KEY POINTS:
The seemingly perpetual search for a reliable opening partnership will continue in South Africa in November after Michael Papps and Craig Cumming inherited New Zealand cricket's poisoned chalice yesterday.
The two specialist openers have the first opportunity to reassert themselves as fixtures at the top of an often fragile top order, though their audition will take place in one of the more trying environments in international cricket.
Greentops at The Wanderers and Centurion put paid to New Zealand's previous attempt to finally win a test series in the republic last year - and with similar pitches expected for the upcoming two-test series, the pair, who are yet to bat together in a test, are likely to endure a tough time against the likes of Makhaya Ntini.
Cumming, the incumbent test opener from New Zealand's most recent test series against Sri Lanka last December, will make his first tour of South Africa after the selection panel considered he had the technical attributes to cope with a pace bowling barrage.
Although he does not feature on the list of New Zealand Cricket's contracted players, Cumming, who mixes cricket with work in advertising in Dunedin, has seen off the challenge of Jamie How, his opening partner during the 1-1 stalemate with the Sri Lankans.
Papps, who has been dogged with injury and fluctuating form since making his debut against the Proteas at Hamilton in 2003-04, was part of the last failed venture to South Africa, where he eked out 57 runs in four difficult innings.
The diminutive righthander earns his recall after a stellar domestic season for Canterbury last summer, which reaped 1005 runs at 91.36 thanks to four centuries and four 50s.
"In terms of his domestic performance, the sheer weight of numbers earned him selection," Black Caps coach John Bracewell said of Papps, who averages an unflattering 20.81 from six tests.
Cumming, meanwhile, was equipped with a sounder technique to face quality fast bowling than either How or one-day opener Lou Vincent.
"When we measured Craig against How and Vincent at test level we felt he had the tools to face the bowling we're going to face - pace on bouncy wickets," Bracewell said.
With a busy summer calendar, including visits by Bangladesh and England, before the Black Caps head to England in May-June - the establishment of an opening partnership is a most pressing issue for the selection panel.
The concession of early wickets has been a flaw of the New Zealand test team arguably since the heady days of John Wright and Bruce Edgar in the 1980s.
The last tour of South Africa encapsulated that suspect area with How, Papps, Peter Fulton and Hamish Marshall all employed with minimal success as Ntini and Dale Steyn enjoyed practically instant results.
While the opening predicament remains a bugbear for the selection panel, the middle order features something of an embarrassment of riches since Nathan Astle's retirement last year.
Craig McMillan could not extend his remarkable cricketing resurgence to the five-day format and Mathew Sinclair has also missed the cut.
Ross Taylor, earmarked as the future of the Black Caps middle order, makes the predictable step up for his maiden test tour, though Bracewell suggested his debut was no formality.
With Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris already assured of selection, Fulton and Taylor appear to be battling for one spot.
Their form during two warm-up games against South Africa A will govern the make-up of the side for the first test on November 8.
Though Vincent and McMillan missed the 15-man test squad, both are likely to feature when the squad is rejigged for three ODIs and a Twenty20 game after tests in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
That squad, named next week, will also defend the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in Australia on the return home in mid-December.
Left arm swing bowling allrounder James Franklin may also come into contention for that segment of the tour.
NZ SQUAD
Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Craig Cumming, Stephen Fleming, Mark Gillespie, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Mason, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.
- NZPA
