Cricket: At sixes and sevens filling Oram's boots

Jacob Oram will be hard to replace. Photo / Getty Images

Balance - It is the one constant whenever Jacob Oram's worth in the New Zealand test side was questioned.

Over the past couple of seasons in particular, when injuries and a seemingly terminal loss of form combined to reduce Oram to passenger status, Daniel Vettori was quick to point to the "balance" the big left-hander brought to the team.

At his best, he was the ultimate two-for-the-price-of-one cricketer, the rightful heir to the throne vacated by Chris Cairns, capable of scoring test centuries against the best attacks in the world, while troubling good batsmen with his height and ability to hit the seam.

At his least effective, he was still a threat in the middle order and an economical stock bowler who could keep opposition line-ups in check.

While there are myriad options to replacing Oram, there are five that would seem more attractive than most.

OPTION 1 Select James Franklin as a like-for-like straight swap.

Pros: He wants the job, telling his local paper: "I'm hoping [the selectors] think I'm the guy for that. I think I can do a job there for New Zealand. I've done it for years for Wellington, batting at No6 and bowling, so it's nothing different for me."

At his best, Franklin would offer the sort of balance a fit Jacob Oram provided, with his cultured left-handed batting and left-arm swing variety with the ball. If you watched him in the nets and knew nothing of his test record, who would think that he was a world-class player rather than a fringe selection.

Cons: "At his best" is the operative statement. Hands up - outside those who regularly attend Wellington's first-class fixtures - anybody who has actually seen Franklin at his best? Over the past three seasons he has batted like a lion in first-class cricket, but looks as timid as a mouse at the highest level.

In the field, he carries the appearance of somebody who does not really like bowling.

The fact he took a significant drop in his central contract ranking this year indicates the selectors have lost patience in the wait for Franklin to realise his potential.

OPTION 2 Select Grant Elliott as a like-for-like swap.

Pros: He has a proven temperament for the big stage, judging by the crucial runs he keeps accruing at ODI level. He could be developed as the Reuben Thorne-like 'glue' around which the flashier strokemakers - McCullum, Taylor etc - can work.

Elliott is a popular teammate who clearly has had to work hard for everything he has achieved.

Cons: His technique has thus far failed to handle the more penetrating questions asked by test bowlers, though admittedly we're working on a very small sample here.

He could be a handy bowler on pitches offering plenty, but appeals as nothing much more threatening than Ryder on flat pitches.

In reality, Oram had gone much the same way himself towards the end of his test career.

OPTION 3 Move Brendon McCullum to No6, select James Franklin as a No7.

Pros: The wicketkeeper would welcome the chance to move up a spot and a middle order of Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and McCullum has the potential to take games away from the opposition, as long as the top three provide a base, something they have been unable to do since Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming retired. This configuration would see minimal disruption to what has been one of the few strengths of this side: a strong middle to lower order.

Cons: The numbers suggest McCullum is a better batsman at No7. In 10 innings batting No5, McCullum averages just 26, well down on his career average of 31.7. In 11 innings at No6, the figures are even more stark, with a high score of just 55 and an anaemic average of 22.

At No7 he has a useful test average of 34.87. Against the world's three best bowling attacks - Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka - McCullum has averaged 22.5, 22.3 and 24.1 respectively.

OPTION 4 As for Option 3 but elevate Daniel Vettori to No6 ahead of McCullum and Franklin.

Pros: He has been New Zealand's most effective batsman in recent years. Only once in his first six years as a test player did he average more than 20 in a calendar year; in the seven years since only once has he averaged under 35. In other words, he has qualified for a significant promotion.

"I think it is something we'll have to have a look at. It's not something I'm averse to," Vettori said.

Cons: Vettori is the best No8 in the world. He adds substance to an otherwise fragile tail, so you are sacrificing an important piece of the puzzle by moving him. He most certainly would not be the best No6 in the world and his record in Australia (average 14.5) and England (16.7) is rancid.

Vettori picks the team, bowls the most overs and skippers the side. Asking him to add specialist batsman to his portfolio could be a bridge too far.

OPTION 5 Blood Kane Williamson as a No6 and use a fit Jesse Ryder as the auxiliary bowler.

Pros: Williamson will play for New Zealand, sooner rather than later. Allowing him to start his career on home turf batting at No6 would offer him a cosier introduction to test cricket than that which was afforded others, most notably Ken Rutherford.

It is not as if New Zealand has been weighed down by runs in recent times and the need for an extra batsman has often been stark. When you play an allrounder at No6, you are doing so more in the hope of big runs rather than the expectation. Teams like Australia and South Africa demand regular test centuries from the No6 position. Marcus North (test average 47.9) and JP Duminy (48.62) occupy that position in those teams at present and are considered batsmen who can bowl a little. Kane Williamson would fit that mould nicely.

Cons: He is still green at first-class level (10 matches, average 45.2) and there is debate whether test cricket is any place for a 19-year-old. He struggled this winter with the Emerging Players and NZ A, so other specialist batsmen like BJ Watling and Peter Ingram might have stronger No6 claims.