Redmond reveals his secret
Aaron Redmond brought his unexpected power hitting from league to international cricket as New Zealand eased to a win against Ireland.
Redmond's 63 from only 30 balls provided the impetus needed at the start of an innings which realised 198 for five to get the Black Caps' Super Eights campaign off to an ideal start.
Five days earlier, Redmond had made a big hundred for Farnworth in a rain-shortened Bolton League match - and 24 hours earlier, he was still oblivious to the fact New Zealand were considering calling him up as a replacement for the ill Jesse Ryder.
Asked whether his 13 fours against Ireland were simply a case of him carrying on where he left off in Lancashire last weekend, he said: "It was a little bit different today, but maybe that bit of form I had in that last game brought me through.
"Most of the games (for Farnworth) have been rain-affected, so I've only been playing about 30-over cricket in the last few weeks - so I think that has helped."
Redmond's 146 for his club was too much for their scorer.
"It was in 80 minutes, but the guy gave up with the balls," he recalled.
Today, he hit his first two balls for four off Peter Connell and had 30 runs to his name by the end of the second over - all of which came as a shock to spectators who last saw him trying to grind out runs against England in last summer's Test series.
"I was playing Test cricket and trying to bat time, then coming into this game and actually playing some shots - two complete contrasts," he accepts.
"But I've felt over the last six months I've grown in my own game.
"I've had quite a few innings for Otago at the start where I took ages and ages to get 50 runs. But in the last six months, I've lost that fear a little bit.
"At the start maybe I was bracketed as a Test player, but maybe now I'll have a shot at the one-dayers too."
As for the hectic nature of his call-up, Redmond senses it may well have helped keep any nerves under control.
"I don't think I had enough time to make any changes, because I only got the call-up yesterday," he said.
"I was pretty calm. I've only had the last 24 hours to realise I'm in a tournament like this - the last couple of weeks, I've been watching on TV."
Redmond's Otago and New Zealand opening partner Brendon McCullum could barely believe what he had seen.
"We play for the same province back home, and every time we've batted together he seems to have scored about one or two," said the Kiwi captain.
"But today, he took all the initiative. I thought it was fantastic.
"For him to come out and play the way he did today, in a different situation from the league cricket he has been playing, I thought he took the game away from them inside about three overs.
"It looked a pretty nervy game for us, but he gave the rest of the side real impetus."
McCullum was impressed too by Redmond's presence of mind in making sure he was in this country, should he be required.
"Obviously, it's a long way to fly someone out from New Zealand in the middle of winter without much cricket under their belt," he conceded.
"It's smart play from Aaron coming over here and playing league cricket."
McCullum's opposite number William Porterfield had conspicuously less to smile about - and several questions to answer about Ireland's disappointing performance, and selection policy.
Fast bowler Boyd Rankin was replaced by Connell, who bowled just one over and conceded 14 runs.
"We perhaps didn't bowl to the fields that were set, and they got away from us in those first few overs," said Porterfield.
"Boyd is a wicket-taking bowler, but we just thought he wasn't consistent enough. It was a toss-up between the two. We went with PC today, and it didn't work out."
As for Redmond, Porterfield was happy to give due credit.
"Things went his way today. He maybe got a few loose deliveries. But take nothing away from him - he played really well. Fair play to him."
The man himself, meanwhile, is a shoe-in to keep his place for New Zealand's next match - against Pakistan at The Oval on Saturday.
Before then, though, he could just fit in another bit of vital preparation with his club - as long as he is prepared to travel to London via Lancashire.
"(Farnworth) Nets are Tuesdays and Fridays - so I could possibly get back for a net before the next game," he suggested.
With crucial players like Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Daniel Vettori and Kevin Pietersen nursing injuries, is the slam-bang version of cricket starting to take its toll on the players? You know where to write in with your thoughts. Write in to us at: fanspeak@espnstar.co.in
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