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Cairns aiming to finish with a flourish
Chris Cairns is dreaming of bowing out of Test cricket with one more show-stopping innings on the ground where he made his name.
New Zealand and Nottinghamshire star Chris Cairns is dreaming of bowing out of Test cricket with one more show-stopping innings on the Trent Bridge ground where he made his name.
The match is poised for Cairns to unfurl one of his trademark dynamic innings and then skittle out England to salvage some pride for his team who are already 2-0 down in the three-match series.
That would be the ideal birthday present for the New Zealander who turns 34 on Sunday.
The all-rounder is retiring from Test cricket after 62 matches because his often-injured knees can no longer take the strain of five-day contests.
New Zealand are 190 for five in their second innings and go into Sunday's fourth day with a 255-run lead after pace bowler Cairns took five for 79 to give his side a first innings lead for the first time in the series.
"You do dream about those sorts of situations and who knows what's going to be conjured up," Cairns said after stumps on Saturday.
"What's important for me is to make sure that my shot selection is correct. If it is then I generally execute it pretty well.
"If I can stay in that zone then anything is possible," explained Cairns who broke West Indies great Vivian Richards's previous Test record of 84 career sixes during a whirlwind 82 in the first Test at Lord's.
"I've always been an advocate of individual performance means so much more with a collective win. And I've always found it a bit shallow if you have that performance without victory."
Cairns, out for 12 in New Zealand's first innings, is desperate to depart in style.
"I was really disappointed with my first innings dismissal but again throughout my career I've always walked that fine line between when something comes off it looks fantastic and if I get out it looks disastrous."
Cairns added he was impressed with the current England side who are after a first series whitewash over a major side since a 3-0 rout of New Zealand in 1978.
"I think that this English team is the most confident in striking the ball that we've come across. They come back and have assets in their armoury in Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
"But I'd much rather be in our position (in this match)," said Cairns on a good day all-round for New Zealand sport after the All Blacks' 36-3 thrashing of world champions England.
And his England counterpart Flintoff admitted: "Chris Cairns is always a danger. It's his last Test match and we all know how he can play. We all know what he does, he comes out and he takes it on so he'll be a big wicket."
