Shorter straights could negate swing - Finch

Australia played their only game so far this World Cup at one of world cricket's largest grounds. Now they must adjust down to one of the smallest. On Saturday they will take on New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland, where the straight boundaries are only 55 metres in length, the square boundaries just slightly longer at 65 metres. This after thrashing England on the sprawling MCG.

Eden Park's boundaries are well short of ICC regulation (64 metres is the minimum for the straight boundaries) but as an existing venue prior to those minimums being brought in, it is exempt. For perspective, ANZ Stadium in Sydney - the home of the Sydney Thunder - has what are considered very short boundaries straight down the ground. They are still five metres longer than at Eden Park.

There is no mistaking that Eden Park is a rugby field first, but its seating capacity makes it the preferred choice for the battle of the World Cup hosts. Bowlers often bang the ball in short in an effort to restrict batsmen's ability to hit down the ground, and Australia's opener Aaron Finch said their training over a wet week in Brisbane might help them in that regard.

"Whenever you're training indoors, you tend to get a bit more bounce and bowlers don't tend to pitch it up in the nets too much anyway," Finch said. "It's probably been ideal practice. But both teams can swing the ball at the top of the innings with the two new balls, so I think that's a strength of both sides, so if they go short it's a bonus (for batsmen) when it's swinging."

Australia's wash-out against Bangladesh on Saturday means they will enter this weekend's clash with only one World Cup match behind them, their big win over England at the MCG. By the time Saturday's game comes around that will mean a fortnight without playing but Finch, who scored 135 in the England match, hopes he will not have lost too much touch in that time.

"I felt as though I played pretty well," he said. "In the first game of the World Cup to be able to contribute to a big total and help set up the back end of our innings that was so productive was really pleasing from my point of view. And I don't think being on the sidelines changes a helluva lot. When you have to face Johnson and Starc and Hazlewood and Cummins in the nets day after day, it's not a whole lot of fun."

Both Australia and New Zealand have high quality swing attacks that can make use of the New Zealand conditions, where the ball swings for longer than in Australia. Finch said he was looking forward not only to play at Eden Park for the first time - he played one T20 game for Auckland in Wellington once - but also the challenge of playing New Zealand for the first time.

"A Twenty20 warm-up game is the only time I've played [New Zealand] so I'm looking forward to it," Finch said. "Their bowling at the top of the innings has been outstanding with Southee and Trent Boult and guys like that chipping in so myself and Davey Warner are going to have to play as well as we can to try and negate them.

"I think all the pressure is going to be on New Zealand the way that they've been playing and here in New Zealand as well, but we're excited about the challenge."

Australia enjoyed a lengthy net session in Auckland on Monday, although there were a few concerned faces when they arrived at the ground to find the covers on and the rain pouring down. But this was no Brisbane cyclone, just a heavy Auckland shower, and there was plenty of time for all the batting, bowling and fielding work to allow a day off on Tuesday.

George Bailey faced centre-wicket throwdowns on the Eden Park outer oval, which has similar dimensions to the main ground, and was lifting the ball for so many sixes down the ground that onlookers had to be constantly on guard. But for Bailey it was a case of having a hit while he can; he is likely to be left out on Saturday to make room for Michael Clarke.