Cricket: Sickly Marshall needs injection of runs

Hamish Marshall's immediate future as a Black Cap must be hanging by a thread after he added to his rapidly expanding catalogue of failures yesterday. Chasing 252, the New Zealand innings had barely begun when Lou Vincent had his poles scrambled by Nathan Bracken and Marshall joined Nathan Astle.

As a partnership it promised little: their last eight innings combined had yielded just 81 runs. Add to that Brett Lee nudging 155km/h on the speedball radar on a helpful wicket.

A couple of nice pushes through the covers off Bracken nudged Marshall's total to five but at the other end, against Lee, he looked lost. Stuck on the crease, he just managed to fend off a Lee ball zeroing in on his heart. Two deliveries later, Marshall, again entrenched on the crease-line, played a feeble push and chopped on to his stumps.

His last 10 innings have a sickly look to them: 23, 28, 9, 7, 8, 3, 16, 7, 3 and 5. Marshall desperately needs a score - so desperately, it could have been suggested to John Bracewell to send Hamish out again dressed as super-sub James for some extra practice.

Because James, who has yet to prove he can foot it at this level, looked even more at sea than his twin. Anticipating a bouncer, he was caught by one that didn't get up and was plumb in front. Hamish's ongoing selection can be put down to the argument conveniently listed under 'there is nobody else'.

That only washes for so long. After repeated failure, 'nobody else' must at least be given a chance. That is why Wellington shapes as a pivotal innings in his season.

Hamish has been working intensively with assistant coach Bob Carter and, more interestingly, Gilbert Enoka, the team psychologist. It's an indication that he thinks his problems are more mental than technical.

"I haven't been getting runs but I haven't felt out of touch at all," Hamish said last week.

"It hasn't been working out for me lately and that inevitably has an effect on your confidence - I don't care who you are."

Brett Lee, for one, didn't care who he was yesterday.