KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's opening batting and bowling were thrown into sharp focus yesterday.
Early on in a lengthy practice session at Nelson Park, over the road from McLean Park, venue for the second test against the West Indies starting tomorrow, New Zealand's openers Tim McIntosh and Jamie How squared up against fast-medium pair Mark Gillespie and James Franklin.
They comprise an interesting quartet of cricketers.
McIntosh made his debut in the first test against the West Indies in Dunedin last week and is looking to secure his spot in the side; How is badly out of touch and needs runs this week.
The stocky Gillespie was recalled for the Dunedin test and was ordinary, his 21 overs being wicketless and costing more than 100 runs; and left-armer Franklin must prove his fitness after taking a painful blow in the chest while batting at Dunedin.
Whether by accident or design, New Zealand's coach Andy Moles pitted four players against each other all in need of proving a point.
Watching net practice can be tedious, but yesterday it provided a fascinating glimpse of players operating with a real purpose.
To say Gillespie and Franklin bent their backs would be understating it. Both let rip to good effect.
How was cleaned out early on; McIntosh wore one sharp lifter from Franklin on his helmet. The batsmen were given a torrid time by two bowlers with a point to prove.
Gillespie probably realises that in the unlikely event offspinner Jeetan Patel is chosen in the XI, he - rather than Kyle Mills, Franklin and Iain O'Brien - could be the most vulnerable of the fast-medium foursome.
Franklin was intent on showing he was up for the job after an uncomfortable experience in Dunedin and looked sharper than he had in the first test.
McIntosh made a reasonable start on debut, batting over two hours before getting out at 34 to an ordinary shot.
But How is under the hammer.
When the national selectors decided it was time for a change at the top of the order after the second test in Australia at the start of this month, Aaron Redmond got the chop. Yet his numbers are not dissimilar to How's.
Two loose shots at Dunedin had How out for 10 in each innings. In 17 tests going back to March, 2006, he's made 705 runs at 22.74. He has only gone past 20 once in his last eight innings. But he has received a ringing endorsement from Moles, who may have got a whiff of wolves gathering.
"Nobody needs to tell him he's on a lean trot. He's practised as hard as anybody, he's looking forward to coming home to Napier, and he's very confident he can get a score," Moles said.
He backed the 27-year-old to bounce back and highly rates his character.
"He's mentally strong. All good players have had periods in their career when they haven't scored the runs they want.
"They're very dangerous when they get it right, because when he gets in he's going to make the West Indies pay for all the pain he's had leading in to this match."
Batsman Ross Taylor dislocated his right ring finger at Dunedin and chipped it as well. He had a day off yesterday. The word is he should be fit to bat, but fielding may be a concern.
Taylor usually fields at first slip. That seems unlikely to happen at Napier, and it's all down to how comfortable his hand feels when he is put through the fielding drills today.
Peter Fulton is on standby for Taylor, while Chris Martin is Franklin's backup. Both are likely to be heading home tomorrow morning.
The West Indies had a full workout yesterday, and it is fair to say they are enjoying the warmer climes of Napier more than chilly Dunedin.
