Stead: Black Caps happy to avoid the heat in warm-up match

Gary Stead said searing temperatures in Perth took a toll on New Zealand, so an extra day off "shouldn't do any harm".

""It's hard to underestimate the effect that Perth had on us. We were in 40C temperatures every day," New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said.

Head coach Gary Stead believes New Zealand can benefit from being able to put its feet up after day one of the warm-up match against Victoria XI was cancelled due to extreme heat.

The Black Caps were due to start the two-day match at Scotch College on Friday, but temperatures are expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius in Melbourne.

They will instead contest a full-day match on Sunday after training in what is forecast to be cooler conditions on Saturday as they prepare for the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the MCG.

The tourists had to contend with high temperatures during a 296-run defeat in the first Test and Stead says it would have made no sense to toil in the heat again if it could be avoided.

"If it's going to be that hot, I'm not sure we're going to get too much out of it, and there's just the danger element as well," Stead said.

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"It's hard to underestimate the effect that Perth had on us. We were in 40C temperatures every day.

"The travel back from Perth to Melbourne is pretty gruelling as well, and guys are still struggling to get their sleep patterns right.

"Having the extra day shouldn't do any harm to us."