Cricket: Bond fit to unleash arsenal

A bolstered pace bowling attack, some first-class form from the top order and calculated punts at numbers five and six will be key factors at Dunedin's University Oval this week when New Zealand opens its test campaign again Pakistan.

The mere return of the name Shane Bond to the team list should see a few empty workspaces in and around the Octagon. His six wickets for 148 from 40 overs for Canterbury in their Plunket Shield win over Otago at Rangiora would have been greeted with joy by skipper Daniel Vettori - who was in regular text contact during the game.

It follows Bond easing back into the international scene with limited overs matches in Sri Lanka and South Africa.

The man himself has been pleased with the sheer volume of work he's endured in the past week.

"I bowled a lot of overs at reasonable pace to trouble batsmen on a flat track. The pitch was a road, so it made for trying fast bowling conditions. It was tough on the body, with a few aches and pains, but it gives me confidence."

Bond's recall means Vettori has a reasonable arsenal to challenge the likes of the classy Mohammad Yousuf, consistent Shoaib Malik and promising Fawad Alam. Incumbents Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien also shape as logical selections unless Daryl Tuffey can further stake his claim in the next couple of days after a five-year absence. The fact Tuffey is even on the periphery bodes well for the new-found depth.

For those donning the pads first, Martin Guptill has shown his batting touch recently in the shorter form, with three half-centuries in his last seven one-day internationals. However he is yet to clock up 50 in nine test innings.

One plus is he's had a good look at the Pakistani attack in the UAE, but knows the Black Caps batsmen need to eradicate working the ball through the gully region, as is their habit in one-dayers.

"Personally, my [test] results haven't been too flash," says Guptill. "Trying to bat long periods is something I'm working on."

Fellow opener Tim McIntosh shone on Friday with an unbeaten 131 against the tourists in Queenstown, albeit facing an attack that didn't include likely test contenders Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul. He's continuing some of the form he produced for Sydney-based club Blacktown in the pre-season.

Daniel Flynn also shot across the Tasman to play for the Gordon team in the same competition. He produced an aggregate of 105 for the recent three-dayer at number three.

The selectors pinpoint batting as the area they really need to improve. That's hampered by a yawning gap at number five, with the injured Jesse Ryder likely to be missing until at least mid-December. Ryder is averaging 49.88 from his 11 test innings.

Peter Fulton has been summoned following knocks of 172 and 77 for Canterbury against Otago. New Zealand selector Mark Greatbatch says Fulton's character has also been considered in his selection.

"It's not just his last game. I went with him on the Emerging Players tour and was impressed with him as a leader. Then he went on the A tour of India, so he's had a winter of cricket."

The selection pendulum has swung Fulton's way on the premise he can bat time.

"It's more a mental thing to get my head around, because at the 2007 World Cup and the season after that we were playing a lot of one-day cricket, so I got away from the occupation mindset," says Fulton.

All-rounder Grant Elliott is likely to be named at six, having healed his broken thumb. He's struggled in his three tests to date but is picked on the basis of an excellent one-day record.

"Elliott and Fulton will hopefully add a bit of glue as solid players to make the batting effort more effective," says Greatbatch.

That raises questions about how close Reece Young came to getting selected. He was in the test squad to Sri Lanka as the wicketkeeper/batsman back-up to Brendon McCullum and coupled that with 75 against Pakistan in Queenstown. Greatbatch says they weren't tempted.

"He's going well, excelling with the bat and the gloves, but we didn't look at him as a specialist batsman."

Given past trends, it comes as no surprise Mathew Sinclair missed the cut, despite again being prolific domestically with 268 runs from three innings to date.

James Franklin has also failed to convince the selectors he's ready to return as a batting all-rounder to replace Jacob Oram. Franklin currently averages 21.46 from 26 tests over an eight-year period but, since returning from injury, he's only managed 19.85 in five tests batting at six or seven. His left-arm mediums have snared just four wickets at 117.25.

The weather in Dunedin this week is forecast to be mostly fine and a nor'wester has produced temperatures of 27C to help dry out the wicket.

Groundsman Tom Tamati says the block was "one of the better wickets in my life" for Northern Districts' three-day win over Otago in the last fortnight.

"It seamed around a bit on the first day [Otago was bowled out for 88], but there was bounce and carry, the best I've had, and the test wicket's right next to it. I was stressed out Monday morning because I hadn't rolled it much, but I got five good days into it during the week. We've had a good preparation time. There will be suitable levels of moisture and density ... but I don't want to dry it out much more in case it becomes flat."

Jeetan Patel will be thanking Tamati for at least giving him a glimmer of hope. Tamati says the wicket could hold something for the spinners, especially on days four and five, with ND using part-timers Kane Williamson and Anton Devcich on it with success.