David Warner, the Australian opening batsman and stand-in captain for the ongoing T20I tri-series, is focusing on the innovating fieldsets in the final match of the T20I tri-series against New Zealand at the Eden Park (Auckland). Warner is going to take this initiative to stop the run flow in the small venue.
One match had already played at the Eden Park (Auckland) in this ongoing T20I tri-series. It was the match between the hosts New Zealand and Australia where New Zealand set a 244-runs record target for Australia but Australia easily chased down that target. There was nothing for the bowlers on the pitch while the venue was also too small that even a miss hit resulting in a boundary.
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Talking about the difficulties to set a fielding at the Eden Park, Australia’s stand-in captain David Warner said, “You probably have to have obscure fields. You might have to have like a deep fly slip on the boundary instead of a third man. They’re bizarre little catching spots where you might get a catch. In Australia, you set fields for certain players … (to) where they’re going to hit. Here those fields generally they can hit it for six.”
Warner also added, “Where’s a mistimed pull shot going to go? Over the top for six? You might have one just behind the keeper. You might have, for the spinners, everyone on the straight boundary and no one there (square of the wicket) and make them try to hit a reverse sweep and maybe get a wicket. You’ve just got to think on your feet when you’re out there.”
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Warner also supporting the bowlers by saying, “It’s a challenging one but at the end of the day, I don’t think it (was about) how poorly the bowlers bowled at all. The bowlers bowled well.”
Talking about the track of the final match, Warner said one day prior to the final, “The other day it looked a little bit drier than game day. Obviously a bit of weather around, we’ll probably get a look at it tonight hopefully if the weather holds off.”
On the other hand, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is hopeful on the final-game pitch as he expects some assistance to the bowlers. He said, “Hopefully it starts to take a little bit more turn and offers a little more assistance to the bowlers to create that balance between bat and ball. If that’s the case, spin will come into it a little bit more as an attacking option.”
