KEY POINTS:
So Lou Vincent and Mathew Sinclair miss out again.
Vincent's test career is a bit like the life of a pinball. He's bounced around all over the table, scoring here and scoring there. The problem for Vincent is New Zealand cricket only have a need for his ball if it's scoring points at the top of the table. Vincent thinks the middle could be more productive. The net result being he's out of play.
As for Sinclair, well if he was a pinball, he'd sort of roll around the table aimlessly before every so often going gangbusters. Problem is the Black Caps want more action, more often and get bored waiting for his scoring blitzes. It's a shame, because I feel there's a ball waiting in the barrel called Sinclair Mark Two. One that would be a consistent scorer.
There's Stephen Fleming at three, Scott Styris at four and a shiny new ball called Ross Taylor that they're just dying to fire. In the wings is Peter Fulton who in five tests has yet to cement a place but is yet to play his way out and has the extra attraction of being capable of playing in all forms of the game. Then, throw in the fact that, by batting Jacob Oram at six, you get the chance to play two spinners and not cripple the pace bowling attack who tend to cripple themselves if they have to carry too much of a load. All of a sudden the middle order becomes very cramped indeed.
Fleming's due to go soon which adds some breathing room to the batting order but that will be interesting because Taylor, Fulton and Sinclair are all threes, so the space is at five. If you're Sinclair or Vincent where do you bat for your province? Do you open, hoping for the usual test incumbent failures or do you patiently position yourself?
The simple answer is to bat where you score the most runs. But that just enhances the problem for both these two because for Sinclair that's three and Vincent it's four.
For now Sinclair and Vincent miss out because they're not specialist openers and in come two specialists.
While I'm an advocate for Vincent and Sinclair, I'll also concede I can see the attraction of young blood in Taylor and Fulton and the desire to find a steady and specialised opening test partnership.
Michael Papps has done all he could. He's scored heavily at provincial level and I don't buy into this problem with the short ball issue. Yes, it hits him in the head but if it isn't knocking him out I'm convinced it doesn't get him out.
His footwork and hard hands have got him out and apparently he's changed his technique. He's young enough to do that too and I am interested to see if he now has a technique that will stand up at the test level.
As for Craig Cumming, he's more an older dog at 32 years and I'm not sure he would have changed his technique overly. His job is to use that older head to get the best out of himself. It will be his last chance.
