By Dave Goosselink
All-rounders Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum are keen to continue the momentum of the Black Caps test team as the focus switches to the one day series against Zimbabwe.
The pair were mightily impressed with the approach taken in Napier as Zimbabwe were destroyed in just three days.
After taking an early look at what could be a greenish pitch at University Oval, Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum say they are ready for their next challenge as they look to build on the test side's successful summer of cricket.
“I'm proud to watch those guys. I mean they're doing so well and they're playing positive, and they're ruthless as well and clinical,” Oram says.
At 33, Oram's the oldest member of the one day squad, but he says a lighter workload this summer and a focus on the limited overs game has helped him bounce back after a run of injuries.
“It's okay at the moment. There's obviously a few niggles, but I think that's part and parcel of not only cricket but my age as well. So I'm managing them fine and I got through a power of overs in the last couple of weeks since the HRV Cup finished,” he says.
Brendon McCullum will again captain the Black Caps in Dunedin, with Ross Taylor out with a calf injury for at least another three weeks, and after a childhood of backyard cricket and playing for years together in Otago and New Zealand, his brother Nathan says he's looking forward to playing under Brendon’s leadership.
“I enjoy his captaincy. He's aggressive, he's confident. He's a good man, he's positive and fills you with confidence. And that's what you want from a captain and we've been lucky enough to have that with three captains over the last wee while,” he says.
Zimbabwe are expected to put up tougher fight in the shorter games. It'll the first international trial for the extended boundary at University Oval. An extra 12 metres has been added to the ground after the former art gallery building was knocked down last summer.
Both sides get their first chance to train on the ground tomorrow.
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