KEY POINTS:
That red mark on Mathew Sinclair's arm is where he's been pinching himself at the events of the last seven months.
Sinclair is pencilled in for the No 5 spot in the first test against Bangladesh starting at Dunedin's University Oval on Friday.
The chances of that happening around the middle of last year were remote. At that point he'd been overlooked for one of the 20 central contracts handed out by New Zealand Cricket. His mind was looking overseas, thinking his New Zealand days were gone for good.
But when Hamish Marshall withdrew from his contract to move to Gloucestershire, Sinclair picked up the vacancy.
Having missed selection for the test series in South Africa, he busied himself with a Central Districts' record 243 not out against Otago in Napier in November, then got the call for the ODI series in the republic.
He banged rapid innings of 32 not out and 73 over there and despite missing out in two innings against Australia, and having no opportunity against the overmatched Bangladesh, Sinclair has held out Scott Styris and Ross Taylor for one available middle-order position.
"I worked hard over the winter to push my claims, but I didn't really think I'd get a game in South Africa," he said last night. "I'd like to think I grabbed my opportunities. Form is a pretty big selection tool."
Sinclair can polarise cricket opinion. He had three big test hundreds, including 214 on debut against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve nine years ago, 150 off a demanding South African attack at Port Elizabeth 11 months later, and an unbeaten 204 against Pakistan at Christchurch later that season.
But in between the lofty highs were plenty of lows. Now Sinclair has been given the chance to punch a long-term ticket in the national side.
He is buoyed by the selectors' faith in him, knows they are looking for batsmen to occupy the crease for lengthy periods and believes he's up for the job.
Sinclair will work hard in the two days before the test. Since his innings against Australia at Hobart on December 20, Sinclair's only innings has been 1 not out on Boxing Day against Bangladesh.
This is not a time to find himself unprepared for a royal chance of laying the groundwork for a big year.
New Zealand have 11 tests between this week and December - two against Bangladesh, six against England, three each home and away, and three more against Australia, most likely at Brisbane, Hobart and Perth, in November.
Sinclair had set himself the target of making the home series against England, but that was his surprise trip to South Africa.
Bangladesh's underpowered bowling attack should have New Zealand's batsmen licking their lips. There is a good chance they will get just one chance in each test, unless the visitors find a cutting edge from somewhere not immediately apparent.
"If we really go out and dominate we are looking to bat once, so I'm keen to make that first innings a real good one, go out and put a lot of runs up," Sinclair added.
Sinclair, with openers Matthew Bell and Craig Cumming, and No 3 Peter Fulton have been given first dibs for a big year. Blow it and they'll be kicking themselves.
"It could be a great start to the year," Sinclair added.
Mathew Sinclair
* Age: 32
* Tests: 27
* Runs: 1448 at 35.31, 3 100s
* Debut: 214 v West Indies, Basin Reserve, December 1999
