'Killer instinct' impresses Pickard (27 July 1999)

27 July 1999

'Killer instinct' impresses Pickard

Daryl Holden

Thrilled New Zealand cricket selector Rick Pickard is not game enough to suggest the Black Caps have turned the corner, but he thinks they can go on and win the test series against England.

Pickard said the Black Caps' nine-wicket second test win over England at Lord's yesterday was a "fantastic achievement", but he knows it is vital they do not let it slip in the final two tests.

The series is locked at one-all.

New Zealand's nine-wicket victory was their first in 13 tests at the home of cricket and only their third on English soil after wins at Headingly in 1983 and Trent Bridge in 1986.

"I'm very confident they will kick on because they know the importance of it and the importance of winning a test series over there," said Pickard, who listened to the test radio commentary for most of the night from his Papakura home. "They must go on again and really hammer it home and have a test series win over there.

"It's going to be interesting to see what England do in that (Nasser) Hussain is out and obviously they've got a couple of players like (Aftab) Habib struggling.

"Hopefully, we've shown we've got the side to go all the way."

Pickard, who received three phone calls from excited chairman of selectors Ross Dykes from Lord's during the night, is well aware of the Black Caps' inconsistent test record. A good performance is often followed by a shocker. Pickard thinks that will not happen this time.

"You can't cover that (inconsistency) up. The record has shown that, but this has given them a huge amount of confidence.

"It was great to see the likes of Matt Horne come through with that hundred, Cairnsy coming off his long run.

"Ross said to me he bowled very, very well.

"Dion Nash has found another yard of pace, but they've all dug deep and said, 'we've got to turn it around'.

"That's great for the sport. And success and winning breeds confidence, doesn't it?

"To win at Lord's and to bounce back up after Edgbaston would have given them much confidence."

Pickard said the most pleasing aspect of New Zealand's first test win at Lord's was its killer instinct. It gained an advantage on the first day and for once it never let it slip.

"With all the traditions of Lord's to do it there, I think it's just such a fantastic achievement, especially considering where they came from after the first test.

"It's a fine line between winning and failing. It very easily could have been two zip, but it's not. It's one-all and there all the incentives in the world to go ahead and tip the scales."

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)