Mark Richardson: Give Guptill a second go

Martin Guptill's form may be down, but he remains a class act. Photo / Mark Mitchell

I'm going into bat for Martin Guptill.

I'm sorry, but we just don't have the talent in this country in a troublesome position to turn our backs on a proven performer.

Guptill has played 86 matches and averaged nearly 39 with five centuries and 18 half centuries and a strike rate of 80. What's more, he's a specialist opener.

He's not been good lately but you cannot deny the class is there. To write him off on the back of two tough starts on a tough wicket to start on is knee-jerk and irresponsible.

Does Guptill need to recover his class right now? No. He doesn't have until February 14 - he will need to find it before the World Cup opener - but surely he deserves more than just this series.

It's not like the other opening spot is sewn up, either.

The way I see it, the selectors have two options.

If Guptill has to go, he needs to go now so the Black Caps can spend the next three months auditioning for the crucial role.

If he stays, then they need to commit to Guptill now and find him a partner pronto.

In an ideal world, that partner would be Jesse Ryder.

Let's not get carried away with Ryder's demolition of average second-division county cricket bowlers and Ireland.

He stunned with his whirlwind century against the West Indies at Queenstown on the first day of the year but, other than that, Ryder has struggled ... nine innings for 262 runs at an average of 29. But ... and this is a big but ... they were scored at a strike rate of 129.

Ryder doesn't find international cricket as easy as we all might think but he certainly will get the team away to flyers more often than not.

Promoting Ryder could be a moot point right now because a lot more than runs appear to have to fall into place before he regains selection.

I'd stick with Jimmy Neesham to partner Guptill for a while longer. Neesham is a good ball striker and one taste of opening success could provide the catalyst for consistentency.

If he can make a success of the opening role, then the debate refocuses to who bats at six - that's a far less destructive conundrum than searching for runs at the start of the innings.

We have been well and truly 'schooled' by South Africa in the first two ODIs of the summer. However, better to be schooled now, by a top team, than get spanked in two months' time.