Cricket: Hesson coy on openers

James Neesham opened the batting throughout the South Africa series. Photo / Alan Gibson

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is coy on whether the experiment of using Jimmy Neesham as an ODI opener will continue against Pakistan in December.

Allrounder Neesham opened with specialist Martin Guptill in New Zealand's two innings against South Africa at Mt Maunganui last week - New Zealand didn't bat in the rained out third ODI in Hamilton yesterday - with modest success.

Strong hitting lefthander Neesham scored a run-a-ball 16, then 10 against South Africa's highly skilled seam attack.

Hesson was hoping three innings would have given a reasonable sample of whether the move was worth persevering with.

New Zealand have five ODIs against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates from December 8. Test opener Tom Latham is another contender awaiting his chance.

"We'll need to reconsider that," Hesson said of Neesham as an opener.

It's likely Neesham will be given at least a couple of opportunities against Pakistan.

Hesson said Guptill, Neesham, Latham and Dean Brownlie are the four leading contenders for opening roles against Pakistan, referring specifically to that series, rather than pitching further forward to the World Cup starting in February.

If Hesson and captain Brendon McCullum decide against carrying on with Neesham at the top, "he's going to have to fight for a middle order spot."

He accepted the series showed New Zealand are off the pace, and that the South Africans were in good shape after having more recent international cricket than their hosts.

"We were unable to sustain a level of performance for long enough. Our core skills were not where they need to be, but that's pretty much the way we expected it," Hesson said.
Batsmen made starts but were unable to carry them on, while the bowling was "scratchy".

"We know we've got depth in seam bowling but we weren't as consistent as we'd like."

The test squad depart for the UAE on Thursday and are hoping opener Hamish Rutherford, recovering from a fractured little finger passes his fitness assessment in the next two days.

Results from Kane Williamson's remedial work on his bowling action are expected soon. Hesson said the part time offspinner's bowling action had undergone "massive changes" since being fingered for throwing by officials earlier in the year.