Black Caps v South Africa: Glenn Phillips shows succession planning on track - Andrew Alderson

By Andrew Alderson at Bay Oval

Test cricket is a concept of attitude as much as a game of statistics.

Careers are measured by the latter because they provide concrete evidence of performances over time.

The former offers a less tangible insight into how a culture is built and what makes a side tick.

Glenn Phillips provided an example in the first match against South Africa as to why such nuances are important.

He grabbed minimal headlines.

His 39 off 42 balls in the Black Caps first innings fell under the shadow cast by Rachin Ravindra’s 240 and Kane Williamson’s 118.

Likewise, his off-spin failed to garner the attention of captain Tim Southee in the opening dig, despite multiple attempts to practise during breaks in play.

The skipper relented in the second innings and Phillips returned figures of one for 30 from nine overs. Clyde Fortuin had the misfortune to belt a half tracker into Tom Latham’s knee at short leg and the ricochet ballooned to Tom Blundell.

Phillips’ physical return in the match offered slim pickings, but what the 27-year-old did contribute was contagious energy. That’s a more nebulous concept, but only the most curmudgeonly killjoy could repel such boundless enthusiasm.

The park is marked with tracks everywhere Phillips fielded due to his pacing between balls. That included marauding in the covers or mid-wicket, pouncing at gully or acting as a sentry around the bat. His throws jetted in like arrows and the amount of diving and tumbling suggested he was auditioning for the Cirque du Soleil. The GPS - or in his case the GP - tracker would have been begging for a breather.

A nick off Mitchell Santner on the third day even saw Phillips run around Daryl Mitchell in pursuit. Mitchell was, to use racing parlance, in the one-one, but Phillips slid round him on the outside to retrieve.

Teams need to stay sharp and although the strength of the current South African team has been questioned, competing against world champions Australia from the end of this month will require exactly that type of Phillips verve.

A nod too, to chief selector Gary Stead and captain Southee for opting to promote the likes of Phillips and Ravindra. They join Kyle Jamieson as current New Zealand test players in their 20s, with 22-year-old pace bowler Will O’Rourke an option to enter the club as part of the squad next week. A year ago, in the follow-on victory over England, every member of the XI was over 30.

Succession planning is underway and that’s a healthy sign.