Cricket: Oram enters relative unknown as specialist batsman

4.00pm

By MARK GEENTY

LEEDS - New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram hasn't ruled out a return to the bowling crease later in the second cricket test.

Oram entered the test against England at Headingley yesterday as a specialist batsman for the first time in his impressive 12-test career, thanks to a niggly side strain picked up in the first test at Lord's.

After sitting out the weather-disrupted first day here when New Zealand reached 41 for one at stumps, Oram said he was taking a safety-first approach but could make a surprise return to the bowling crease if needed.

"It's too hard to tell at the moment, we're just monitoring it and we've just got our fingers crossed it keeps improving," Oram said.

"Maybe later in this game, maybe the third test."

New Zealand went in with just four specialist bowlers plus allrounder Scott Styris, after coach John Bracewell said captain Stephen Fleming had too many options in the first test.

Bracewell said he was looking ahead to the post-Chris Cairns era, when Cairns hangs up his test whites at series end.

Oram could sympathise with Cairns, who struggled when injury determined he play as a specialist batsman at the World Cup and the tour of Sri Lanka last year.

Despite appearing to be a simple transition, Oram said it was a completely new mindset and one that took some getting used to, even though he cut his teeth at first-class level as a batsman who bowled a bit.

"I talked to John (Bracewell) for quite a while about it, I wasn't worried about the situation, I was more nervous about it.

"It's something I haven't done at international level. It's stepping into the unknown which is exciting, and also a chance to show off my batting skills.

"But it's without the safety net of bowling to fall back into if it doesn't go so well.

"It's different pressures when you only get two chances to perform. If you're an allrounder you get all four innings to contribute to the game.

"Now, if you get two good balls it's the end of your game. There's no room for complacency because it could be over pretty quickly."

Oram has shone with the bat more than ball in the past six months and went into this match with a test average of 41.63, inferior only to Mark Richardson and Scott Styris in the current side.

He will take the heavy baton from his mentor Cairns as the team's top allrounder after the third test in Nottingham.

"I've talked to Cairnsy a lot about the way a hitting allrounder should play, and break the game open with aggressive, attacking cricket.

"Even though I'm a specialist batsman here I don't want to change anything because the last six months have gone so well."

New Zealand survived a testing opening day with just the loss of Richardson's wicket yesterday after being sent in to bat.

Richardson was bowled for 13 off the first ball from recalled paceman Martin Saggers, but opening partner Michael Papps battled 79 minutes for 24 not out after being dropped twice behind the wicket.

The tourists emerged from day one, when only 19 overs were bowled due to rain and bad light, in good shape as the ball swung around under heavy cloud cover.

- NZPA