The New Zealand cricket team has turned to modern technology to get their message across against the touring South Africans and the hi-tech wizardry appears to be paying dividends.
Coach John Bracewell is using a walkie-talkie to communicate with team medical staff on the boundary who pass on to boundary fielders information taken from video analysis of opposition batsmen.
Bracewell, who trialled the system in a one-day match against Pakistan last month, said he was confident it was within the rules.
”The information’s just not allowed to go on the park, you’re not allowed to use walkie-talkies between the players and coach,” he said on Wednesday, the day after New Zealand beat South Africa by five wickets.
”It’s no different to sending someone around with a message, just a more efficient way of getting that through.”
New Zealand pacemen Daryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills bowled excellent opening spells in helpful conditions in the one-day international in Christchurch on Tuesday, with Tuffey’s dismissal of key man Jacques Kallis for six, bowled without offering a shot, aided by the technology.
”Yesterday only two messages went out and that was about bowlers’ length early on,” Bracewell said.
”Daryl said he was trying to keep the ball fuller to Kallis and slightly back of a length to Graeme Smith. He’d recognised to Kallis he could go fuller and it worked out quite well.”
The six-match series is tied 1-1, with the third match in Wellington on Friday. — Sapa-AFP