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DUNEDIN - Fidel Edwards missed a million dollar payday when wealthy Texan Allen Stanford devised cricket's richest Twenty20 showdown, leaving the erratic fast bowler to hunt down three figures on the West Indies tour of New Zealand.
Edwards was no Stanford Superstar in Antigua against the English last month but the Barbadian has a consolation prize in his sights - 100 test scalps.
The 26-year-old shapes as a pace bowling spearhead at University Oval here tomorrow when the two-test series with New Zealand is scheduled to start, weather permitting.
The right armer, who is in line to share the new ball against another new look New Zealand top order, needs five wickets to reach a notable cricketing milestone.
On his second tour of New Zealand, Edwards has 34 test caps and an unflattering average of 40.56 runs per wicket - statistics indicative of how the West Indies' momentum has slowed since the days of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner.
Edwards was once cast as the next big thing despite never measuring height-wise to his illustrious predecessors - except Malcolm Marshall.
He made an impression on Brian Lara in the nets when the West Indies were preparing for a test at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown and was called into the test side in 2003 after just one match for Barbados.
Edwards promptly took five Sri Lankan wickets before snaring another five-wicket bag in his first overseas test and a half-dozen in his first one-day international.
Unsurprisingly he could not sustain that strike rate and rarely showed enough control with deliveries in the vicinity of 145km/h.
Despite the selectors' perseverance, Edwards has never developed into a genuine match-winner and has paid for his erratic nature. He had a sustained run in the one-day side in 2006 but was chopped after the Champions Trophy and missed selection for last year's World Cup.
A round-arm action reminiscent of Australian Jeff Thomson has also left him vulnerable to back problems.
A slipped disc during the West Indies tri-series with Bermuda and Canada in June ensured he would not feature in the Stanford extravaganza - where players on the winning team received US$1 million ($1.87 million) for less than three hours work.
Edwards has already undergone a heavier and less rewarding workload - three for 125 from 29 overs in the drawn tour opener against Auckland.
Understandably he was more enthused about his brief glimpse of New Zealand's batting woes against Australia's Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson.
"I watched a couple of overs, they got the ball to swing. Hopefully I can too and get wickets."
Edwards was respectful of a rearranged New Zealand top order featuring debutant opener Tim McIntosh and relative newcomer Daniel Flynn at first drop but left little doubt his attack feared the home side's depth with Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori and the in-form James Franklin likely to fills berths seven to nine.
"McCullum is the mainstay of the New Zealand team, he's going to be a threat looking at the way he played in Australia - he can upset any bowler's rhythm."
Edwards should be supported by fellow right arm quicks Jerome Taylor, who has 63 wickets at 34.69 and Daren Powell, 73 at 47.28.
Rookies Lionel Baker and Kemar Roach are awaiting their test debuts after logging five ODI appearances between them.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have entrusted Mark Gillespie to open the bowling for the first time in his third test while the reliable Iain O'Brien and rehabilitated left armer Franklin will round out the pace attack.
Allrounder Jacob Oram, fit again after back and finger issues, will again be handed his usual containment role.
Providing the weather holds, both sides will inspect the pitch today and have their first outdoor net session since arriving in Dunedin.
- NZPA
