Cricket: Bowling key to keeping Astle alert

You won't hear Nathan Astle objecting if New Zealand opt to play two spinners in the second test against Australia.

One of the few New Zealand batsmen to have any success in the first test at Christchurch, Astle will almost certainly be called on to play a role with the ball over the next few days if off-spinner Paul Wiseman is included in the XI.

Astle scored 74 and 21 at Christchurch, in the process becoming just the fourth New Zealander to post 4000 runs and providing further evidence that his once-injury-racked career was starting to gather new momentum.

But not only have his knees made a miraculous recovery from the surgery, they now feel so strong that the 33-year-old feels confident about playing a more significant role at the bowling crease in both forms of the game.

He said yesterday that he was quite happy to help out at the bowling crease, as it helped concentrate his mind.

"I think it probably does [help me focus]," Astle said. "Sometimes when I'm batting I can start to drift. I can drift at any time, I've always done that.

"I'm probably more mentally clicked on and aware when I know there's a chance that I may be needed to bowl. I enjoy it. It helps me enjoy the game"

The development should mean good news for skipper Stephen Fleming, who will be keen to get some overs out of Astle and team-mate Craig McMillan if he goes in with just two specialist pacemen and Wiseman and Daniel Vettori.

Astle's career seemed in the balance when he missed the 2003-04 summer through knee surgery, but he bounced back strongly last year, and since his comeback has stitched together consecutive scores of 64, 49, 2, 8, 15, 0 (v England); 11, 39 (v Bangladesh), and 19, 17, 52, 38, 74, 21 (v Australia).

He put the reasonable form down to some technical adjustments he worked on over several months, and said he was now feeling optimistic about the future and confident of making further improvements to his game.

"I think I can show more discipline. In the past I've had innings that have been pretty loose, and that's just the way I've played."