Cricket: Vettori wants Oram back for Napier test

The selectors will have a wildcard to factor in when choosing their 12 for the second test at Napier - a fungus-infected McLean Park pitch.

They'll have another, increasingly familiar, factor too - the wishes of captain Dan Vettori. Last night he made it clear he wanted the experience of Jacob Oram back in the side.

What Vettori wants when 0-1 down in a three-match series, he should get.

In all likelihood there will be few changes, though Vettori made a big play for Oram's inclusion, even if just as a batsman.

"Jacob, he brings so much to the table," Vettori said. "He's got five test centuries. Nobody else can say that going around New Zealand domestic cricket at the moment. He's also a very good bowler ...

"You could consider him just as a batsman. If he's got form under his belt, that'd be good enough for me. Also, 10-12 overs, with Jesse as well, the two of them could come together quite nicely as a fifth bowler."

Oram was bowling for Central Districts at Pukekura Park yesterday and got through a 15-over workload, picking up the in-form Shanan Stewart.

He would take either James Franklin's or, more likely, Kyle Mills' place in the side.

Just what surface greets Vettori and co in Hawke's Bay promises to be intriguing. A fungal disease has affected the grass on the wicket block, causing small patches to die off.

A New Zealand Cricket spokesman confirmed there were issues surrounding the state of the pitch and that turf managers had been working on the block, but the official word was the problems were "cosmetic".

The result was that the intended pitch has not come up to standard and they have moved their attentions to an adjacent strip.

"The test strip was reseeded after the West Indies match, but the regrowth has been subject to a small amount of fungal disease," the spokesman said.

"The impact is mainly cosmetic. The groundsman has moved the strip slightly to one side so that the affected areas are well outside the playing zone. The grass cover is consistent and NZC is confident the strip will be in top condition."

No serious thought had been given to moving the test from Napier.

Cricket in Napier is known for two things: it is a proven drought-breaker and it is usually played on the flattest test wicket in the country.

If there is a chance the wicket might be variable or patchy, conventional wisdom would suggest that necessitates the inclusion of a second spinner. However it may not be as simple as picking Jeetan Patel, the second-best spinner in the country.

A tail of Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin - the pick of the bowlers from Hamilton - and Patel might be one rabbit in the hutch too many.

Dropping either Martin or O'Brien would be a tough sell so you either have to pick Patel and live with the fact your top order is going to have to fire, or pick a second spinner who adds depth to the batting.

Nathan McCullum is the obvious candidate, having been in the set-up before, though he is seen primarily as a limited overs option.

More radical would be Northern Districts' teenager Kane Williamson. He has been in form with both bat and ball of late in the State Championship but the gulf between that level and facing the Indians is vast. It might be a season or two too soon but it will happen.

The side is due to be named tomorrow and with the current team picked for this Hamilton test only, the selectors can take a blank-canvas approach.

O'Brien has a side strain and Daniel Flynn a bruised hand, but both are likely to be available for selection.