Nathan Astle Photo CricInfo

New Zealand's experiences in Australia earlier in the summer have been a big influence on the way they have prepared for the National Bank series for the Jordan Rosebowl starting against England at Christchurch tomorrow.

Reinforcing that approach will be the key for a player like batsman Nathan Astle.

He is poised to become only the seventh New Zealander to achieve 3000 runs in Test cricket, unless a similarly driven Chris Cairns can head him off for the privilege, but Astle is closer, and comes in before the all-rounder.

Astle has scored 2903 runs at 37.21 in his 50 Test matches and is well on the way, when incorporating his already outstanding one-day record, to establishing himself as one of the finest batsmen produced by New Zealand.

He is also one of the few players in New Zealand's top order to have met the England attack in warm-up games, and his long knowledge of Andy Caddick, borne of years playing together in Canterbury age-group teams, and a reminder of the bounce Caddick can muster in his dismissal in the Canterbury game at the weekend, should have him in peak readiness for the series.

Astle thrived in Australia and his third Test 156 not out on the pacier wicket at Perth should have put paid to claims of his ability against faster bowling.

New Zealand supporters could expect more from the home batsmen of what they produced in Australia.

"What we learnt in Australia was that it is just a patience game. The fellows have their own game plan in how they achieve that.

"I know my Test game a lot more and leaving is the big thing.

"If I am leaving well then I'm usually playing well," he said.

That had become his Test philosophy and he is now aware, after some tough lessons, that if the shots are there they will come naturally to him after he has worked at the leaving side.

"I go through patches and I know when I start going at the ball, that is when I have to come back inside myself. That is my biggest curse," he said.

Astle has developed the system by working with Martin Crowe, the man whose one-day record he has supplanted and whose Test achievements may well be over-shadowed by Astle.

"Martin's rules for me are basic. He knows my game and keeps the ideas very basic.

"A lot of it is to do with head position and getting my right eye over off stump, so that everything outside of that I can leave alone," he said.

Astle knows that Caddick is the key to England's attack but also acknowledges Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff as good bowlers as well.

The players had had a good look at the bowlers during the one-day series, and on tour in England in 1999, while captain Stephen Fleming had a good look at them during his stint with Middlesex last winter.

Astle had no qualms with shifting out of one-day mode saying that the sheer volume of cricket nowadays meant players had to be able to adapt quickly.

He quite happily acknowledged that New Zealand's success in England in 1999 had not been given the recognition it was due but that just provided a little more motivation for the home side.

"We have had a good season so far. We competed in Australia which not a lot of people thought we could do and a win in this series would cap it off," he said.

One of the key men for England is likely to be left-arm spinner Ashley Giles who pronounced himself fit for the game after a net session today.

Giles had been troubled by a back injury.

"I had a good bowl, a few throws and did some fielding so I'm pretty happy," he said.

"I've got through it as well as I could have expected and I'm available for selection tomorrow as long as I turn up well tomorrow morning."

Giles said he had had the back problem on and off for years and occasionally it just blew up. He didn't know what caused it whether it was over-training, bad beds in hotels, or something else.

"Something occasionally upsets it and clicks it out of joint."

It didn't affect his bowling today but he said when it goes into spasm he was unable to do anything.

Giles didn't see the battle of the left-arm spinners in the game as a one-on-one contest with Daniel Vettori.

"We're obviously in competition because we are both spinners playing against each other in a Test series.

"I've got every respect for Daniel Vettori and I think he's a very fine bowler. If I can bowl better than him then that can only help England's cause.

"He's got something about him. He's got a strong action, bowls aggressively and they're the sort of things I try and do as well. I've got a lot of respect for him," he said.

Giles expects a positive approach from the New Zealand batsmen, especially Chris Cairns and Craig McMillan while Astle and Fleming tended to play it a little more conservatively.

He enjoys the battle, especially when batsmen come at him as it increased the chance of getting them out. It was good for him in three series on the sub-continent and he is looking forward to it here.

The lack of crowds in New Zealand in comparison to Asia meant it was important England created their own intensity on the field.

"We need to build ourselves up and I'm sure we are, we're up to this series."

They had lost the one-day series and were due some payback, he said.

The teams are: (from)

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Matt Horne, Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Chris Drum, Ian Butler, Chris Martin.

England: Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White, Ashley Giles, James Foster, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard.

The umpires are: Brent Bowden (NZ) and Asoka De Silva (Sri Lanka). Third umpire: Dave Quested (NZ). Match referee: Jackie Hendriks (West Indies).

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