Cricket: Adams gets another chance

By RICHARD BOOCK

Andre Adams is shaping as the player with the most to gain when the North Island play the South Island in a virtual New Zealand trial.

Recalled after six months on the sidelines, Adams was at his most erratic during the one-day series against Pakistan, and has some ground to recover before he can be considered a safe bet for the series against South Africa.

New Zealand square off against Graeme Smith's tourists in the opening one-dayer at Eden Park on February 13, only five days after the North-South match is staged on a state of origin basis.

Players will be considered for the island teams on the basis of the provincial side they represented on debut, meaning Adams - presuming he is selected - will be confronted by the bulk of the New Zealand top-order batsmen.

Stephen Fleming, Craig Cumming, Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle are likely to be included in the South Island's batting line-up, while the North Island bowling attack could boast Chris Cairns, Ian Butler, Kyle Mills, Daniel Vettori and all-rounder Scott Styris.

To be played at the same venue as the State Shield final (to be finalised), the match may well be the last chance for Adams, who has missed the past couple of State Shield games with a side strain.

His comeback match for New Zealand, the opening one-dayer against Pakistan, was ruined by a late onslaught from Moin Khan and Azhar Mahmood and, when he was finally given another chance in the fifth match, he was taken to the cleaners by Abdul Razzaq.

Adams' main competitors appear to be Michael Mason and Paul Hitchcock, although if Otago's Jeff Wilson could back up his batting with some consistent bowling, he might demand further scrutiny.

Wilson has been in bold form with the bat, but has been troubled by hamstring concerns and still needs to convince coach John Bracewell of his value at the bowling crease.

The double international, who last played a one-dayer for New Zealand in 1993 against Australia, is vying against Adams and Mills for a berth, and has impressed former Otago team-mate Ken Rutherford.

Wilson could even pose a threat to veteran New Zealand all-rounder Cairns if he can string some bowling performances together and if Cairns continues to struggle for momentum.

The other priority for Bracewell as the State Shield final and North-South matches loom is the question of the New Zealand openers and whether Craig Cumming should continue as Fleming's partner.

Cumming had a tough time in his initial eight ODIs against Pakistan and, although he made some runs in the last two games of the series, is now labouring for Otago and has made three ducks in his past six innings.

The hope for Bracewell now is that Astle will prove his fitness in the coming week and earn a recall for the series against South Africa, adding his invaluable experience at the top of the order.

Astle missed last year's tri-series in India after aggravating a knee injury and, at the time, suggested it might be sensible for him to concentrate on test cricket, rather than risking himself in the shorter game.

However, he was listed to play for Canterbury yesterday before the skies opened and the match against Central Districts was abandoned, and he must now be considered a strong chance for the first one-dayer against South Africa.

If Astle is picked for the series, the chances are that he will be forced to revert to his usual opening position, after playing most of his one-day cricket last year as a No 3.

The theory was that No 3 afforded NZ's most successful one-day batsman some initial protection from the new ball and gave him a better chance of influencing the innings.

But with Hamish Marshall now looking effective at first-drop and concerns still hovering over Cumming, it seems likely Astle could make his comeback as an opener - where he has scored 12 of 13 ODI centuries.