open with McCullum," Haddin said. "They would have been looking at our fast bowlers leading to this game and I don't think their two openers would have been thinking too much about our spinners. Tonight it paid off. I think the Lions were quite surprised we did that. They (spinners) allowed our quicks, the best bowlers, to bowl the last ten overs.

Haddin said the win was a result of contributions from several players. "I said to our guys at the start of the game that there's going to be some big moments and if we did the simple things right then they will crack before us, and they did. We did very well in the BBL with our fielding, it won us a lot of games or put us in good positions," Haddin said.

"We built a lot of pressure, we were able to get wickets early, which in Twenty20 is a big bonus. In the first over, Nathan was hit for a six but came back and took a wicket."

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'Our worst game' - Petersen

There is a lot to be said for an honest assessment of a bad performance, and Lions' captain Alviro Petersen managed to say it all. With a straight face, he summed up their showing in the final as nothing short of what it was: abjectly poor.

"We just played some terrible cricket. We kept our worst game for last," Petersen said, without flinching as he handed down a damning judgment. "We're going to have to forget this final quickly and move on because there is nothing we can take out of it. I spoke about us running at 75% in the group stage and in the semi-final we got up to 85%. Today, we were at about 50%."

After two weeks of surprising everyone, including three of the four IPL teams and themselves, the Lions just couldn't manage it one more time. Their batting, which threatened to fall apart, did and the bowlers could do nothing but the necessary to hand Sydney a comprehensive win.

On the face of it, it would seem the big stage was a platform too big for the Lions. At 9 for 4, something more than just a better team had taken hold of them but Petersen could not pinpoint what. "I don't know if it was the occasion," he said. But Brad Haddin said the Lions were "surprised," by Sydney's tactics of using two spinners to open and had probably been focusing so much on the quicks that they forgot about the rest of the attack.

What that did was allow Sydney to keep their best bowlers for the latter parts of the innings, where the Lions have been strong in this competition. This time, too, they showed glimpses of that when Jean Symes led the fightback. "At one stage, it looked like we could get to 140 and then we could have competed," Petersen said, admitting that the eventual 121 was not enough.

Despite Sydney's success with spin, Petersen did not think the Lions could have tried the same thing, because of the change in conditions after dark. "When the sun was out, the ball just gripped a bit for the spinners but then in the evening it just skidded on," he said. "We knew that we had to do something [with the ball early on] and it would be our seamers who had to it. They bowled nicely in the first few overs but then…"

But then there were two catches dropped in the field and Sydney were given a free pass. Petersen was particularly irritated with those lapses. "Up until today, I think we had only dropped one catch in the tournament when we put Kevin Pietersen down and then we doubled our count with that today," he said.

He was annoyed that the Lions had undone the hard work of a good run to the final but not angry with his men for their failures. "I can't be [angry] because at the start of this tournament if someone said we would play in the final, I would have told them we are smelling their socks," he said. "We're obviously disappointed to go out like this."

Despite the heartache of losing, Petersen was able to identify many positives for the Lions. "We played good cricket up until today. Different guys stood up at different times," he said. "Now we've got to try and build for the future. Guys like Dwaine Pretorius and Quinton de Kock got that experience and even though we had two experienced bowlers, the rest learnt a lot from them. I'm really pleased with the way someone like Chris Morris came on."

He also thought some of the Lions' lesser-knowns took their opportunity to make names for themselves which will stand them in good stead for coming seasons. "Jean Symes and Aaron Phangiso have been good performers and in a big tournament like this, if players do well, they tend to stand out."

With those thoughts, rather than the defeat on their minds, Petersen hopes the Lions can make the turnaround quickly. They play their first match of the domestic one-day competition next Friday and Petersen and Thami Tsolekile leave the camp to join the national squad in Australia.

Petersen said he would have liked to have spent more time with them following such a shocking loss, but won't be able to. "It's difficult to leave now because there are a lot of young players who will be hurt but national duty always comes first. The guys will have to find a way of picking themselves up for the one-day cup," he said, leaving them with words of encouragement.

"The expectation on us for the other events will be higher now because we know what we are capable of. There are big things for us waiting around the corner."

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Wade in Test squad, Haddin misses out

Matthew Wade has been confirmed as Australia's first-choice Test wicketkeeper but Brad Haddin remains a "player of significant interest", according to the national selector John Inverarity. Wade was named in a 12-man squad to take on South Africa in the first Test, starting at the Gabba on November 9, and there were no surprises in the group, with Mitchell Starc included and Pat Cummins, who has not played first-class cricket for nearly a year, left out.

The selectors chose four fast men - Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson and Starc - along with the offspinner Nathan Lyon, and the main question in the lead-up to the Test will surround the final make-up of the attack. There were no changes to the top six with the opener Ed Cowan given a chance to make the position his own, after beginning his Test career with encouraging but not outstanding performances against India and West Indies over the past year.

The major decision for Inverarity and his panel was whether to give the gloves to Wade, 24, who was wicketkeeper for the tour of the West Indies in April, or return to the veteran Haddin, 35. Inverarity said both men had made compelling cases for inclusion and while Wade had won his place for the Gabba Test, Haddin, who still holds a Cricket Australia contract, remained in the frame for future international selection.

"Matthew came into the Australian ODI team in February and has since acquitted himself especially well," Inverarity said. "Matthew and Brad both went to the West Indies; Matthew as our preferred ODI and T20 player and Brad as our incumbent and preferred Test match keeper. As is widely known Brad returned to Australia early in the tour due to family circumstances and as a consequence Matthew was our Test keeper for the three Test matches.

"He kept and batted very well and made a match-defining brilliant century in the second innings of the third and final Test against West Indies. Since then he has played and gained valuable experience in England, the UAE and Sri Lanka. As a young player, getting better by the month, he is thoroughly deserving of his retention. While Matthew has been retained as the Test keeper, Brad remains a player of significant interest."

The selectors decided against including Cummins, 19, who is likely to be available for the third Test in Perth after playing Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales over the next few weeks. Injuries and short-form commitments have meant Cummins has not played a first-class match since his Test debut in Johannesburg last November, and with Siddle and Pattinson fit again after missing Australia's most recent Tests in the Caribbean, the selectors decided there was no reason to rush Cummins.

"The last Test match that Australia played, the third Test in the West Indies last April, included Ryan Harris," Inverarity said. "Ryan is continuing his rehabilitation from injury and is unavailable. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson have recovered especially well from the injuries that rendered them unavailable for that last Test in West Indies. In fact, they have been enjoying an ideal preparation for the first Test in Brisbane having played in three Sheffield Shield games with another one to come later this week."

The squad will assemble in Brisbane on Monday and will have three days of training ahead of the first Test. The second Test begins in Adelaide on November 22 and the third Test starts in Perth on November 30.

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Swann cautious ahead of India return

Graeme Swann will travel to India on the verge of becoming England's most successful offspinner in Test cricket but he has cautioned against expectations that his bowling will be the decisive factor in the tourists' attempts to win the series.

Since taking two wickets in his first over of Test cricket in Chennai four years ago, Swann has added a further 190 to the tally to leave him within one wicket of Jim Laker's mark of 193. Although Swann has taken 39 wickets in 2012, his ten victims during the English summer came at an average of 59 and he was dropped for the first time in more than three years when England opted, unsuccessfully, to play four fast bowlers against South Africa at Headingley.

A chronic elbow injury, which has required periods of rest to ameliorate the pain of floating bone fragments near to the nerve, has also dogged Swann. He acknowledges that the expectations of Indian pitches will add to his burden, as England seek to improve on a record that has seen them win just one Test match in the country since 1985, but can take confidence from an impressive record in Asia, which includes taking his second ten-wicket haul in Tests against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

"As a spinner it stands to reason that when you go to the subcontinent people are going to look to you and how you bowl," Swann told the Independent before heading off for England's training camp in Dubai. "But if we do turn up just expecting the spinner to win the series for us then we're screwed.

"The key to Test cricket is that the more you play the more confident you get and the more confident you get ergo you bowl more consistently. Having looked at the schedule I know two of the pitches might turn, in Kolkata and Mumbai. I am not sure about the other two. I have been reliably informed that Nagpur is the flattest wicket ever devised by groundsmen but that was by Cooky, who got a hundred there on his debut."

Alastair Cook, now elevated to the position of England captain, shares with Swann the experience of an impressive debut in India. But Swann was also swift to recall the result of the first Test in 2008, when Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten hundred helped India to reach a fourth-innings target of 387 with six wickets in hand.

"It all started for me there and I can't quite believe it has come round again so quickly," Swann said. "It all seems like a dream when I think about the start of it. I remember the smells that were wafting over the ground when I took the ball. It's all very romantic when I think back.

"The rose-tinted glasses are removed of course because of the fact that we had 360-odd chased down at a canter by Mr Tendulkar. But it's got fond memories for me personally because I did well. To realise that you can compete at a level that you have always had a sneaking suspicion that you weren't good enough for is one of the greatest weights ever to be lifted off your shoulders. I will be indebted to those first two Test matches for making me realise it was just another game of cricket."

Swann will return to India have long since usurped Monty Panesar as England's No. 1 spinner and, despite the protestations to the contrary, his form with the ball will almost certainly be as important to the team as the return of Kevin Pietersen to the fold. The summer rupture between members of the England squad and Pietersen was compounded by a painful series defeat to South Africa, and the loss of the No. 1 ranking, but Cook in his new role has been instrumental in seeking a fresh start.

It was during Pietersen's brief spell as England captain that Swann came into the side and he was among the players Pietersen met with during his "reintegration" process. Swann expressed relief that the situation had been resolved and, after becoming a father for the second time only a week ago, he was perhaps understandably looking forward to focusing on more important issues.

"More than anything it is a good thing it is done and dusted," said Swann. "A line has been drawn under it and the actual cricket can go back to doing the talking rather than off-field antics. I am sure it can get back to how it was. I think a lot depended on Kevin. He seems in a place now where he is happy to play again, he has committed himself to the team and that's good moving forward.

"I think that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet now. I think there has been a bit of honesty and a bit of contriteness from certain parties. I think everybody is fed up with it and that's why we just want to play cricket."

After almost a month off post-World Twenty20, England will begin playing cricket again on Tuesday, with a three-day game against India A. That will be followed by two more warm-up matches, before the first of four Tests begins in Ahmedabad on November 15.

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Turning tracks for England Tests not unfair - Kohli

In wake of the criticism leveled at India over the absence of spinners in the A-team squad that will play England in a warm-up game, batsman Virat Kohli has said there would be nothing unfair with making England play on spinner-friendly pitches in the Tests. On India's tour to England and Australia last year, he said, the conditions during the warm-up games and those in the Test matches were vastly different, which was not 'fair' to India.

"Why not [turning pitches]? We were given flattest of tracks during practice matches in England and Australia and then suddenly presented with a green-top during the Tests," Kohli told PTI. "During practice matches, we would face those 120kmph bowlers … If they [England and Australia] wanted to be fair to us, they could have provided us with same kind of tracks for practice matches, like what were used in Tests.

"Especially, when they knew that visiting teams get very less time to practice. Now they would be playing on turning tracks and definitely would know where they stand."

The tour of India marks the return of Kevin Pietersen to the England side, after a 10-week stand-off with the team. Kohli said he will be under a lot of pressure to perform, especially taking into account England's traditional struggles against spin.

"There will be huge pressure on KP as he has been playing in India for quite some time and considered to be a good batsman against spin.

"You may say that the senior England cricketers have an understanding of these conditions but let me tell you, it's not that easy. You might feel they would like to hit spinners but end up doing exactly opposite."

He pointed to England's tour of the UAE, where they were whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan in the Tests, as an example of England's continuing issues with spin. "That particular series, there wasn't much turn on offer but England couldn't negotiate one quality spinner [Saeed Ajmal]; they lost the battle in their heads."

Kohli also defended his team-mates, saying the talk about them being poor against short-pitched bowling did not make sense. "I have never really understood this theory. Are people like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag poor players of short-pitched bowling? Show me how many Indian players were out to short-pitched deliveries in Australia?

"No batsman in world cricket is comfortable against a good bouncer. If you get a good bouncer, give credit to the bowler rather than finding chinks in batsman's armoury."

Similarly, he backed MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher, saying any criticism directed at them for India's recent poor overseas form was unfounded. "Under him [Dhoni], we have won the World Cup, been No. 1 in Tests ... He has also encouraged the juniors."

"Duncan is also a thorough professional. He would quietly stand in one corner and observe. If he needs to say something, he would come up and give a suggestion. He believes international cricketers know their jobs. If we have lost eight Test matches, blame us and not the coach."

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Smith ready for 'unique challenges' in Australia

South Africa's preparations for their three-Test tour of Australia have hit a speed bump. The team management asked for their three-day practice match in Sydney to be played at venue closer to the first Test in Brisbane, without success.

"We tried hard to move it from Sydney but we haven't had any luck," Graeme Smith, the South Africa Test captain, said prior to the team's departure. "But we'll have to get stuck in and make it count no matter where we play it. We are not going to be able to use that as an excuse."

With no Test matches between the two countries taking place over the festive season, South Africa will play at the Gabba for the first time since readmission. They have only ever played three Test matches at the venue, the last one being in 1963, and lost two of them.

Despite the hiccup in preparation, Gary Kirsten believes the squad will be ready to take on Australia. "We went to England in the same way. We wanted to prepare really well. We didn't want to say too much, we wanted to make our performances count because in a three-match series, one session can make a big difference," Kirsten said.

As was the case with South Africa in England earlier in the year, they may be accused of being undercooked in Australia. Of the touring party, six have not played any competitive cricket since the squad returned from England. Smith, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, Robin Peterson and JP Duminy were given time off, while AB de Villiers has been recovering from a chronic back injury. Morne Morkel, Thami Tsolekile, Alviro Petersen, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis and Jacques Rudolph all took part in the Champions League T20, while Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt and Imran Tahir have played some first-class cricket.

But Kirsten has maintained that action on the field is not as important as the mental aspect of getting ready. Smith believes the team has done as much as they can in that regard. "We know we are going to face some unique challenges in Australia and we will be ready for them," he said.

One of those will be going up against the man who put the foundations in place for their ultimate rise to No.1: Mickey Arthur. Under him, South Africa won in both England and Australia in 2008 and 2009, and his knowledge of the South Africa team may give Australia the advantage. Smith does not see it as too much of a hurdle.

"As a South African, It's not something new that we have had to face [one of our own in another team]. I suppose, if we can put Australia under pressure, we know how Mickey is going to be reacting in the change room. But if I lose sleep over what Mickey is telling Australia that will affect the team," he said.

The other challenge is the battle of the pace attacks. As was the case ahead of the tour to England, this series is being dubbed the battle of the quicks and South Africa have chosen to go in with only their top three and one backup in Kleinvedlt. Some of Australia's options have been on display in the Champions League with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cumming providing a taster for the big meal.

The difference between the two packs could be lack of certainty about who will line-up in Australia's, according to Smith. "We know Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle are their two main guys and they may rotate the youngsters. So it's also a little bit of an unknown, in terms of who they are going to play," Smith said. "It's all guys that we have come across before, though. We have got a really good pace attack as well and hopefully they can attack. Brisbane and Perth could be quite fiery from the sounds of things. We know our attack has the opportunity to exploit things."

While there was suggestion in Australian media that Smith said the South African bowlers will target Ricky Ponting, Smith has denied making any such comments. "I don't look to put his head on a mantelpiece. He has done well and he deserves all the respect in the world. Our job is to go there and make sure that he doesn't perform," Smith said. "With our bowling attack, we need to be able to put all the Australia batsmen under pressure. We do have a proven bowling attack that has travelled the world and done well, so we are not going headhunting."

Instead, South Africa will focus on stopping an Australian side that Smith said will be bullish. "They are on a momentum shift and an upward curve, and they would believe they are going to beat us there, but it's well known that we've got some really quality players as well."

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Home favourites v tournament favourites

Match facts

October 28, 2012
Start time 1730 local (1530 GMT)

Big Picture

The Champions League T20 may be the ugly step-sister of the cricketing world, with most fans giving it the cold shoulder, but for many of the players involved the final will be the biggest payday of their lives. With the champions getting a cool $2.5m, the money on offer will bump players, especially those who aren't part of national teams or aren't globetrotting T20 specialists, up a tax bracket or two. Adding to the occasion will be the sell-out crowd at one of cricket's iconic venues, the Wanderers Stadium, which will make it among the biggest audiences some of the domestic players will play in front of.

And contesting the final are the two most consistent sides of the tournament. Lions weren't topping anybody's list of favourites when the tournament began, but they have exceeded expectations through a combination of teamwork and temperament, keeping their head when things start to get tight. They have plenty going for them. The Wanderers is their home ground, and no one knows the conditions there better than Lions. The diversity in their batting - Twenty20 batting doesn't get too much more of a contrast than the leg-side biffing of Ghulam Bodi and the surgical precision of Neil McKenzie - has been married to consistency through the tournament. And the bowling has four match-winners: their two imports Dirk Nannes and Sohail Tanvir, their best bowler in the domestic tournament, Chris Morris, and one of the bowlers of the CLT20, Aaron Phangiso.

Their one reverse in this tournament came against their opponents in the final, Sydney Sixers. When the Big Bash League was launched a year ago, Sydney Sixers were the butt of jokes for their flamboyantly pink outfits, a colour which they started to refer to as 'mangenta'. A year on, they have earned the respect of Twenty20 fans after winning the inaugural BBL, and are yet to drop a game in the CLT20.

They came into the tournament as one of the leading contenders and have so far lived up to the tag, despite losing the services of Dwayne Bravo and Brett Lee to IPL teams, and that of possibly the most valuable player currently in T20 cricket, Shane Watson, midway through the tournament. They could also be without their captain, Brad Haddin, for the final, as he picked up a thumb injury - though he was fit enough to bat on Friday.

Watch out for…

Steve O'Keefe has opened the innings only three times in T20s: the semi-finals and final of the BBL, and Friday's CLT20 semi-final against Titans. On all three occasions he has made a significant contribution, including a Man of the Match performance against Titans. In addition, his left-arm spin has been taken for less than a run-a-ball this tournament.

Fast bowler Chris Morris was the top wicket-taker in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 competition last season, and he came into the CLT20 on the back of a 12-wicket haul against Dolphins in a first-class game. He started off quietly in this tournament but hit the headlines with his spell against Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals, helping his team defend a sub-par score by taking the key wicket of David Warner and then killing off the game with scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

Weather and conditions

Despite gloomy weather forecasts, the showers thankfully stayed away during both semi-finals. The organisers will hope that trend continues for the final as well, when light rain is predicted.

Stats and trivia

• Mitchell Starc is the leading wicket-taker not just in the tournament but in all Twenty20s this year, with an astonishing 56 wickets in 26 matches
• Six of the Lions players who were part of the semi-final have a batting average over 26 in T20s, while the highest among Sydney's players in the semi-final was Nic Maddinson's 25.76

Quotes

"I think the middle overs will be important. We've dominated that period in almost all our games and I think that will play a massive role once again."
Lions captain Alviro Petersen on where he thinks the game will swing

"Lions are very desperate to win. This is a chance for the domestic teams to showcase their skills at the international stage."
Sydney Sixers allrounder Steve Smith knows the importance of the occasion

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Lions looking to settle scores - Petersen

Lions captain Alviro Petersen doesn't have any preferences for their opponents in the Champions League final on Sunday, but has a score to settle with both Sydney Sixers and Titans. Lions lost to the Titans in the final of the MiWay T20 Challenge earlier this year while the Sixers are the only side to beat Petersen's side in this competition.

"I don't really mind any of them [Titans or Sixers]," Petersen said after they beat Delhi Daredevils by 22 runs in the first semi-final on Thursday. "We lost to the Titans in last year's (sic. 2012) final. It would be nice to beat them there. The only game we lost in this tournament has been to the Sixers so we would like to put one over them as well."

Petersen believed that hunger and focus are the constants which the team will take to the final. "What I can assure you is the team will be up for it once more, the boys are hungry. We are playing good cricket. We know that the road that we are on doesn't end here. We are focused on preparing for what lies ahead, and that will be our real focus.

"I think the hallmark of this team is that the guys are so committed to each other. We know that everyone can't perform every day. When it's someone's turn, they make the play for us," he said.

The Lions were also not put off by the forecast of inclement weather. Petersen said their performance had improved as they progressed through the tournament.

"We wanted to get out there and play. There was talk of rain but the guys were really professional and mature, the way we have gone about our preparations and performance.

"Running at 75% we have still beaten teams, and today I thought we really upped it to about 85-90% and we showed what sort of team we are. We will take that confidence to the final as well," said Petersen.

Neil McKenzie brought the experience of his 105 Twenty20 games after he walked into bat in the 11th over with his side on 63 for 3. He forged a 59-run fourth-wicket stand with half-centurion Gulam Bodi, McKenzie himself making a 28-ball 46 with four boundaries and a six. However, McKenzie still believed the Lions were ten runs short of a competitive total, but the confidence in the dressing-room made the difference.

"We got off to a nice start with Gulam [Bodi] and Alviro [Petersen] but then we had a little hiccup in the middle there," McKenzie said. "When I got in, there wasn't much time to settle in. It was a case of getting in as quick as I can. Gulam played some nice shots and he got a fifty. But I thought we were ten [runs] light.

"Back in the dressing-room, the guys were saying 140 is enough and the bowlers backed up with a huge effort. The Man-of-the-match could have gone to a lot of the bowlers - [Aaron] Phangiso, [Chris] Morris, Sohail [Tanvir], all the guys did the job. Alviro rotated the bowlers beautifully. It was a great team effort."

McKenzie, who was part of the Hampshire side that won the English domestic Twenty20 competition as well, said experienced batsmen like him also have a place in the format.

"There's definitely a room to bat my way and for the other ways. As long as the strike-rate is high at the end of the day, you can't have seven hitters in the side or seven deflectors. We have a nice balance at the moment, we have a plan to go till a certain stage and then go big from there. It is all about communication, role clarification," he said.

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Vaas to assist NZ bowlers during SL Tests

New Zealand has taken on Chaminda Vaas as their assistant bowling coach for the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. He will assist Shane Bond, who was appointed bowling coach last week, for the last part of their five-week tour, which begins with the one-off Twenty20 international on October 30.

"We wanted someone with experience in the subcontinent to work with our young bowlers. [Chaminda] Vaas will work alongside bowling coach Shane Bond during the Tests," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told reporters in Colombo on Friday. "Vaas' extensive playing experience in local conditions will provide valuable input, as we plan and prepare for the Test series. An important part of his brief will be to provide tactical advice to the bowling unit, especially our contingent of left-arm seamers.

"In terms of professional development, it's a great opportunity for Shane Bond to work alongside a different style of coach and I'm sure he'll benefit from the experience."

Vaas, Sri Lanka's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, said he was eager to work with the likes of Doug Bracewell, Chris Martin and Tim Southee, and the left-arm trio - Trent Boult, James Franklin and Neil Wagner.

"I am pleased to have the chance to work with an international team, particularly a side like New Zealand [which has] such a large number of talented young fast bowlers," he said. "I feel my recent experience as a player and understanding of conditions in the subcontinent will benefit the team."

Ahead of their last full tour of Sri Lanka in 2009, New Zealand hired former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a consultant, to help their spin bowlers as well as advise the batsmen on how to play spin in the subcontinent, a trend that Hesson, the new man in charge, has followed.

"When we tour a number of countries, we try to access specialists," Hesson said. "When we play in the subcontinent the conditions are very foreign, so we need to learn. We try to take every opportunity that we can. We are very open to get people on short term basis and hopefully it will work."

Following the one-off T20 and the five-match ODI series, the Test series begins in Galle on November 17.

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