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Fleming tells NZ to maintain pressure
The Kiwi skipper was upbeat after his 117 guided New Zealand to 295 for four on the first day of the third Test on Thursday.
Skipper Stephen Fleming was upbeat after his 117 guided New Zealand to 295 for four on the first day of the third Test against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
But having seen a good first day's work wasted in the previous two Tests, which both ended in defeat and gave England a series victory in the three-match contest, Fleming said his side needed a bigger total.
"I think we need to be at about 500 on this wicket. Attritional pressure is going to be the key words. If we can get 500 to 550 on the board we've got a lot more options.
"We don't think we've been that far of the pace in this series, it's just been key times that we've lost."
At Headingley in the second Test, New Zealand scored 409 in the first innings but still lost by nine wickets while at Lord's a total of 386 batting first could not prevent a seven-wicket defeat.
"I think it's balanced but if you said to me yesterday (Wednesday) we'd be nearly 300 for four at the end of day one, not too many captains would turn that down and with the batting that we've got to come, I think we'll be pretty happy," Fleming said.
Scott Styris was 68 not out and Jacob Oram 10 not out at the close after Mark Richardson had fallen for 73.
But New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns, on the ground where he made his name with Nottinghamshire, was still waiting to bat in what will be his final Test match before retirement.
"With this being Chris's last game it's an emotional setting. It would be great on this stage to perform well for him one last time and emotionally I'm pretty happy to do that.
Fleming was modest about his innings, rating it below his knock of 97 at Headingley in the second Test.
"There's 21 runs difference between the two but in terms of how hard I had to work at Headingley it doesn't even compare.
"Always you want to get more. It would have been good to be still out there tonight as then you really are in a dominant position."
England spinner Ashley Giles took Richardson's wicket but paid tribute to paceman Steve Harmison whose two wickets in two balls late in the day brought the hosts back into the match.
"Harmison has everything, he is exciting. He really showed he is one of the best in the world," Giles said.
Fleming also identified the Durham quick, currently second in the world rankings behind Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, as the key bowler.
"Harmison is proving to be the world class player that we know him to be and he was able to set some problems. We're going to have to look out for him."
