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Three centuries for Kiwis
Wisden CricInfo staff - October 28, 2001

BRISBANE (Reuters)
Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent each hit centuries as the New Zealanders scored 498 for 8 to draw their three-day tour match against the Queensland President's XI.

Allrounder Cairns, the man New Zealand will look to in the three-Test series against Australia which starts at Brisbane on November 8, hit 119 from 81 balls before retiring.

The innings of Cairns, who has not played Test cricket this year because of a knee injury, helped to restore some pride in the tourists' camp after they had allowed the opposition, made up of Queensland fringe players, to amass 477 for 6 declared in their first innings.

Cairns hit seven sixes in his 67-ball century, adding 221 for the sixth wicket with McMillan (116 retired), while Vincent compiled 136.

New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming said his side could not hide from their poor bowling performance. "It would be wrong to say we weren't concerned with yesterday's performance but we have to keep it in perspective," he said. "We would have liked to bowl sides out and we haven't made inroads into any side and as long as that continues it develops anxieties but you just push on.

"But we are a lot further down the track than the results would suggest. Chris Cairns won't bowl like that again [1 for 130] because he's too good a player, and it's great to have Dion Nash [1 for 81] back. I'm very satisfied with where he's at."

The New Zealanders play their fourth tour match, but the first against a first-class team, when they take on Queensland in a four-day match starting on November 1 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori's absence for at least the first two Tests because of an ankle injury is a major disappointment for New Zealand ahead of the series against the world champions.

"We're under no illusions about what we need to do," said Fleming. "It was a big hammer blow when Dan went down, but we can't do much about that."

In Vettori's absence, spinners Glen Sulzberger and Paul Wiseman conceded 79 runs from a combined 10 overs.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd