Experience the factor in Harris decision - Aberhart

Lynn McConnell

January 12, 2003

Chris Harris' experience means he is the best person in New Zealand's one-day squad of the moment to handle the job of batting at No 3.

TelstraClear Black Caps coach Denis Aberhart backed skipper Stephen Fleming's assessment of the New Zealand batting order today.

Aberhart said there was a desire to help Lou Vincent in his development in the middle of the order.

"We know what Harry [Harris] can do down the order and with his experience he is the best person to do the job," he said.

Harris had also done an excellent job with the ball at a very crucial part of the match in Auckland last night.

Harris had not had good starts batting up the order and there was a bit of pressure on him. It was a different situation to what he was used to in his long experience with the side and due to the injury to Nathan Astle and the release of Craig McMillan to play some domestic cricket, Harris' placement at No 3 was the third plan the team has been forced to look at.

It was a situation forced by the injuries and Aberhart said there were members of the side who were putting their hands up and there was no doubt that if everyone were fit and available, there would be decisions to make about who to leave out.

"There is competition among the bowlers, and the all-rounders and we want to have it among the batsmen," he said.

Aberhart said fast bowler Shane Bond, who was forced to leave the field with an inner ear infection and was unable to complete his overs in Auckland, had been "quite sick" and was still not right today.

He was being treated by the team's medical staff and the advice was that his condition was likely to clear. No-one has been placed on standby at the moment.

Aberhart said the last game of the series in Hamilton on Tuesday was important for the side because they want to get their momentum back and to finish with a win.

The side had fallen down on the disciplines they exhibited earlier in the competition when the side's bowling and fielding had been good enough to win the games.

But they had fallen down last night, although the way the intensity had picked up in the pressure of the last few overs as India almost managed to lose the game had been encouraging.

"We need to do that earlier, as part of what we doing rather than when we have to catch up," he said.

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