Ponting hits back at New Zealand

Ponting hits back at Vincent.

 

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has defended his team following New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent's description of them as behaving like "a pack of dogs".

Vincent said earlier in the week Australia resorted to intimidation tactics and over-the-top sledging instead of behaving like true champions.

"This has been running for a couple days already, this Lou Vincent stuff, so I don't want to add much more to it," Ponting said.

"But at the end of the day, it probably says a little bit about him as an individual."

Ponting accepted his players did try to intimidate their opponents but rejected the claim their sledging was beyond the limits of fair play.

"We try to create an uncomfortable environment on-field for the opposition," he said. "That's probably the best way to put it. We like to put opposition teams under pressure.

"It creates doubt. We pride ourselves in the way we go about our fielding and the intensity of our fielding."

Ponting does not think his team are guilty of overdoing the sledging.

"I think everything that was done has been played within the spirit of the game," he said. "We have just been able to impose ourselves with good, solid, hard cricket on other teams."

Styris arrives

Meanwhile, versatile New Zealand batsman Scott Styris has only just arrived in Australia, but said he sensed a growing confidence among his team-mates.

Styris is the latest player to augment the Black Caps triangular one-day series squad and hopes he can emulate the efforts of Jacob Oram and Lou Vincent, both of whom have been key contributors since joining the side.

Speaking in Melbourne, Styris was asked whether there was there was a strong belief among the New Zealanders that they could upset the unbeaten Australians, starting with their clash at the MCG on Sunday.

"Absolutely, and I think the Australians think that as well," he said.

"But we have to play well ... I think if we continue to build like we have done over the past seven days then it should be a good few games."

Styris is expected to play in Sunday's game at the expense of Craig McMillan, although the latter has been a contributor during the tri-series with both bat and ball.

If selected, Styris said he needed to play to the level established by his team-mates in their last four games, which have produced two wins and two narrow losses to Australia.

"The boys have put three good performance in a row and I'm sure they're looking for four, five and beyond," he said.

"I've got to not be a passenger, if you like, if I get that opportunity

 

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