Cricket: Opener likely to bat at No 6

By RICHARD BOOCK and NZPA

Craig Spearman has been handed an unexpected opportunity of featuring in the New Zealand cricket team's mini-World Cup plans next week.

Whatever the diagnosis on the injured Chris Cairns, the absence of the star all-rounder has almost certainly handed Spearman another opportunity to establish his position within the New Zealand one-day side, this time in the middle order.

Initially retained from the test section of the Zimbabwe tour as cover for recuperating opener Chris Nevin, Spearman seems likely to bat at No 6 in tonight's opening one-day international in Harare - a match shaping up as a head-to-head battle with the struggling Craig McMillan.

With Cairns expected back for the start of the ICC knockout tournament in Nairobi next week, Spearman has the chance to present a compelling case to the selectors, who demonstrated their impatience with McMillan when they dropped him last summer.

The loss of Cairns, and doubts about the fitness of Nevin, Dion Nash and Geoff Allott, seem New Zealand's main concerns heading into the one-dayer, with the expected line-up raising questions over the length of the tail, the capability of the middle order, and the readiness of the seam attack.

McMillan's one-day international performances have been in stark contrast to his efforts at test level. After 59 matches, he averages just 21.35, at a strike-rate of about 63 per cent. His last three home series reaped 40 runs at 13.33 (v Australia), 43 runs at 10.75 (v West Indies) and 27 runs at 9 (v South Africa).

Ironically, after the 24-year-old right-hander spent the winter months working closely with technical advisers and biomechanics experts, he emerged this season with a new bowling action.

The dilemma facing the selectors in the lead-up to the Nairobi tournament is that Spearman's record is even worse (average 17.41), although he can claim a much higher strike-rate, and the fact that he is something of an unknown quantity in the middle-order, having opened the batting in all but one of his 44 appearances.

The Central Districts'skipper struck 58 off 42 balls, while McMillan made 24 off 37 as the tourists warmed up for tonight's match with a 68-run win over a Zimbabwe Academy side yesterday.

Team management opted not to play Nash, and if they decide to keep him in cotton wool tonight, New Zealand seem set to play a similar same line-up, with Daryl Tuffey and Geoff Allott sharing the new ball.

Coach David Trist said Zimbabwe would provide a lot more resistance than in the test series.

"Zimbabwe in one-day cricket are an infinitely better unit and we're going to be challenged, there's no doubt about that."

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak was upbeat about his side's chances after the disappointment of their loss in the second test.

Their No 1 goal was to draw the test series, but he said a win in the one-day series was a realistic aim.

"We'd like to. We have the player base in the one-day game to do it," Streak said.

"A couple of specialist one-day players have come in and obviously New Zealand are weakened by Cairns' injury."

Zimbabwe confirmed their 12 yesterday, but have injury concerns to pace bowlers Mluleki Nkala and Henry Olonga.

Batsman Craig Wishart, allrounder Dirk Viljoen and bowler Bryan Strang come into the team, which remains largely the test squad.

New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Chris Nevin, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan, Craig Spearman, Chris Harris, Glen Sulzberger, Scott Styris, Dion Nash, Paul Wiseman, Daryl Tuffey, Shayne O'Connor, Geoff Allott.

Zimbabwe (from): Heath Streak (captain), Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Alistair Campbell, Andy Flower, Guy Whittall, Craig Wishart, Dirk Viljoen, Mluleki Nkala, Paul Strang, Bryan Strang, Henry Olonga.