Adaptability the key to New Zealand's success

It is always a good sign for the game if the top team qualifies for the tournament final. It is an even better sign if the bottom-ranked team makes it too. The Women's Quadrangular, played over two weeks in Chennai, has now come down to the final between Australia and New Zealand.

The world champions Australia began the tournament with a six-wicket loss to New Zealand, who had come to India having won only four home games out of 12 one-day matches since the World Cup in 2005. The other teams were soon to follow in Australia's footsteps and were steamrolled by a New Zealand side that looked bigger, better and fitter than the rest.

With five out of six wins in the tournament so far, the one match that New Zealand did drop was against Australia. So the final is set up between the most consistent performers.

Not expected to make a mark in the tournament, the New Zealand captain Haidee Tiffen said her side had come to India to prove that they could match up to the other three. "We wanted to come and play our brand of cricket, which is to hit hard and be aggressive in all the departments of the game," she told Cricinfo. "After how we performed in the last eight to 12 months, this tournament has served as a huge stepping stone for us ahead of the World Cup."

Among the reasons why New Zealand were unlikely to make it to the final of the tournament was the fact that they had not played in India in over two years. Like Australia, they had brought with them seven first-timers to India.

"Coming into the tournament there was a bigger picture for us [than winning] - to expose more players to international cricket," Tiffen said. "Now we have seen that we can win no matter which of the 14 we put in the park on a given day."

Tiffen said it was heartening to see the players adapt to the conditions very quickly. In each win at least one of New Zealand's bowlers managed a three-wicket haul, with Louise Milliken (4 for 42) and Sophie Devine (3 for 38) sharing seven wickets between them in the last match.

"At times we lost our momentum," she said, "and it took us a little longer to get back to it. Our fielding has been a bit disappointing too."

Looking ahead to what is next for New Zealand, Tiffen agreed that the Quadrangular had so far been good preparation for the World Cup and a win in the final would seal their place as one of the top contenders for the 2009 title. "Every team will agree that it is good to play each other more often," she said. "It is how we will get better at our game."

After the Quadrangular New Zealand will play Australia for the Rose Bowl trophy at Darwin in July and August and travel to England for six one-dayers and two Twenty20s.