The theme threading its way through the New Zealand one-day team announcement for the West Indies series yesterday was the prevalence of all-rounders.
The squad includes Corey Anderson, Nathan McCullum, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham and Jesse Ryder. Each has the potential to score quick runs and bowl tidy overs asNew Zealand focuses on the 2015 World Cup.
Each bats with a strike rate in excess of 89 and concedes runs at 6.25 or less with the ball. Each can hold up an end with the ball, while the likes of Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan and Tim Southee take the wickets. Similarly, they present aggression with the bat, moulding around a top order, where Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor construct the innings.
Anderson fits the brief as well as any. Evidence was prevalent, even on the opening day of the third test in Hamilton. Yes, it's a different format and much is made of red and white ball differences but with three wickets for 25 runs off 14 overs he proved the most successful and economical bowler in the New Zealand attack.
Anderson's bag included Denesh Ramdin, caught behind for 107, which broke a sixth-wicket partnership of 200 and gave New Zealand renewed vigour with the second new ball.
Earlier, Anderson coaxed Marlon Samuels to flay outside off stump with minimal foot movement for a catch at gully. Anderson backed up trapping Narsingh Deonarine lbw. Exactly the sort of impact an all-rounder needs.
The opening day didn't all go his way. He admitted to bowling slightly short of a length in his opening spell (a useful skill for the upcoming one-dayers) before pushing the ball up in his second to tempt the drive.
"Anything short on that wicket just sits up. We knew we'd have to be slightly fuller again, just back of a half-volley, we just didn't hang around that area long enough.
"The risk with Ramdin is he throws his hands at the ball [for a cover drive] and it goes."
Anderson said bowling to 39-year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is on the cusp of a 29th test century, remains a challenge. "It's a bit different the way he sets up, you're wondering where the hell you're going to bowl to him.
"Then you realise you've got to push a bit wider. He's a classy player.
"He does curtain rail [with the bat] and you think you're in with a chance, but he's done it his whole career. He teases you."
