Cricket: No easy Ryder for Marshall

It wasn't that long ago that Hamish Marshall was being lauded as one the great selection hunches of all time.

At the same time Jesse Ryder was being written off as a sad waste of natural talent.

However, the continued slide of the former and the ongoing redemption of the latter could lead to the two swapping places during this one-day international summer.

Coach John Bracewell last week said the selectors had "shown faith, shown faith, shown faith" in Marshall but could not guarantee that would continue through the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy that starts next month.

Meanwhile, he described Ryder's development as "a revelation".

The first point of call should Marshall (Hamish), not show some sign of improvement is most likely Marshall (James) but he also has a lot to prove at international level.

Bracewell and Co's problem is they are almost forced to replace like for like. There are already too many block-bashers in the line-up so they desperately need someone who can rotate the strike.

At the moment only Hamish Marshall and Stephen Fleming are capable of doing that. While Lou Vincent is quick between the wickets, he is a bunt-and-runner who needs somebody equally quick at the other end to be effective at running singles, rather than someone who can work the ball into gaps.

Ryder, with his flair and ability off the back foot, would seem an unlikely replacement for Marshall but Bracewell said he had hidden depths to his game that surfaced on the recent A tour of Sri Lanka.

In that respect he's probably leapt the queue ahead of players like Jamie How, Michael Papps and Peter Fulton, all of whom seem a more natural fit in test cricket rather than ODIs, and Ross Taylor, who still bats in the classic New Zealand block-bash mould.

"Funnily enough, Jesse has that reputation [as a block-basher] but he has a little more finesse than people give him credit for," said Bracewell.

"Having watched him a little bit in Australia and with the feedback we've received with regards to the development tour, he has a far nicer touch with his hands than a lot of people thought."

While playing Australia would be an unenviable way to begin your career, it would be no surprise to see Ryder's burgeoning talent introduced for the Sri Lankan one-day series over the New Year.

Ryder has scored 592 runs for both an emerging players squad in Queensland and the New Zealand A team in Sri Lanka over the winter. The figures included two centuries and four 50s and he averaged close to 54.

His overall one-day record pales against his first-class record, however. While he averages 44 in the longer version of the game, he averages just 22.6 in List A matches.

Mind you, Marshall had a pretty scratchy domestic record when he was picked and look what he did when he got on to better wickets.

Marshall will surely come again. He has too good a head on his shoulders to undo all the good work. Bracewell said he picked up sloppy habits while playing "village green" cricket for Lashings in England but as soon as he gets his feet working in unison with his hands again he will be back in the runs.

But there are only so many consecutive failures you can have before it starts playing on your mind.

Ryder, should he make the final step and grab a black cap, will stand as testament to something even greater: that you can rescue yourself from the morass of unfulfilled potential and turn your career around.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY