Cairns impresses domestic coaches

Chris Cairns has impressed many with both bat and ball since being dropped from the national side © Getty Images

If selected, Chris Cairns, the New Zealand allrounder, will pose a potent threat against Australia in the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee one-day series, believes Garry MacDonald, the former Canterbury coach.

In a sort of rejoinder to John Bracewell's comments on dropping Cairns from the side that lost 0-4 in the one-day series against South Africa, MacDonald has stated that Cairns is "really starting to get his game together" with both bat and ball. MacDonald is currently coach of Cairns' Lancaster Park-Woolston club, and has seen Cairns' productivity first-hand over the past few months.

Cairns, told to go back to club and first class domestic cricket and improve his fitness following an indifferent season, took his club to a six-wicket victory against Burnside-West-University on November 12, hitting an unbeaten 79 from 71 balls, and followed that up the following day by dismissing the Marist top order. "He's gone up another groove today with his bowling," MacDonald said to stuff.co.nz, after Cairns captured three wickets for 15 runs against Marist. "That's the quickest he has bowled this season. I was talking to the Marist boys and they said it was whistling through."

Playing against Australia will be an obvious challenge over club opposition, but MacDonald believes that what he saw of Cairns this past weekend was enough to justify his return to a beleaguered New Zealand side. "I don't think he is putting any more effort into it. It's just that his rhythm is coming back and his fitness is up. Like a powerful car, he has gone up a couple of gears."

In a similar emphasis on Cairns' form, Dave Nosworthy, the current Canterbury coach, maintains that there could be no question over his contribution at the batting crease following a 101-ball 118 against Central Districts in a warm-up match last week. "Chris has been excellent," said Nosworthy, who has been monitoring Cairns as he plots his international rehabilitation. "He's played a full part in everything we've done and has shown the way, really,"