Finch says negating Southee's outstanding swing key to success against Kiwis

Wellington, Feb 24 - Australian opener Aaron Finch has claimed that he and David Warner are going to have to play as well as they can to try and negate the outstanding New Zealand swing bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult, when the two sides lock horns at the Eden Park on Saturday.

The venue is tailor-made for very high-scoring, given the reduced distance to the ropes beyond each end of the pitch, which would be only 55 metres from the centre of the wicket on Saturday - a full five metres shorter than Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

The reduced boundary length might not prove good for the bowlers given the big-hitting batsmen in both the sides.

Nonetheless, Southee and Boult have been outstanding in the World Cup so far, with the former having collected seven wickets when they thrashed England last week, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Finch claimed that New Zealand's bowling at the top of the innings has been outstanding with Southee and Trent Boult and guys like that chipping in, so he added that he himself and Warner are going to have to play as well as they can to try and negate them.

Finch said that Southee bowled brilliantly, adding that when one pitches it up and swings it like that with the new ball, it's a huge factor and some days one swings it around corners and one swings it too far to get a nick but claimed that everything went Southee's way the other day and he bowled beautifully.

Finch insisted that Southee is another guy with the New Zealand squad they are going to have to be aware of and hopefully get on top of them early, but added that if not one just plays it on its merits really.

Finch claimed that it's swing bowling; adding that they have faced it before, but admitted that the high pressure of a World Cup can do funny things.

However, the opener claimed that he believes all the pressure is going to be on New Zealand the way that they've been playing and there in New Zealand as well, but added that the Australians are excited about the challenge. (ANI)