We are one and one after the first two games but I know everyone inthe team would have thought we are very unlucky not to be unbeaten at thisstage of the Coca-Cola Cup

Daniel Vettori21-Jul-2001We are one and one after the first two games but I know everyone inthe team would have thought we are very unlucky not to be unbeaten at thisstage of the Coca-Cola Cup.But that is the way cricket goes and if you weremaking predictions at the half way point of each game I think most peoplewould have picked opposite results.The first game against the Lankans was a case of blowing the cobwebsout, and that was evident through the high number of extras.I was criminalin that regard, bowling four no-balls as a spinner is just wrong. I washaving a few interpretation problems with the umpire about some of hisdecisions but that is all part and parcel of playing in Sri Lanka.In saying all that, I thought Chris Harris and myself pulled them back well andI was pleased with my return from my first competitive bowl in five months. Welet ourselves down a bit with the bat making the task too hard at the end.We knew the second game was must-win as there is no worse a feeling thangoing into four days of rest winless.Nathan Astle batted superbly for his 10th one day international and proved yet again why he is New Zealand’sfinest one day batsmen. Although at the end of his innings he was startingto run out of puff, along with everyone else who batted with him, and ourinnings staggered to a disappointing 212.But at the dinner interval Stephen Fleming reiterated to us that we werestill well and truly in the game and that losing wasn’t an option.Our opening bowlers in Daryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills bowled one of the bestopening spells I have seen and that set the scene for the rest of the game.Dion Nash was back to his best in everything he did and it makes a hugedifference to the team when he gets involved in the game the way he did lastnight.So now we have got four days off and since the games in Dhambulla havebeen called off, due to no one knowing who owns the ground, yes you readthat right no one knows who own the ground, we are off to Kandy for a coupleof days, just to get out of the hotel.Three weeks in the same hotel and some of the boys would come down with a case of cabin fever.I think everyone in New Zealand has heard there is a bit of unrest inColombo at the moment and although it is not far away from us, it shouldn’tcause us any problems.We had to drive through a bit of a demonstrationthree days ago, and admittedly there was a bit of tear gas being thrown aroundbut all the protesters looked to have smiles on their faces, or maybe they werejust grimacing from the tear gas in their eyes.Four days off is almost unheard of on an international tour so we willbe making the most of it getting ready for the next ODI knowing howimportant it will be if we want to fulfil our goal of winning thistournament.