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Page last updated at 11:30 GMT, Friday, 26 March 2010

Daniel Vettori to win 100th cap against Australia

Second Test: New Zealand v Austalia
Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton Date: Friday, 5 March Start time: 2200 GMT
Coverage: Live scoreboard and close of day report on website.


Daniel Vettori
Vettori joins former captain Stephen Fleming in winning 100 caps for New Zealand

Captain Daniel Vettori will become only the second New Zealander to win a 100th Test cap when his team face Australia in the second Test in Hamilton.

Vettori will lead a squad that has been boosted by call-ups for James Franklin, Mathew Sinclair and Kane Williamson.

Australia, meanwhile, look set to recall Shane Watson following the all-rounder's recovery from a hip injury.

And that means Phillip Hughes, whose unbeaten 86 led the Aussies to victory in the first Test, will be dropped.

The left hander led the charge as Ricky Ponting's men easily chased down the victory target of 106 at the Basin Reserve to win by 10 wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

However, all-rounder Watson, who opens the batting and makes up a four-man seam attack, has emerged as one of Australia's key players in the last 12 months and is certain to take his place in the side.

And despite averaging 56.60 in the past year with the bat, the burly Queenslander is keen to push on when he returns to the side.

"I'd love to be able to continue to forge a really good partnership with Simon Katich at the top of the order, get a few more hundreds and a few bigger hundreds," he said.

"I haven't scored the runs I feel like I probably should have, the way I've been hitting the ball. That's my challenge over the next little while."

The 28-year-old, however, is wary of the threat of Vettori, who remains key to the hosts' hopes of squaring the series, saying: "He's a world-class bowler. He'd be a good challenge to play against, the way he's able to change his speed of delivery, his flight and his variations with the turn.

606: DEBATE

"He's someone I'd have to be at my absolute best to be able to play him as well as I possibly can."

Vettori, who will join Stephen Fleming in triple figures, will lead a Black Caps bowling attack that looks certain to include Franklin after the team management assessed the conditions at Hamilton.

"There has been a lot of rain in Hamilton of late and it is fair to say that the conditions we saw today at Seddon Park are far different to those we experienced earlier in the season," coach and selector Mark Greatbatch said.

"We thought it prudent to have all our bases covered, and James does that for us."

And with Daryl Tuffey ruled out with a broken finger, 19-year-old batsman Williamson - who averages almost 50 in first-class cricket - could yet also earn himself a call is the pitch dries out, said Greatbatch.

"Williamson was brought in for the conditions we thought we were going to face," said the selector.

"For his selection for this game the conditions will have to be right for him, on the dry-ish side, and that looks unlikely at the moment. But you never know, come Saturday."

Australian-born right-hander Sinclair has played 32 Test matches, although his last appearance was in March 2008.


New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (capt), Brent Arnel, Martin Guptill, Peter Ingram, Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel, Mathew Sinclair, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson

Australia (probable): Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wkt), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Doug Bollinger.



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