Oram draws strength from defeat

Jacob Oram is confident New Zealand can square the series © Getty Images

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Jacob Oram thinks New Zealand’s throwaway defeat against England last week has increased belief ahead of the npower series finale at Trent Bridge.

The New Zealanders squandered a 179-run lead on first innings to lose by six wickets at Old Trafford, leaving England 1-0 ahead with one to play.

However, the Black Caps have been extremely competitive in the first innings of five Tests against England this year.

“In a strange way Manchester has just added to our confidence because we were so close, and we know we are so close, to this England team,” all-rounder Oram said.

“We were written off before the tour but if you take a couple of sessions out of that match, we were the dominant team.

“That is great to know but we have to finish it off with a bit more toughness, a bit more consistency.

“We just don’t seem able to seal the deal and by that I mean we are not consistent enough with bat and ball.

“On a couple of occasions we’ve been right on top with the bat and lost a flurry of wickets and on the other side of the coin we’ve been bowling well - I think back to Wellington - and let them get away to a score.”

Third-innings flunking is a flaw which has plagued Kiwi cricket for the past decade - and indeed sent them tumbling to a 3-0 whitewash the last time they were here in 2004.

“It is always in the back of our minds, it’s a mental thing not a technical thing because we showed in the first innings we are proficient enough to score runs,” Oram added, in response to last week’s slump to 114 all out.

Jacob Oram has been consistent with the ball in this and the recent Test series against England

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“Maybe we get a bit too far ahead of ourselves and start thinking about totals set or totals we’re chasing when we should just be thinking about the next ball.”

Low scoring has been a feature of games at Trent Bridge this season and this week’s events, in which wet weather has disrupted the preparations, should make it an even more bowler-friendly surface.

“We’ve got some good seam bowlers and if the weather shortens the game with a bit of a green seamer, it might bring the two sides even closer together.” Oram said.

It has been swing rather than seam that has been prevalent in recent Trent Bridge Tests and New Zealand are certainly well-stocked in that department.

New-ball pairing Chris Martin and Kyle Mills both enact aerial movement, as does teenager Tim Southee, who is pushing to be recalled in place of Iain O’Brien.

Oram has also been working on swinging the ball during his ‘rest’ from the tour match against Northamptonshire, in a bid to up his productivity as stock bowler.

“My rhythm is good enough now to keep a low RPO (runs per over) but maybe I need to induce a few more wickets,” said Oram.

“It would be nice but my whole career I have not been a wicket-taker.

“If I had to give the game up I wouldn’t be overly worried over the wickets I have taken or not taken but I suppose you’re always looking for areas to improve and if I can swing the ball a bit more, get a bit more bounce it might help.

“You will not get any more pace out of me without snapping me in half.”