Vettori wants clean sweep

Daniel Vettori is jubilant after dismissing Tushar Imran during the second ODI © Getty Images

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New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has highlighted the importance of completing a clean sweep of Bangladesh in The National Bank one-day international Series.

The home side built up an unassailable 2-0 lead after their 102-run victory by the Duckworth/Lewis method in Napier, but Vettori affirmed the importance of keeping the tourists winless.

“We’re expected to win the series 3-0 and if we go down there and get tripped up the series is almost a disappointment for us,” he said.

The spinner bowled 10 economical overs for 30 runs, taking two wickets, but was again encouraged by the performance of the top-order batting.

Peter Fulton during his innings of 83 against Bangladesh

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“It was pretty pleasing how we started the innings,” he said. “Jamie How and Brendon McCullum are forging a good partnership at the top of the innings, and they had some good partnerships in the South African series as well.

“So they’re continuing, and Peter and Scott carried on in the middle - when it’s not always the easiest facing spinners - and did a good job then, and we finished off the innings really well.”

Peter Fulton was the Kiwis’ top scorer with 83, backed by half-centuries from How (74) and Jacob Oram (55).

Fulton said: “I came out in a situation where Jamie and Brendon got us off to a really good start, so there wasn’t much pressure on and I was able to get started after about 15 or 20 balls.

“We built our momentum and if you do get off to a good start in one-day games it makes it pretty hard for the bowling side.”

The only negative for the Black Caps was a shoulder injury to Mark Gillespie.

The Wellington pacer’s health will be monitored before a decision on his fitness is made before Monday’s third match in Queenstown.