Vettori, Oram play a whole new ball game

For a change, Daniel Vettori will have to put a lid on his trademark arm balls and variations in flight. Jacob Oram cannot bounce the batters or crush their toes. The New Zealand pair will be asked to fire it in as quick as they can, with bent elbows, provided they keep it straight. The difference is, they will be armed with a baseball for a change. Currently in Florida for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, the pair – who happen to be baseball fans - will take time off to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Florida Marlins' home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Miami. As long as they keep the ball off the ‘pitch’, it should be a success.

"I'm probably going to try and throw it as straight as I can. Travis Wilson, our old fielding coach (formerly with Atlanta Braves), has been in touch and all he wants is for us to get it as straight as we can or it's a bad look for his coaching," Oram said. "There's five or six guys who are big baseball fans; myself, Scott Styris, Shane Bond and Dan Vettori are in a fantasy league which doesn't please our wives that much but kills some time when we're on the road."