World champions looking to advance their game

New Zealand's women cricketers head to Europe on Friday looking to push the boundaries that led to their World Cup success in 2000.

The TelstraClear White Ferns have undergone significant personnel changes and the tour which takes in the Netherlands, Ireland and England will be the first extended chance the team management have had to put their team through their paces in playing conditions.

After last year's tour of India was cancelled in the wake of the September 11 hijackings in the United States, there was a short tour of Australia and a home series against Australia.

But this tour represents a much better chance to set in train the re-development of the side for the World Cup defence in 2005.

Team coach Mike Shrimpton said huge emphasis had been put on fitness in the lead-up to the tour with personal trainer Sarah Helmore travelling around the country ensuring players were doing their required work to build endurance and speed.

"We really want to play the game fast, and at significant speed. We want more speed between the wickets, and inside the fielding circle in both fielding and throwing the ball," he said.

The new group of players being taken on the tour were all athletes and were capable of taking the game where New Zealand want to.

"Some of the younger players think they are going to the next Olympics and there was some initial resistance to the programme from more experienced players who have not been used to being hurried along by a fitness trainer," he said.

Shrimpton said there had been "huge disappointment" with the cancellation of the tour to India last year and that had resulted in a lull in effort over the last summer which he put down to being a reflected disappointment.

"But they are really looking forward to this tour," he said.

Shrimpton said that the first six games, three against the Netherlands and three against Ireland, would allow him to place one or two players outside their usual comfort zones.

"I will look to bat or bowl them outside the areas they are used to, and on some of the days players other than tour captain Emily Drumm will lead the side in order to build up the leadership component in the side.

"When we then get to the more competitive matches against England and India in the tri-series, that should allow us some more flexibility in our game plans," he said.

Shrimpton said one of the under-emphasised areas in the women's game was the fielding and he felt the standards of the side had dropped below the high levels achieved in the CricInfo Women's World Cup where New Zealand's fielding ultimately carried it to victory.

He also wants to develop the middle stages of the game and to get more batsmen showing the sort of speed between the wickets that Haidee Tiffen has shown and he is encouraged by the fact that Sara McGlashan and Fiona Fraser are two players who have shown the speed to match Tiffen.

"It is all part of wanting to develop a more attacking game," he said.

The team leaves New Zealand on Friday and play their first game, against the Netherlands on Tuesday at Utrecht. They play again on Wednesday and finish that leg of the tour on Friday.

The following Monday they play Ireland in Dublin with more games on Wednesday, July 3 and Saturday, July 6.

The tri-series with England and India starts on July 10 with England and India playing the first game in Jersey. The following day, New Zealand play India and on Friday England play New Zealand.

Teams then move to Durham where England play New Zealand on Tuesday, July 16. On the following day India play New Zealand, then on the Friday, England play India, with the series final on Saturday, July 20.

The TelstraClear White Ferns are: Emily Drumm (captain, Auckland), Kathryn Ramel (vice-captain, Auckland), Nicola Browne (Northern Districts), Anna Corbin (Wellington), Fiona Fraser (Canterbury), Frances King (Wellington), Sara McGlashan (Central Districts), Aimee Mason (Central Districts), Louise Milliken (Northern Districts), Nicola Payne (Canterbury), Kate Pulford (Central Districts), Rachel Pullar (Otago), Rebecca Rolls (Auckland), Haidee Tiffen (Canterbury).