New Zealand 'shot themselves in the foot', insists Dane Piedt

Wellington [New Zealand], Mar. 20 (ANI): South African off-spinner Dane Piedt, who has been added to the squad for the Hamilton Test, beginning March 25, has insisted that New Zealand committed a mistake by not trusting their seam strength. "I think they have shot themselves in the foot. They didn't back their seamers to do the job, and I thought their seamers bowled pretty well in South Africa. They bowled us out for 263 in Durban on quite a sporting deck," ESPNcricinfo quoted Piedt as saying. The off-spinner also stated that he was surprised by the conditions on offer in New Zealand. "I didn't expect that New Zealand would play two spinners in the first Test and when they left Tim Southee out I was also surprised," he said. "Just the fact that two series before that, Bangladesh and Pakistan were here and they played on surfaces that were quite sporting for the seamers. I expected it to be the same, but obviously with the type of seam attack we have they thought they would be under pressure," he added. Piedt's assertion can be backed seeing the Black Caps' form in the four home Tests which they won before the ongoing Test against Proteas and in all those four games, the quicks contributed heavily to their success. During the Pakistan series, in which the Men in Green were bowled twice under 180, and twice under 240, Tim Southee topped the wicket charts, followed by Colin de Grandhomme and Neil Wagner. In the Bangladesh rubber, Trent Boult topped the bowlers' list, with Southee and Wagner next. South Africa is currently leading the three-match series 1-0, following their emphatic victory in Wellington Test.(ANI)