Daniel Vettori :"The team that steps up with partnerships will be the team to win the tournament." © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Shane Bond | Daryl Tuffey | Daniel Vettori Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: New Zealand

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has stressed on the importance of building partnerships to help overcome their batting troubles. The New Zealand batsmen had a torrid time during the recently-concluded Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka and were bowled out for 119 and 155 in their two matches. They also managed only 173 against Sri Lanka A in a one-day warm-up match before the tri-series.

"The lack of consistency in the batting is a worry and there may be a lack of competition for places," Vettori said. "But the batsmen all have pretty good stats, Grant Elliott and Martin Guptill are averaging nearly 50, and Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum have had great seasons in the past. We just need to put it together as a team."

Vettori said the pressure would be on the top-order to put together strong stands if they were to lift the Champions Trophy for a second time, having won in 2000-01. "The team that steps up with partnerships will be the team to win the tournament," he said. "We haven't been doing that of late, particularly in Sri Lanka and across all formats of the game. Partnerships will win this tournament."

He warned that the team could find conditions in South Africa similar to those in which they struggled in Sri Lanka. "Both our coach [Andy Moles] and assistant coach [Mark O'Donnell] have extensive experience with domestic teams here and there's been a lot of talk about the early-season pitches being slow," he said. "We'll have to wait and see what we get."

Vettori believed the current pace attack, which includes ICL returnees Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey, was in good shape and would play a key role.

"Shane Bond played all the games in Sri Lanka and, although Daryl Tuffey played just one, the experience they bring is great and they both have very good records," Vettori said. "There's a lot of competition in the seam bowling department and any good team has that."

New Zealand are in Group B of the Champions Trophy along with England, Sri Lanka and hosts South Africa. They begin their campaign against South Africa in Centurion on September 24.