Nash pleased to be back in action but disappointed by final result

New Zealand falls at last hurdle

From The Otago Daily Times, Monday, 20 April 1998

Dubai, UAE: New Zealand all-rounder Dion Nash was a mix of emotions after the 15-run Coca-Cola Cup tri-series cricket loss to India at the Sharjah Stadium.

In an impressive performance, Nash had produced his best one-day figures for New Zealand, four for 38 from 10 overs.

Yet he found it hard to accept that the Kiwis had blown a glorious opportunity to win the match and set the early pace in the tournament.

New Zealand, chasing 221 to win before a boisterous crowd of 19,000, needed 37 to win with five wickets in hand and seven overs left, but somehow contrived to be bowled out for 205 with 13 balls to spare.

Nash was back in action for the first time since damaging his shoulder in Auckland against Zimbabwe last month.

His opening five-over spell was patchy, costing 25 runs but he bounced back with an important spell at the end of the Indian innings.

At one point he was on a hat trick and his four for 13 from five overs was significant in shutting down India's bid for fast runs late in the innings.

He had in-form Ajay Jadeja holing out to deep mid wicket, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Nayan Mongia tried unsuccessfully to hit him down the ground and were caught, and he rounded the innings off by yorking century-maker Saurav Ganguly in the penultimate over.

"Obviously I bowled OK but a couple of catches went my way and on other days they might not have," Nash said.

He spent last week settling back into his bowling after his injury layoff.

"I've had four nets here to get right and to acclimatise as much as anything.

"It's pleasing to at least be able to bowl nice and straight with line and length.

"I felt I came back well and felt I bowled quite well at the death, which is important."

But his overriding emotion was of being part of a team which had tossed away some good fielding and bowling to leave itself a difficult task to make the final of the series.

"I can't explain that," Nash said of the loss, during which New Zealand managed to lose four wickets for five runs in 19 balls.

"There was some good bowling on their part but at the end of the day we really should have won."

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming seemed set to steer his team to victory with a century for the third time this season.

Fleming had to do it the hard way, too, after three wickets had fallen inside the first 10 overs of New Zealand's innings.

Llorne Howell was out in the first over; Chris Cairns, promoted again to No. 3, left a big gap and was bowled by a ball which broke back sharply and Nathan Astle did not move his feet attempting a big drive, to be caught behind.

Fleming's hundreds against Australia at Melbourne and Napier were the decisive factors in New Zealand achieving wins in those one-dayers but at 75 - after sharing stands of 52 and 85 with Matt Horne and Craig McMillan respectively - he clipped man of the match Ajit Agarkar to mid wicket.

It was the critical moment of the innings.

McMillan followed soon after, leg before wicket to the impressive Agarkar, and the remaining batsmen simply were not up to the task.

"If we were going to struggle it was always going to be in the batting, where the guys haven't played a lot of one-day cricket for a while, and that was the case," Fleming said.

"My dismissal was pretty crucial - and pretty disappointing from my point of view."

India had three players to thank for the win.

Left-hander Ganguly batted from the start of the innings until the 49th over for his composed 105, his third one-day century; and the lively Agarkar and the wily Kumble - four for 35 and three for 39 respectively - who tightened the screws just when New Zealand were within touching distance of its first win over India at Sharjah in four attempts.

- Reuters.

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