Kiwi cricketers get master class in throwing baseball curve balls

Florida, May 20(ANI): New Zealand cricketers could be throwing curve balls during the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in Florida, having trained with Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Florida Marlins.

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori and all-rounder Jacob Oram were also given an opportunity to throw the first pitches before the Marlins' game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Vettori said players and coaching staff had been able to exchange notes with Marlins players, and hoped both sides had found it a valuable experience.

"There's a lot of similarities between cricket and baseball and it's one of America's favourite sports and a lot of the guys just really enjoy watching it," The New Zealand Herald quoted Vettori, as saying.

Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said the opportunity to train and talk shop with a MLB team had been a dream come true.

"As in any different sport there's an opportunity to learn and I think all of us have watched baseball as young kids and a lot of us enjoy it, so it's just nice to be here and have an opportunity to do it," Greatbatch said.

New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in two exhibition Twenty20 games on Sunday and Monday. (ANI)