KEY POINTS:
Jacob Oram and Ross Taylor have given the selectors a couple of problems ahead of this week's second test against the West Indies in Napier.
If Oram plays in Napier it will be as a specialist batsman. He suffered a calf injury last Wednesday, the day before the first test began in Dunedin, and it is responding slowly to treatment.
Today he will start a programme of physio and fitness work, including sprints to assess whether he can fulfil all the requirements of batting. However, he has only had one first-class innings since returning with a back problem from Bangladesh in October, against Otago on December 6.
The selectors might wonder whether that is sufficient to justify picking Oram to bat at No 6 without having his bowling available.
Taylor dislocated his right ring finger dropping Brendon Nash before lunch at University Oval yesterday. To complicate things, he chipped off part of the bone and had his hand in a sling.
He is seeing a doctor today "but it's anticipated he will bat if necessary," team manager Lindsay Crocker said last night. As for Taylor's availability for Napier, "We'll see how it settles. But we are hopeful he should be okay to play next week," Crocker added.
The New Zealand 12 was chosen for both West Indian tests, but the selectors will be looking in particular at batting alternatives. The two positions where they are at risk of losing their first choice picks are No 4 (Taylor) and No 6.
As a pointer, there have been plenty of runs in State Championship games over the weekend. Auckland opener Martin Guptill made 129 not out against Otago yesterday; Peter Fulton, who batted at No 5 one test ago, at Adelaide, hit 84 for Canterbury against Northern Districts; and Mathew Sinclair - discarded after last season's home series against England - made a thumping 164 for Central Districts against Wellington, his third championship century in four games.
