Hyped Nash primed for one-day dash
By Duncan Johnstone

Aggression has been a key element in New Zealand's domination of the West Indies so expect it to move up a gear when Dion Nash leads the charge in today's opening one-day cricket international in Auckland.

Nash's antagonistic approach was a feature of the two-test sweep. The gifted allrounder was able to back his word with action, particularly with a four-wicket bag on the final day of the series that kept the Black Caps' momentum at full throttle.

A change of uniform won't mean a change of attitude for Nash. In fact, the hurly-burly one-day atmosphere only heightens the expectation of confrontation.

The confident Kiwis have made aggression a key element in their success this summer. The batsmen have attacked from the outset, even in the tests where their run rates matched the clock. The bowlers have consistently gone for the jugular, backed up by Stephen Fleming's attacking field placements. And all the time Nash has chipped away, his sledging even earning a warning in the second test.

"Everyone is competitive in their own way, but people tend to focus on me more than others," said Nash. "I think there are guys in the team just as competitive... maybe I'm just a little worse behaved.

"I enjoy that. It's a fine line that you tread, but for me it's a case of trying to get into the game and letting the guys know that I'm there - that I'm going to compete and I'm not going to give up."

Nash says it is self-motivational for him to match his words with performance, especially while trying to unsettle hi opponent in a bowler-batsman tussle.

"When you do carry on a bit like a pork chop you put yourself on the line. If you don;t front up, you look like a fool - and no one wants to do that. It's something that's always been part of my game and I have to try and temper it at times.

"It's a mental thing. Ultimately, you have to be calm inside. The moment you see someone lose the plot completely you know you have won. Although you try and come across as competitive and aggressive, you have to try and keep composed otherwise you are letting your team and yourself down."

New Zealand coach David Trist is comfortable with the approach and maintains aggression is a key ingredient to the one-day game.

"One-dayers are all about adaptability, but we will have aggressive intent. They ebb and flow and it's the team that is able to take the critical moments and do brilliant things that comes out on top. We have to do that right because we are in pursuit of a series victory."

Having been so dominant in the tests, New Zealand starts a firm favourite for the five-match, one-day series but Trist is wary of a Windies side which looks better suited to the limited-overs environment.

"Certainly, I think they are going to be a bigger danger than they turned out to be in the test series. I felt they would play perhaps a little bit better than they managed to.

"The one-dayers will be challenging and we have got to play very well. We expect them to come at us at their best every time."

New Zealand takes an experienced and successful one-day side into the National Bank series.

Auckland's fickle Eden Park wicket will be a factor today but the Black Caps will certainly play spinner Daniel Vettori along with all their batsmen, with so many having the ability for part-time bowling roles. The biggest choice will be between Scott Styris and Shayne O'Connor for a seamer's role alongside Nash and Chris Cairns, whose total fitness remains in question.

The Windies will make changes from their test lineup. Big-hitting Ricardo Powell will return and there's a chance of a start for strike bowler Mervyn Dillon, who has been under-utilised on this tour.

While New Zealand has the momentum, the West Indies have the record on their side. The Kiwis have won just four of the 25 one-dayers against them since the teams first met in 1975. The last time New Zealand beat them in a one-day international was at Georgetown, Guyanna, in 1996 when they won by four runs before losing the series 3-2.

The most recent clash was at the World Cup in June at Southampton, where the Windies dismissed New Zealand for 156 and then won by seven wickets.

But the side taking New Zealand into the new millennium is starting to have some special qualities about it.

"I feel we are gaining a little bit of respect now. This is a great time to be in the New Zealand team," said Nash. "I think we are getting respect from the opposition and from the public. But the most respect we are gaining is from each other as team-mates.

"The best part for me is the way the team is gelling as a bunch of guys. You know that when times get tough, someone will dig deep and pull something out.

"And it's not just one or two players, it's five or six. When you can look all your team-mates in the eye, that's the most important respect you can get."

And Nash doesn't mind casting a steely eye on the opposition either.

Picture: Flying high... aggression will be a key element when Black Caps bowler Dion Nash and his team-mates meet the Windies today.

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