KEY POINTS:
New Zealand has not had much luck breeding one, the now-defunct Academy certainly couldn't build one, so Otago has taken the logical step and bought one.
A fast bowler that is.
South African Neil Wagner was the only unfamiliar name in the 12 players awarded domestic contracts by
Otago.
A quick glance at his numbers would suggest he will not remain unfamiliar for long.
The 22-year-old paceman has compiled an astonishing record in his nascent career.
In just 20 first-class matches, the left-arm quick has taken 89 wickets at an average of 18.3. Just as impressively, he averages a wicket every five-and-a-half overs.
He might have a much-needed mean streak too, having received a suspended ban for showing dissent on a South Africa Academy tour to Bangladesh in April this year.
His signature means Otago will alleviate their pain at losing stalwart left-arm seamer Bradley Scott to Northern Districts.
But this story just gets better. Wagner, a Pretoria native, has decided to change allegiances and intends to become a New Zealand resident. Under current rules that will require him to live in New Zealand for at least 183 days a year for the next three years. That should see him become available for selection in the 2011-12 season.
Obviously plenty of water has to flow under the Leith Bridge before that becomes a reality. For a start, left-arm quicks don't have great records for durability - Brett Schultz and Bruce Reid being the two most prominent examples. There is also the possibility that having come from the warm and sunny high veldt to the questionable climatic delights of Dunedin, three years in the south might begin to sound like purgatory.
But for the moment Wagner sounds like music to the ears of expectant cricket followers.
He also joins a growing list of South African exiles trying to push their names forward for New Zealand selection. Grant Elliott has already achieved that goal, playing one test and six one-day internationals and was the unluckiest man to miss out on one of 20 central contracts in May.
In Canterbury, wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk is one season away from qualifying - although his path to national colours is blocked by the considerable talent of Brendon McCullum despite averaging more than 40 in both four-day and one-day cricket last season - and top-order batsman Johann Myburgh has indicated he will aim for residency in two years.
Myburgh impressed selectors with his compact technique and his 675 State Championship runs last season trailed Wellington duo Neal Parlane (809) and Matthew Bell (731) only. Myburgh scored two centuries and six fifties and his numbers were impressive given he had a horror run of first-ball ducks during the season.
The other features of the contracts lists were the re-emergence of paceman Ian Butler, also in Otago and the contract awarded to 17-year-old schoolboy Harry Boam.
