Cricket: Hot competition for test places

By RICHARD BOOCK

Coach John Bracewell has warned of more disappointment after naming one of New Zealand's strongest touring squads for the upcoming test series in England.

The 14-man touring party includes, subject to a fitness test, fast-bowler Shane Bond and top-order batsman Nathan Astle, neither of whom played any part in this summer's series against Pakistan or South Africa.

But the pair's selection has meant bad news for well-qualified hopefuls such as Mathew Sinclair, Michael Mason, Lou Vincent, Ian Butler, Paul Wiseman, Bruce Martin and Matthew Bell.

Sinclair made runs all season, including in the third test against South Africa; Butler took a six-wicket bag in his most recent test outing; Michael Mason was axed after one test; and Vincent made a century in India.

The problem facing Bracewell now, having scaled one of his biggest challenges in settling on the touring squad, is working out who to omit for the first test at Lord's, starting in a little more than a month.

Depending on how you look at it, his job is either complicated or simplified by the presence of in-form all-rounders Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram, both of whom can play a leading role with either bat or ball.

Their almost certain inclusion at Lord's means that Astle, Scott Styris and Craig McMillan will be effectively vying for two spots in the middle-order, assuming that Mark Richardson, Michael Papps and Stephen Fleming remain fit and available.

And the squeeze is even more intense in terms of the pace attack, in that Bond, Chris Martin, Daryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills will also be competing for just two positions.

Bracewell said the naming of the squad was just the start of a difficult process in the lead-up to the series opener.

"This is probably one of the first times we've sent away 14 guys who are genuine, legitimate test-playing candidates," he said. "There are going to be some really disappointed guys who are going to be missing out on test places.

"We will have one batter who is going to miss out who is a pretty experienced campaigner, and a couple of bowlers.

"There's no place for sympathy, it's going to be about performance, form and the strategies required to actually beat England."

It could be that neither Astle nor Bond come up to scratch in time to force their way into the first test team, in which case McMillan and Chris Martin would probably receive a reprieve.

Astle, who, like Bond and Tuffey, will undergo a fitness test on April 24, is apparently the most vulnerable of the trio, after undergoing surgery on his right knee in November and then on his left knee in January.

But he was pleased with the progress since starting his rehabilitation and was optimistic about his chances of being confirmed for the tour.

"Both knees are feeling really good at the moment and obviously there are another 2 1/2 weeks before we go away," he said.

"I've just kept working on all my fitness stuff and strength work, and it's been coming along nicely."

Astle believed his main test would come with the sprint, stop, twist and turn nature of match play, and said he had already successfully emerged from some early sprint work.

For all that, the present strength of the New Zealand squad had not been lost on him, particularly in terms of having to break into a reasonably successful top-order combination.

"I'm just happy to be back in the squad. There's certainly no guarantee that I'll get into a starting XI straight away and that's the way it should be," he said.

"That's what you want at international level."

TEST SQUAD

Stephen Fleming (82 caps), Nathan Astle (59), Shane Bond (10), Chris Cairns (59), Chris Martin (13), Kyle Mills (0), Brendon McCullum (3), Craig McMillan (50), Jacob Oram (10), Michael Papps (3), Mark Richardson (31), Scott Styris (12), Daryl Tuffey (20), Daniel Vettori (53)

ITINERARY

* MAY

3-5 British Universities, Fenners.

7-10 Worcestershire, New Rd.

13-16 Kent, Canterbury.

20-24 First test, Lord's.

28-31 Leicestershire, Grace Rd.

* JUNE

3-7 Second test, Headingley.

10-14 Third test, Trent Bridge.

16 Derbyshire, Derby (one-dayer).

18 Essex, Chelmsford (day/night).

20 Northamptonshire, Northampton (one-dayer).

24 England, Old Trafford (day/night)

26 West Indies, Edgbaston (one-dayer).

29 England, Durham (day/night)

* JULY

3 West Indies, Cardiff (one-dayer).

4 England, Bristol (one-dayer).

8 West Indies, Rosebowl (one-dayer).

10 Final, Lord's (one-dayer).

11 Reserve day.