Hesson happy with Lockie
Lying flat on his back on the Sydney Cricket Ground outfield, midway through his sixth over, wasn’t the debut Lockie Ferguson envisaged.
New Zealand’s tearaway fast bowler was up and about the morning after his side’s 68-run defeat to Australia in the ChappellHadlee Trophy opener, after being welcomed to the ‘‘cramp club’’ by his team-mates and with some reassuring words from coach Mike Hesson.
The 25-year-old, on debut at one of the world’s great cricket ovals, summed up the Black Caps’ erratic bowling performance after a cracking start when he removed dangerous David Warner and fired down four successive 150km/h thunderbolts to a struggling George Bailey.
As nerves, heat and pressure kicked in, Ferguson overstepped four times and conceded 73 off nine overs in a harsh introduction to ODI cricket against a rampant Steve Smith and company. It didn’t help that he required prolonged attention for cramp in his hamstring, which brought play to a halt.
‘‘It [cramp] is just nerves and anxiety. Pretty much everyone in our team has had it at some stage. It was welcome to the club from a few of the lads last night,’’ Hesson said.
‘‘It’s your first game and you’ve got so much energy bubbling away. We talked about easing into it, and his first over he bowled 152kmh. That’s the type of bowler he is and he’ll be far better off for it.’’
Hesson said Ferguson had no lasting effects and would be assessed later on Monday with a view to selection for Tuesday’s game two in Canberra. The coach wouldn’t commit either way and said senior paceman Tim Southee was a ‘‘strong chance’’ of coming in after missing the cut in Sydney.
Ferguson had never cramped in his life before, Hesson said.
‘‘You put a big crowd out there and your debut and you’re excited, and strange things happen. We certainly saw some good signs.
‘‘He conceded a lot with his extras and a lot of that was cramping and loss of stride length. Those things happen and can be tidied up pretty quickly once he gets used to that kind of intensity. We want him to run in and bowl quick and create opportunity but clearly there’s a balancing act.’’
Hesson was forgiving towards his bowlers despite them letting Australia’s batsmen off the hook when they were in control at 92-4.
In one three-over period, Ferguson, Neesham and Trent Boult conceded 52 including three Matthew Wade sixes in a Neesham over that set Australia hurtling towards their total of 324-8.
‘‘We had Australia under pressure with the ball after 20 overs and let things slip with probably seven or eight overs of searching bowling. That was frustrating.’’
Smith cracked the highest ODI innings at the SCG, 164 off 157 balls, after receiving a huge let-off on 14 when the New Zealanders didn’t challenge a Boult lbw shout that replays showed would have been given.
Hesson insisted there was doubt in the team viewing area, too.
‘‘There was plenty of chat afterwards about that. There were two sounds and the possibility of an inside edge. We’re all well aware there wasn’t. That was the thinking and you could understand it. It was a little bit frustrating.
‘‘From our angle we heard two noises. Macca [batting coach Craig McMillan] and I were going ‘he’s probably nicked it’ and clearly he didn’t. We didn’t have a great view at wide third man but those things happen.
‘‘Generally [captain Kane Williamson] looks to the guy square on in terms of height, the keeper has a good look, is sometimes obscured, first slip sometimes has a better look and he was unsure. All that’s got to happen pretty quickly. It was obviously pretty costly in the end.’’
There were also dropped catches, but despite conceding well above par, Hesson always felt they were in the game in the chase with opener Martin Guptill’s dazzling century, his 11th in ODIs as he hit 114 off 102 balls. The lack of support was costly.
‘‘We’re a very good fielding side. Those things do happen. We were a little bit frustrated with the fact we chased the game with the ball. We had some good plans in place and perhaps we need to back those a bit more. We weren’t far off.
‘‘After 40 overs we were ahead of the game and we have to get better at chasing those bigger targets. They’re becoming a lot more regular in the game. It is about setting it up so you have a chance in the last 10. You don’t win those games in the first 20 overs but you can lose them. We didn’t lose it but we didn’t quite take it deep enough.’’