Nash relishing heat of battle
By Lynn McConnell
From The Evening Post, December 20, 1999

You have to admire New Zealand cricketer Dion Nash's competitive streak.

Sure, he goes on a bit at times to batsmen when he thinks they've not been treating him with respect. But even without considering the tremendous back injury problems he has had, he lends fire and brimstone to a New Zealand team too inclined to be the nice guys.

Nash is bowling through the pain barrier, only occasionally summoning the faster ball that stretches the body's resistance to strain.

There's just enough devil in his faster ball for batsmen to be unable to dismiss him lightly, although Windies new boy Ricardo Powell did his best yesterday.

Nash likes to remind batsmen of their pedigree when they dare to play and miss a delivery. It's the sort of thing that when taken to extremes helps increase the International Cricket Council's bank account from player fines.

But it is also a powerful motivator for his team-mates, and no handicap when he stood in as captain for an ill Stephen Fleming today.

When Chris Cairns broke through the West Indies batting with the third ball of play in the National Bank test yesterday to get rid of Sherwin Campbell, Nash was revved up to get in behind him.

Then Cairns took Shivnarine Chanderpaul's wicket - West Indies 0-2.

Nash was itching for action and his reward came with the prized wicket of Brian Lara, caught behind by Adam Parore. The West Indies were 1-3, and on the ropes.

Then Ricardo Powell, a batsman with all the brashness of youth, a terrific eye and a passion for runs, decided to take to Nash.

It was a case of power versus intent. Power won, for a while, as Powell thrashed Nash around the ground. Fourteen runs off one over, 1-29 from five overs. It was time for some rest out in the pasture.

"Sometimes the mind races away with the body," Nash said. "It is a case of trying to keep in control and not letting the adrenalin and enthusiasm run away. It might be a sort of fine balance for me to keep things in order."

It was left to the more subtle qualities of Daniel Vettori to rid New Zealand of Powell's threat. He departed in the style of his skipper, flashing at a ball with foot well off line.

Then came the rain and a chance for Nash to rest his body.

"It's not as free as it was in England, or in the early stages in India. But it's getting better. It's about finding an action and a level of fitness where my back can handle the constant pounding," he said.

Nash was determined to play against the West Indies on home soil, especially after the good deeds of six months overseas.

He was confident he could do the job after coming back from injury.

"I felt I could bowl at full pace. It was just a matter of whether I could get through the amount of overs. I've learnt now I'm never going to be able to bowl flat-stick again over an extended period and it's a matter of bowling within yourself and being able to bowl a quicker ball every now and then.

"I was a little nervous and in many ways stuck my neck out, and the coach and his support staff did as well in terms of my taking a place in the starting line-up."

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