Batsmen get vote of confidence

Peter Moores is behind his batsmen © Getty Images

Buy this photo

England’s top order have been reassured that they are likely to stay intact for the final Test against New Zealand and not face the same treatment given to Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison.

Ashes heroes Hoggard and Harmison were dropped in the aftermath of England’s first Test defeat in Hamilton.

But after levelling the series with a comfortable 126-run victory in the second Test at Wellington, coach Peter Moores suggested the same approach is unlikely to apply to the batsmen.

“They deserve a chance to settle,” said Moores.

“We don’t think we’ll be changing a great deal in the batting department...there’s a timeframe to give everyone a chance to show whether they can or they can’t. There is a period of time where you need to give people the opportunity where they know it’s fair.”

England have already made changes to their batting line-up for this series in an attempt to stimulate a greater contribution from their top six with Andrew Strauss being recalled to bat at number three while Paul Collingwood was moved to number six and Ian Bell promoted to number five.

The switch has worked for Collingwood, who has claimed half-centuries in three out of his four innings in the series but there has been no first innings century from the top six since Collingwood hit 128 against West Indies at Chester-le-Street eight Tests ago.

“They’ve all got very clear goals of what they are trying to achieve and they’re working very hard to do it,” said Moores.

Kevin Pietersen is due some good luck © Getty Images

Buy this photo

“We know we’re in the performance business and we know we have to win Tests as a team and perform individually to survive.”

Kevin Pietersen is due a big score and has seen his first form dip since entering Test cricket three years ago.

Pietersen was extremely unfortunate to be run out in the previous Test with seamer Chris Martin deflecting the ball onto his stumps at the non-striker’s end in his delivery stride, which only served to continue a run of 10 innings without reaching 50.

But as England prepare for Saturday’s final Test at McLean Park, a venue where the tourists and New Zealand scored 680 runs during a one-day international last month, Moores is confident Pietersen can reclaim his form soon.

"As a coach you want everyone to do well all the time,” he explained. “He’s having a tough run and players have tough runs, it happens to the best - (Ricky) Ponting’s had a tough run in the one-dayers.

“It happens to good players but their talent doesn’t go away and how he’s played in the past will return.

“Napier is the sort of place where he can get himself a big hundred and suddenly you’ll look at that and his stats and there’ll be back - you don’t average 50 and score 2,000 Test runs without being a good player.”

James Anderson is showing his potential © Getty Images

Buy this photo

While Moores has every confidence the batting will come good, he is also hoping the faith shown in Lancashire seamer James Anderson in the last Test could be a turning point in his career.

Anderson and Stuart Broad were preferred to Hoggard and Harmison in the last Test and the younger pair both excelled, prompting Moores to suggest they would retain their places for the final Test.

It is the first time for several years Anderson has been preferred to more senior bowlers rather than fill in for an injury and Moores believes he is now ready to deliver on his undoubted potential.

“Jim has been working quite hard in honing down his skills,” enthused Moores. “If you’ve got lots of different options as a bowler you don’t want to over-use them all.

“You’ve got to have a good stock ball, which is what he’s been trying to do in this last game and he showed a couple of really good qualities. He bowled into the wind a lot, which was hard work, and he bowled extended spells which is sometimes important as well especially in a three-man pace attack.

“He’s had quite a tough journey but a journey that quite a few young bowlers tend to go through. They play, do well, get injured and then remodel and get back to what they were before and get up and running with a slightly stronger body."