Fighting for credibility

Second-year blues are a common problem for players and the result of the Chappell-Hadlee Series after a highly competitive start will help gauge the validity of a competition shoe-horned into the summer. Australia's Test season has been interrupted to accommodate this head-to-head, which the country's governing bodies hope will develop into a Bledisloe Cup, rugby union-style annual rivalry, and if they could choose their ideal preparation for the South Africa matches it would not involve a New Zealand side trip.

The Australian selectors signalled their thoughts on the seriousness of the three games, starting with a day-night fixture in Auckland on Saturday, by planning to rest Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist. McGrath stayed home but Gilchrist's holiday was ended by Cricket Australia when it insisted he tour to retain the concept's credibility. While Australian travel itineraries are currently crammed, New Zealand have a light summer and given their performances during a year including 4-0 and 5-0 defeats by South Africa and Australia should have no grounds for fatigue or complacency.

It doesn't seem like long since New Zealand were pushing Australia at the top of the rankings, but they enter this series in seventh place and will be without their captain Stephen Fleming for the first two matches as he recovers from facial surgery. Daniel Vettori has the leadership task of stopping Australia and the team plans to attack Brett Lee and Australia's inexperienced seam attack of Bracken, Clark and Lewis. That would be a turnaround after Lee spent most of his overs last February and March targeting the Kiwis batsmen in a display that almost catapulted him into the Test team. Michael Papps felt the most pain and the series was also controversial for Lee's beamers.

At least New Zealand have someone to return fierce fire in this contest with the return of Shane Bond, who has 22 wickets against them in six matches. Bond's slow recovery from career-threatening back problems has been successful and the comeback of Chris Cairns, who is now 35, will also be closely monitored.

Cairns was dropped for the South Africa series but has apparently proved his fitness and form in a series of low-level provincial matches. The big test of whether he will be around for the 2007 World Cup starts with this series against a regular enemy. Both teams are looking forward to the West Indies tournament and New Zealand will trial an opening combination of Nathan Astle and Lou Vincent while Australia have included the debutants Brad Hodge and Mick Lewis alongside other inexperienced campaigners such as Stuart Clark and Cameron White.

The 2004-05 series was a close affair shared 1-1 - the deciding match in Brisbane was a disappointing wash-out - but this one appears to revolve around scheduling and tinkering for the future. However, a supporters' poll on www.baggygreen.com.au showed 67% voters on Friday morning thought the concept was a good idea and the series should at least determine the first winner of the sparkling Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Australia squad Adam Gilchrist (wk), Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hodge, Michael Hussey, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Cameron White, Stuart Clark, Mick Lewis, Nathan Bracken.

New Zealand squad Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Stephen Fleming (capt), Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum (wk), Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori (vc), Shane Bond, Kyle Mills, James Franklin.