Cricket: Playing two spinners may become the norm

Daniel Vettori could find himself with a regular spinning partner in the one-day cricket scene if coach John Bracewell gets his way.

With an eye cast towards the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, Jeetan Patel's grooming as a back-up to Vettori looks set to lift another notch in the current West Indies series.

Patel partnered Vettori in Saturday's 81-run win over the tourists in the first of five matches and Bracewell hinted yesterday, ahead of the second encounter here on Wednesday, that the combination could become more common.

"We're going to have to be prepared to play two spinners the way the West Indians are used to bowling in their own conditions. They're changing their pace and have a lot of medium pace slow bowlers, so we have to start developing that style.

"It's something we have to get used to, something we have to evolve if we're going to be competitive all around the world."

Pitches in the West Indies and subcontinent tend to die late in the second half of a match playing into slow bowlers' hands.

In the one-day scene locally, Vettori has generally been a lone ranger given the green, seaming nature of New Zealand wickets and the lack of a suitable second spinner.

Patel could change that arrangement.

He debuted last year in South Africa and reappeared in a starring role against the Sri Lankans last month.

On Saturday he took two for 46 while Vettori produced a miserly two for 26.

Besides the World Cup in March, cricket's other big limited overs prize is the Champions Trophy in India in October -- another haven for spinner friendly decks

"We've a major tournament in India, a major tournament in March in the West Indies, and major tournament in Australia (VB Series next January), so we have to evolve a bowling attack that can win in three different continents," Bracewell said.

Having a third slow option is also being cultivated by Bracewell, the former test offspinner, with opener Jamie How, whose finding his feet quickly in international cricket after five matches, being mooted by the coach as another possible option.

"It's always handy to have a bowler that's in your top-order. You always like having that bowling back-up in your squad and I believe that we should give the captain (at least) six (bowling options)."

The Black Caps bowling attack looks settled for the fixture at the Queenstown Events Centre with only quick Michael Mason suffering slightly from Saturday's comfortable win where the West Indies were rolled for 207 in pursuit of New Zealand's 288 for nine.

Mason, in his first international for almost two years, bowled well taking two for 36, but Bracewell said the Central Districts player was feeling some minor side and back stiffness.

"He was down in terms of fitness with his side and back, but he shaped up well this morning and it was just muscle stiffness. I was pretty impressed with the way he hit the deck. On a slow deck he got bounce and good carry out of it. It was an impressive comeback for him."

The West Indies could welcome back star allrounder Dwayne Bravo who missed the opening match after suffering a side strain in Thursday's Twenty20 match against the Black Caps.

Meanwhile Bracewell has dismissed any concerns over the failure to abandon the super-sub rule for the remainder of the series.

On Friday Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming confirmed he approached his counterpart Shivnarine Chanderpaul about ditching the 12th player in a gentlemen's agreement after the International Cricket Council announced it would jettison the rule next month.

The original intention of the super-sub was to encourage greater use of allrounders, but instead the rule's been skewered with specialists being used giving teams who win the toss a greater advantage.

Series match official Mike Procter refused to grant the captains' request, but Bracewell was not overly concerned.

"It doesn't really worry me. That's not really an issue, it just allows us to play 12 guys instead of 11. The only frustrating thing about it is the imbalance on winning the toss."

- NZPA