Cricket: Oram on verge of being recalled

New Zealand may be buoyed by the return of not one, but two all-rounders for next month's Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia.

At a time when 208-match veteran Chris Cairns is widely expected to be reinstated in the squad, the drums are now beating a similar message about his towering team-mate Jacob Oram, who was unable to bowl in South Africa last month and returned home injured.

Initially thought to be scratched for the Australian series, Oram has been impressing with both bat and ball at Lincoln, and posted a useful double for the Academy XI on Sunday, making 65 against Canterbury before taking two for 26 off nine overs.

New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent said yesterday that it would be a huge boost for New Zealand if both Oram and Cairns were able to win recalls this afternoon, particularly in terms of the extra options the pair would bring to the table.

"From what we hear Chris and Jake have been getting it through nicely, so that's got to be good news," he said.

"The idea of having those two batting in the No 6 and 7 positions and being able to bowl is pretty exciting.

"Individually, they're both great players but together they can have a massive impact."

Presuming Oram and Cairns were to both make the cut, coach John Bracewell would then have to decide whether to carry an extra batsman or bowler in the squad, a call that could have ramifications for one of two players.

If it's extra batting cover that's wanted against Australia, paceman Chris Martin would probably be left holding the short straw, despite impressing during the New Zealand A tour of Sri Lanka, and being primed for an ODI recall.

However, if Bracewell wants more bowling firepower and believes that Cairns and Oram lend sufficient run-scoring depth, the consequences could be dramatic for last season's Batsman of the Year, Hamish Marshall.

Out of form during the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa, Marshall has proved just as clueless at Lincoln, and would appear to be highly vulnerable as the selectors put the final pieces of their puzzle together.

In his favour is the fact that he performed strongly against Australia last summer and has a good record at home, details that could persuade Bracewell to offer him another chance in the upcoming showdowns at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Then again, if Oram is deemed too much of a risk at this stage of the season, there should be enough room for both Martin and Marshall to be included.

Whatever happens on that front, Vincent has found himself in the rare position of being almost guaranteed selection, following a strong tour of Zimbabwe and an even more impressive campaign in South Africa, where he starred at Cape Town and Centurion.

"That might be the case, but I don't feel like a certainty," he said.

POSSIBLE SQUAD

Stephen Fleming (c), Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, James Franklin, Shane Bond.