Mark Richardson: Styris deserves to hold the six slot over returning allrounder

Because of the logjam in the Black Caps' test middle order, coach John Bracewell has intimated that some hard decisions lie ahead when naming his team for the first test match in South Africa.

With Jacob Oram back in the mix, that decision has become harder, but let us hope Bracewell doesn't turn a hard decision into a stupid one - to leave Scott Styris out of the test team, as Bracewell has hinted, would be stupidity.

Bracewell is trying to use Styris' lack of bowling pace as a reason to play Oram at number six ahead of him.

That justification does not stack up. If Oram is needed to be fully fit - or bowling fit - to gain reselection, then it makes more sense for him to play as the third seamer and, in doing so, provide balance to the team.

With 90 overs to be bowled a day, of which Vettori will always bowl the lion's share, four seamers will provide little advantage over three, especially when Nathan Astle always does a great job in providing more than merely containment as the quicks rest.

Without a doubt, Oram's test match batting record - 17 matches, 1002 runs at 43.56 - is deserving of consideration in the batting top six, but not at the expense of Styris, whose record is 24 matches, 1407 runs at 40.02.

He is, without question, one of the top six test batmen in the country.

Sure, Styris was guilty of throwing his wicket away too many times in the recent West Indies series when he entered into an emotional sub-contest, but let's not forget he scored a gritty century in the first test match of that series and that grit will be needed in South Africa.

Oram is the closest we have to a genuine allrounder - a real luxury - and, at number seven, he provides balance that favours our strategic advantage, which is batting depth.

Following the English model of Andrew Flintoff at six to allow for four strike seamers is not for us, because our bowling dynamic is vastly different from England's.

Our strike bowlers are Shane Bond, Vettori and James Franklin, which means our third seamer can be a stock bowler and Oram, Chris Martin and Kyle Mills should respond to more, rather than fewer, overs.

If Bracewell is desperate for Oram to play at number six then which of the following decisions make more sense?

Oram to play at the expense of Styris, or Fleming to open the batting at the expense of Marshall? Right now, who do you have more confidence in to score runs - Styris or Marshall?

Fleming has opened before and is accomplished at it. While I like to see him in the middle - and he does himself - for the sake of ensuring New Zealand put the best Xl on field he may have to take one on the chin.

However, Oram should not bat at six. He should bat at seven, even if we play two spinners. If your four best bowlers cannot take 20 wickets, a fifth won't either.

So my starting XI for the first test would be:

1 Jamie How
2 Michael Papps
3 Peter Fulton
4 Stephen Fleming
5 Nathan Astle
6 Scott Styris
7 Jacob Oram
8 Brendon McCullum
9 Daniel Vettori
10 James Franklin
11 Shane Bond

-HERALD ON SUNDAY