NCCC News : Mascarenhas Wary Of England's 'Seriously Good' Batting

New Zealand bowling coach Dimitri Mascarenhas has admitted his side may not be able to control England's explosive batting line-up at Trent Bridge.

The former England international, who was appointed to the Black Caps' backroom team in March, admits it's an international series when even the good balls are going to the boundary.

"The way the game has changed over the last few years and the new rules with only having four out, it makes it tougher and tougher," he said.

"It's a good challenge for the bowlers to come up with new ideas, new plans and execute better.

"We want to focus on sticking to our plans and, if Plan A doesn't work, what is out next plan - and just executing.

"If they are hitting our best balls for four, we don't mind that. It's just when we bowl badly and get punished, you can fix those things.

"We've got better and better the more we've played so hopefully tomorrow can be another improvement on what's happened before.

"England have got some seriously good players so sometimes it's not going to work but, as long as we're sticking to what we want to do, that's all we can control as bowlers.

"If they're better on the day, they're allowed to be better on the day."

Mascarenhas played 20 one-day internationals or England during his playing career, played at a time when run rates were generally more sedate with one additional fielder was allowed outside the ring.

And the former Hampshire, Hobart Hurriacanes and Kings XI Punjab all-rounder admits he'd like to see a return to the old regulations.

"I'd go back to the normal rules of having five out," he said. "It's worked in the sense that it's made the one-day game more exciting to watch, which has been great, but it's really tough on the bowlers and we've seen spinners taken out of the game a lot as well.

"Generally they don't get to bowl their full quota anymore, unless you're an absolute gun spinner, so it does take that element out of it a little bit. But we've just got to keep adapting, trying to get better and dealing with those rules.

"And going there (to the Ageas Bowl) for the first time in a couple of years, I was telling our lads it's going to be a big ground, the biggest we will play on. To go there and see the boundaries brought in a lot, especially straight; I'd like to see them out as far as you can.

"But we just turn up, get told the dimensions and play. It makes for exciting cricket when guys are hitting lots of fours and sixes."

New Zealand's bowling unit has included two newcomers to the ODI arena, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner and left-arm paceman Ben Wheeler.

And while their mentor Macarenhas admits some nerves have been on show, he's happy with the progress of the inexperienced duo.

"Ben was pretty nervous for his first game and he got through it brilliantly," the bowling coach said. "He probably only bowled one bad over to Stokes where he got hid a bit. Other than that he was really impressive, he stuck to his guns, put the ball in the right area and reaped some pretty good rewards.

"Mitch was still pretty nervous, but you can see with his bowling that he's getting better and better, so the more he plays, the more he's going to get better at adapting to certain situations. I'm really happy with the way he's been progressing during these last three games."

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