Cricket: Elliott and Fulton get recalls for Pakistan

Grant Elliott and Peter Fulton have won recalls to the New Zealand test squad, and given a preference for six specialist batsmen seem certain to be in the starting XI in Dunedin on Tuesday.

The squad of 13 named yesterday for the first two tests against Pakistan came with the rider that the selection panel of Glenn Turner, Mark Greatbatch and captain Dan Vettori were leaning strongly towards a split of six batsmen and four bowlers.

On that basis, the pair have No 5 and No 6 writ large against their names, although their past test records doesn't exactly suggest a rock solid middle order.

Neither has a stellar test record, both having been unwanted since the tour to Australia late last year.

Elliott's three tests against three different countries have produced just 27 runs; Fulton's eight tests have earned him an average of 24.72, but only one half century.

They are recalled for different reasons - in Elliott's case because the selectors want to give him another opportunity to back up outstanding form for the ODI side, and for Fulton because of solid performances this year.

He led the New Zealand Emerging Players to Australia, and New Zealand A to India, and has begun the Plunket Shield strongly averaging 80 from the first two games, including a 172/77 double in the win over Otago at Rangiora this week.

The absence through injury of Jesse Ryder for the entire series opened a middle order vacancy.

The No 6 job last summer was shared between wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum and allrounder James Franklin, who is one of the big losers out of yesterday's announcement.

There is a predictable recall for Shane Bond after a two-year absence, to give a sharper edge to the new ball attack and complete a return to the national side in all three forms of the game, and Daryl Tuffey is in the 13, five years after his last test.

The interesting selection is of a second spinner, Jeetan Patel heading south tomorrow.

While the likelihood is of a pitch helping the seamers, there has been a whisper doing the rounds in the last day that Vettori and offspinner Patel might both play with the pitch tipped to become low and slow by day three.

Should that be the case, it might force New Zealand's hand, obliging them to trim one specialist batsman and have either Vettori or McCullum batting at No 6.

That would give a three fast-medium/two spin bowling attack.

Yet Vettori is of the traditional mind that four bowlers should be sufficient to do the job, with a few overs' backup from someone like occasional medium pacer Elliott.

The final day of Pakistan's leadup match against an Invitation XI provided a chance for top order lefthanders Tim McIntosh and Daniel Flynn to get a good look at the tourists' bowlers.

McIntosh's unbeaten 131 might have been the most encouraging thing out of the match for the national selectors; the fact he spent just under five hours at the crease an added bonus.

Flynn hit 56 and had three hours tucked into his batting stance too as the Invitation XI reached 231 for two, the game called off early.

NZ SQUAD
Dan Vettori (c), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Peter Fulton, Brendon McCullum, Iain O'Brien, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin