It was all hands to the bowling machine for New Zealand's cricketers today as they prepare for tomorrow's second National Bank series One-Day International against Pakistan in Napier tomorrow.

The side spent three hours practising at Napier's Nelson Park with a bowling machine wound up to faster speeds than the 140-plus the Pakistanis managed at Eden Park when routing New Zealand for 149.

Coach David Trist said the needs for New Zealand's batsmen against the lightning-like speed of pace man Shoaib Akhtar were basic.

"They have to look at where their feet were, their alignment and to appreciate that against genuinely fast bowling their plan has to be well thought through.

"One or two of them hadn't really expected that kind of pace from that angle and getting the right guard even," he said.

Trist said the reverse swing the Pakistanis have been notorious for employing required a very straight bat, a reduced back life, good head position, preferably still while minimising the effect of the swing by gatting slightly out of their crease.

"When he's going that wide he's going to look to bowl yorkers virtually the whole time. So if you're slightly outside your crease you give another dimension to it.

"That's what we've tried to focus on down here.

"We had talked about it but until you face it, it's only words and I think they'll come back," he said of his younger batsmen who were new to that level of express pace.

Trist was impressed with the way Akhtar bowled for the first time since injury and it would require the players to combat him in the same way they worked to combat Sri Lankan spinner Mutiah Muralitharan.

"We 've got to combat the total pace of not only Shoaib but the variations of Akram who I think is still a truly great fast bowler. We're challenged," he said.

"That's the benefit of sustained practice. It gives you a knowledge of where you are at and what you are expected to do when you're out in the middle so you don't have to do the thinking there, it's already done.

"You have to practice your check list then go out and see how you compete because that's where you're going to be aware if are up to it, when you are really tested," he said.

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