Cricket: Aussie beaters should form the basis of test side

Ross Taylor during the Black Caps team training session held at Colin Maiden Park. Photo / NZ Herald

In one sense it's easy, but with a curve ball in the tail. New Zealand will today name a squad of 14 to prepare for the first test against South Africa, starting at Dunedin's University Oval on Wednesday.

Most of the names can be inked in, based on the tremendous win over Australia at Hobart in December and the strong, decisive innings win inside three days against Zimbabwe in January.

These southern Africans, however, are a rather different proposition to their lightweight neighbours. They have won the last four out of five limited-overs internationals and gradually appear to be shutting New Zealand out of the tour.

If it is alternatives you're looking for, there are precious few about. The New Zealand talent pool is not that deep.

Start at the top and mark in Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and returning captain Ross Taylor. Dean Brownlie, New Zealand's best batsman in Australia, is out recovering from a fractured finger. Jesse Ryder missed the Zimbabwe win with a calf injury and disgraced himself again for breaking team protocol around alcohol after Wednesday night's loss in Napier.

Ryder has immense talent but his confidence appears low. His three innings back for New Zealand have ended disappointingly, twice by self-inflicted wounds, while on Wednesday in Napier his feet went nowhere in a two-ball duck.

Still he is likely to be in but the clock is ticking. Fingers will be surreptitiously crossed that he finds his way out of the fog before the start of the test.

Dan Vettori and wicketkeeper BJ Watling are at No 6 and 7. Which leaves the four-seam attack, so impressive at Hobart and Napier, to round things out.

Problem: Is that sufficient batting against a formidable South African attack? The four seamers are offering far too little with the bat. That needs to be fixed smartly.

A look at the leading domestic runmakers throws up Central Districts wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, the runaway top run-getter with 638 at 91.14 - and Watling's unsuccessful rival for the test gloves - veterans Mathew Sinclair and James Marshall, neither of whom will be called up, with Northern Districts captain Brad Wilson lurking just below.

Putting James Franklin, in at No 7, adds a degree more strength to the batting, and offers left arm seam bowling, at the expense of either another left-armer, Trent Boult, or Tim Southee.

Boult impressed Australian watchers at Hobart, has taken nine wickets in two Plunket Shield games in the last fortnight and should be in.

This selection may be more about taking players south to provide specific support before the test. No more seamers are needed, but legspinner Tarun Nethula should be in.

He's unlikely to make the XI but he would give the batsmen plenty of preparation ahead of facing South African legspinner Imran Tahir. Sam Wells, the surprise 12th man in the Zimbabwe win, has done little since. Andrew Ellis has been involved in the limited-overs series and would be a decent spare parts, 14th man candidate.

Possible New Zealand first test squad: Ross Taylor (c), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Jesse Ryder, Dan Vettori, BJ Watling, James Franklin, Andrew Ellis, Tarun Nethula, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Chris Martin