Vettori's injury intensifies the heartburn in Kiwi camp

By Malcolm Conn

CANBERRA, OCT. 22. New Zealand's cricket hierarchy will decide on Tuesday whether star spinner Daniel Vettori should be sent home because of his painful ankle injury.

As his team mates endured another embarrassing stint on Monday in the field at Canberra's Manuka against a cobbled together ACT President's XI, which declared at 439 for six, Vettori went through further examinations and more. New Zealand was 133 for one in reply at stumps on day two of the three-day match, still trailing by 306.

An MRI scan was examined by a specialist on Sunday night but the details were not released as team manager Jeff Crowe, a former national captain, consulted New Zealand Cricket officials in Christchurch.

``I hate the thought of it,'' Crowe said of the possibly of being without such a key bowler for the three-Test series, which begins in Brisbane on November 8. ``I feel very sorry and sad for Daniel.''

Vettori was still on crutches and in pain after twisting his ankle attempting to field off his own bowling on Monday after just two overs.

Without his steady influence, an attack struggling for match fitness was humbled for the second day in a row by a batsman without first class honours smashing his way to a century.

Grant Lambert, an uncapped New South Wales state squad member, resumed on 18 and dashed to a hundred well before lunch, bringing up three figures with a six over mid-wicket from off- spinner Glen Sulzberger, New Zealand's main spinning option without Vettori.

Earlier, local Canberra opening batsman Jack Smith was dismissed for 156 after adding 11 runs to his overnight score. The only two New Zealand centuries scored were by bowlers-Chris Cairns returned one for 115 and Sulzberger two for 134.

It defies description what the awesome Australian batting line-up will do to the Kiwi bowlers unless they find something extra that they don't appear to have right now.

Crowe defended the treatment a Test pace attack of Cairns, Shayne O'Connor and Chris Martin received from young men who are yet to graduate to state level.

``Anyone who has played cricket in Australia knows that there's some good talent in this place all through the grades,'' said Crowe.

``They played very well in good batting conditions. Our guys are not in Test mode just yet but they wanted to do well out there.

``It's been a pretty tough four and-a-half sessions for our guys. Those are the sort of days you're going to have to endure anyway. That's just mileage. There are probably going to be times coming up on this tour where they're going to have to do the same thing.

``Ideally you'd like to bowl sides out but the wicket is not all that conducive to taking a lot of wickets.''

Crowe said that doing well for Cairns was simply getting through a full bowling stint, which included a further five overs that conceded 30 runs.

``I'm just very pleased. Chris got up this morning a bit sore but he got through it and he feels good about it. He just wanted to make sure he got some good spells. It's going to be a slow process.

``To be fair it's been seven months since he's played any cricket. He's had a bit of a roll in New Zealand. I'm sure he went out there with the intention of getting some wickets but came back to reality. It's not going to be that easy.''

There was some compensation later in the day when the New Zealand top order played brightly against a President's XI attack which boasted a total of nine first class matches between the five bowlers.

Bowling lively medium pace, Lambert continued a good day when he claimed the only New Zealand wicket to fall, left hander Mark Richardson caught behind for 31 trying to leave a ball outside his off stump.

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