HOW to cope with Brett Lee's searing pace - that's the question facing New Zealand's batsmen ahead of the second one-day international at Wellington's Westpac Stadium tomorrow night.
Lee was almost unplayable in Australia's win in Auckland, as figures of 3-5 from six overs suggest. Then, he had a blustery wind behind his back, and regularly touched the 155kmh mark. In Wellington, where people walk at 45-degree angles, he is likely to be bowling with a gale behind him.
Some Australian players believe the Kiwis will try to defend against Lee and see him out. But Black Caps wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum indicated attacking Lee might still be an option.
"I'm sure people are anxious facing him," McCullum said. "He bowls the speed of light, so he's no different to Shane Bond or Shoaib Akhtar or Steve Harmison.
"Those guys bowl exceptionally quick, but just because you are a little anxious about things doesn't make you a worse player. In fact, a lot of players steel up and play better. [Lee is] quick, let's not shirk it. He's fast and very clever; it's something we have to overcome. But we've done it before. Shoaib Akhtar and [Mohammad] Sami have bowled that fast against us and we've turned out winning performances, so we've got to find that solution in the next day or two."
McCullum said much of Saturday night's Kiwi carnage had to do with Lee bowling brilliantly and Nathan Bracken supporting him well with two wickets from the other end, rather than with glaring deficiencies in the Black Caps' planning or technique.
"The guy bowled an exceptional spell and the guy at the other end was taking wickets too, so he [Lee] was always bowling at new guys," McCullum said.
Lee's NSW captain, Simon Katich, said the Kiwis would most likely try to see him off tomorrow. "It'll be hard work to go hard at him at the moment [because] he's bowling so well," Katich said.
- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA