Cricket: Bowlers under pressure

Chris Martin has come up trumps for the selectors. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

New Zealand has not gone through a home summer without winning at least one test since 1995-96.

They now have just two chances to preserve that record against the best batting line-up in the world; with a bowling attack that, with a couple of exceptions, play one test to the next without any sense of selection security.

Not that that's much of an excuse. The selectors can quite rightly argue that if you're good enough, you'll play but the unseemly haste with which they were prepared to end Chris Martin's international career should at least give them pause for thought.

It used to be the batsmen who were shuffled like a deck of cards but now it's the bowlers who are looking over their shoulders, wondering if the next bad spell could mean a "sabbatical" to the State Championship.

That does not quite equate to purgatory but, for experienced players like Martin and Kyle Mills, it is only a few kilometres up the road.

In the 10 tests New Zealand has played since England left these shores at the end of last summer, captain Daniel Vettori has been given nine frontline bowlers to work with.

In itself that is not a huge number - bowlers break down and some wickets are suited to a three-two seamer-spinner split, others to four-one. But the inconsistency of selection means Vettori's plans have to constantly chop and change to suit his personnel.

During that same period, from the first test against England at Lord's to the first test against India, Vettori has been the only constant. Iain O'Brien did not feature in the Lord's test but has played with relative distinction in every test since.

Those two have provided the bedrock for a fairly flimsy edifice. Kyle Mills has played seven, but would not have featured in the two tests against the West Indies were it not for injury to Jacob Oram, who has played four times in that period.

Martin is the next most regular starter, with six, and he can thank the foresight of Vettori for his inclusion last week.

Then you start to get into the Tim Southees and James Franklins of this world, who have each played thrice, as has offie Jeetan Patel. Mark Gillespie had one, ill-fated, test in which to demonstrate he was not actually a better wicket-taking option than Martin.

The test side has been relatively stable compared with the one-day side, where Ewen Thompson and Brendon Diamanti were tried and discarded after one outing, Ian Butler was brought back before breaking down and Trent Boult was selected out of nowhere, although he never took the field in an international.

But, there's the rub - while consistency of selection is what the coach, captain and the incumbents might desire, to have a chance of a positive outcome against India they will need conditions prepared in their favour (unlikely), or pull a wildcard from the hat.

Even if you think the selectors have shown all the logic of a McGillicuddy Serious manifesto so far this season, could you blame them for trying another combination for Napier?

Of the 10 tests in the spotlight, only Vettori, O'Brien and Patel have averaged more than three wickets per test in that time. So they have been carrying dead wood. It might not be a case of excusing them for making more changes, but questioning whether they can afford not to?

WHO WANTS A BOWL?

Last 10 tests
* Daniel Vettori: 10 tests, 43 wickets
* Iain O'Brien: 9 tests, 34 wickets
* Kyle Mills: 7 tests, 11 wickets
* Chris Martin: 6 tests, 13 wickets
* Jacob Oram: 4 tests, 3 wickets
* Tim Southee: 3 tests, 5 wickets
* James Franklin: 3 tests, 3 wickets
* Jeetan Patel: 3 tests, 11 wickets
* Mark Gillespie: 1 test, 0 wickets

NZ TEST RECORD
* 1995-96, 3 tests: W 0, L 1, D 2
* 1996-97, 5 tests: W 2, L 2, D 1
* 1997-98, 2 tests: W 2, L 0, D 0
* 1998-99, 5 tests: W 1, L 1, D 3
* 1999-2000, 5 tests: W 2, L 3, D 0
* 2000-01, 4 tests: W 1, L 1, D 2
* 2001-02, 5 tests: W 3, L 1, D 1
* 2002-03, 2 tests: W 2, L 0, D 0
* 2003-04, 5 tests: W 1, L 2, D 2
* 2004-05, 5 tests: W 1, L 2, D 2
* 2005-06, 3 tests: W 2, L 0, D 1
* 2006-07, 2 tests: W 1, L 1, D 0
* 2007-08, 5 tests: W 3, L 2, D 0
* 2008-09, 3 tests*: W 0, L 1, D 2

* 2 to play