Cricket: Top order top of list to ponder in test hiatus

Solving New Zealand's top-order batting problems is shaping as the main item on the agenda next week when John Bracewell and his fellow selectors convene to assess the season's test performance.

Having disbanded at the end of the tour of South Africa, the New Zealand test squad will now be virtually mothballed for a year as all attention turns to a one-day campaign that includes the upcoming Champions Trophy, the VB Series in Australia, and the World Cup in the West Indies.

Bracewell said yesterday that the huge gap in the test programme would at least allow his panel to delve more deeply into the opening batting dilemma, a position in which New Zealand were badly exposed during the series against South Africa.

The New Zealand coach and selection chief opted to take four opening batsmen to South Africa and, because of injury, used all four in three different combinations in each of the tests at Centurion, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Hamish Marshall and Peter Fulton opened at Centurion, Fulton and Michael Papps were entrusted with the responsibility at Newlands, and Papps and Jamie How received the nod for last weekend's series finale at the Wanderers.

None proved successful, a weakness that exposed the New Zealand middle-order to the new ball on mostly bowler-friendly pitches and led directly to some of the most spectacular collapses in recent memory.

New Zealand were reduced to 28 for six in the second innings of the first test, and lost their first three wickets without scoring a run off the bat in the second innings at the Wanderers, where South Africa sealed the series 2-nil.

The highest score posted by any of the quartet was Peter Fulton's 36, and the best start was a 50 partnership achieved on a Newlands pitch that provided turn and bounce, but was singularly unhelpful for the fast bowlers.

Fulton emerged from the series with an average of 16.25, Marshall with 15.50, Papps with 14.25, and How, 2.00.

The lean return is sure to raise the issue of the non-selection of Lou Vincent and Mathew Sinclair, both of whom were left behind in controversial circumstances, despite having tasted success at international level.

"The problems haven't been solved in this series, that's for sure," said Bracewell. "Because of injury, we used three different combinations in three tests and we're really still none the wiser about what the solution might be.

"It's something we need to nail down to avoid exposing our middle order to the new ball. The fact we're not playing much test cricket over the next 18 months might be a good thing, because it will give us more time to stabilise that position, and to look more deeply at the various issues involved."

Bracewell said he had two basic options in terms of the quandary - trying to pluck a rabbit out of a hat, or persevering with the incumbents until such time as they either developed into test-hardened openers, or proved unsuitable.

He personally favoured the former path, simply because New Zealand didn't have any great depth in opening batsmen, and were more likely to find a solution by allowing incumbents to evolve and develop in the position.

Fellow selector Glenn Turner, arguably New Zealand's finest opening batsman of the modern era, had been assisting in the search for answers at the top of the order, and had been influential in the move to promote Fulton from No 3.

"I think Glenn has a belief that Fulton has the necessary skills and the temperament to bat high in the order," said Bracewell.

"Papps has the temperament as well, but there are still some technical concerns with both him and Jamie How.

"Marshall certainly has the temperament and the technique, he just needs the runs."

New Zealand had won five tests in succession midway through the summer, after knocking over Sri Lanka at the end of last season before stringing together two wins apiece against Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

However, the batting woes experienced in South Africa suggested that the success had more to do with the modest strength of the opposition and the familiar home conditions, rather than any great improvement at the top of the order.

Bracewell said there were options in terms of other players, but that none appealed as a straightforward solution.

"We've got options such as the Mathew Sinclairs and the Lou Vincents and people like that who are undoubtedly in that group of our best players. But where can we bat them?

"You can't bat everyone at No 4, 5 or 6. We need to have someone who's prepared to open and spend 50 overs at the crease, in order to protect the middle order from the new ball."