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(Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Dambulla)

DAMBULLA, Wednesday - New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said that pace will play a bigger role than spin in deciding the final of the Bank Alfalah Cup tri-nation series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Friday.

"I don't think spin is going to win the final. I think it will be the quicker bowlers. If the pitch behaves the way it did today it will be the case," said Fleming at the end of the final preliminary round match on Tuesday which Pakistan won by 22 runs to qualify with New Zealand for the final. Pakistan's victory knocked out hosts Sri Lanka out of a place in a home final for the first time in 17 years.

Fleming said the lack of an additional seamer made the difference to Tuesday's result. "The pitch was better than the one's before and we saw a positive game of cricket. Not only the wickets, it was also the dynamics of our bowling that allowed Pakistan to score 76 runs in the last 10 overs. We only had two seamers and Scotty (Styris). We lacked a seamer and it made the difference," he said.

Fleming dismissed the notion that Pakistan would have gained a psychological advantage for the final with Tuesday's win.

"We are playing steady cricket and with another seamer coming in I think that will make the difference. We are feeling pretty good about the way we are playing on these wickets," said Fleming.

New Zealand already without their main paceman Shane Bond who has returned home with a back injury, were forced to leave out their third seamer Andre Adams who had an injured shoulder. However Fleming was confident that Adams will be fit for the final.

"The wicket didn't take turn as much as in the previous games. I think another seamer would have become handy a bit earlier on. All the guys felt that the surface was a lot easier to play on than the last four or five days," said Fleming.

"They were six down for 108 and it justified us bowling first and then on us using the kind of resources we had. (Shoaib) Malik played very well. It was very much a fifty-fifty game and it finally swung in their favour with 22 a runs difference.

"We were confident we could get 203 on this pitch. The only thing is that we fell away because we didn't get partnerships with a little bit more substance. It was a bit tougher for the tail facing the swinging ball and the pace of (Mohammad) Sami. The top order has to do a little bit more and see they play it through till the end," he said.

Fleming said that his team was desperate to win every game, but in a game of this nature where New Zealand had already qualified for the final, "we didn't always carry the edge and we probably dropped a couple of half chances in the field". "It was an indication that our fielding was not quite on song," he said .

Pakistan coach Javed Miandad also speaking on the same lines as Fleming said:" We relied on our fast bowlers to do the job for us. We have a very good attack and I am very pleased the way they bowled. We worked out a strategy on how we should get about it and they are working hard at it".

New Zealand were cruising to victory at one time on 160-4 in the 44th over chasing 204 for victory before Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami captured five of the last six wickets to swing the game Pakistan's way. "Before the game we were in a do-or-die position. Now that we are in the final we are not worried about whom we are playing. We beat New Zealand today and we are a bit more confident. In cricket you always get a psychological advantage when you are meeting the same team," said Miandad.

"The players performed well although we are still struggling with the top order. I am sure this team can score a total of 250-260 runs. But unfortunately because we are in the rebuilding stage and trying to gain some experience these things can happen. This is the way they will learn and I am sure now that they are in the final, they will play much better than in the last four games," he said.

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