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D-Day for Daniel

Thursday, May 13 2004

With an early Lords' opener looming large, New Zealand cricket selectors face one key decision before the match - to play Daniel Vettori as a spin option or sacrifice the spin element.

Vettori of late has been below par. Not since 2001 has he claimed a five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and his average has bloated severely out to a tick over 37. Even on a tailor made pitch against South Africa, he could only manage 4 scalps for over 150. An Indian tour prior to the summer also failed to bare fruit despite promising patches.

While poor form is a key factor, one other important point must be noted - home pitches in New Zealand. For a large number of summers now, the pitches in the land of the Kiwi bird have been far from conducive for good cricket. Too often have they become a seaming green top or a spongy, damp, lifeless track that offers nothing for a bowler with the cunning and guile of Vettori.

This is exactly the type of wicket that looms in England due to the May start of the Test matches. With the return from injury of Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Nathan Astle, can the left-armer still command a place in the starting XI?

Chris Martin was the dominant bowler during the recently completed series against South Africa. For the first Test at least, he commands selection. This places him alongside Mark Richardson, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Chris Cairns, Brendan McCullum and Jacob Oram as selection certainties.

Where does this leave Vettori? There are potential reasons to salvage a place in the side for the spinner, with a key ingredient being the quest for form of opener Michael Papps.

Should Papps strike form in the final tour match his selection seems assured. Only Stephen Fleming offers an alternative as opener, and one questions whether this in itself is a viable option. For the time being at least the side is far better equipped with their captain at number 3.

The England tour signals the return, however, of key batsman Nathan Astle. Since his injury Styris and Oram have firmed in to world-class cricketers who are both capable match-winners and entertainers. Should Astle return, it would be below Styris at 5.

Craig McMillan reads as the incumbent number 5 - recent months have suggested he is closing in on career best form, and for the time being he looks set to play in the opening Test match despite a broken finger.

Throw Oram, Cairns and McCullum into the mix, Astle's return pushed McMillan and below down a place in the batting order.

Hence, Oram now fits as the possible Test number 9. Daryl Tuffey is rated as the sides top bowler and justifiably returns into the side. Martin has a mortgage on the number 11 position, leaving Vettori out of a likely side.

Yet the variety he offers to the side, and the fact that his spin offers valuable rest time for the pace battery, means his selection claims can never be discounted. A Test century just this summer also adds credibility to his claims as an all-rounder, capable of batting consistently in the lower order and bowling when needs be.

Should selectors opt out of using Papps as an opener, however, Vettori would logically slide into the side at number 9. Shane Bond looks and unlikely starter for Lords, hence is not considered.

Again, the selectors could also opt to exclude one of Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan, allowing McCullum at 6, Cairns at 7, Oram at 8 and Vettori at 9. A number of scenarios point to the possible selection of the spinner, and common sense suggests selectors won't be able to look past the man in the spectacles.

The most important ingredient in his selection, however, looks set to be overlooked. His form since 2002 has been ordinary, at best and diplomatically. It does not point towards his selection. Sadly, he hasn't quite looked like breaking his slump. It is prolonged - his unerring confidence to once throw up a floater in the attempt to woo a batsman out of his ground is now cannon fodder to most top players - that's if he uses the delivery at all.

Should he be selected, he may well do a job for his side. Yet the question must be asked - can New Zealand afford to carry the golden-boy spinner into a Lords Test in May on a seaming deck?

Only time will tell, but something suggests he may just struggle against the improving English side.

Posted by Andre