Cricket: Pace bowling conundrum for test panel

By RICHARD BOOCK

New Zealand cricket's dwindling pace bowling stocks will come under further scrutiny tomorrow when the selectors name their squad for the test series against South Africa.

Injuries to Dion Nash, Chris Cairns and Geoff Allott have led to a crisis in terms of quality seam bowling reserves for the three test series, which begins on November 17 at Bloemfontein.

Nash has been sidelined indefinitely, Cairns remains a day-to-day proposition and Allott is unable to play on consecutive days. That leaves Sir Richard Hadlee's panel little option but to introduce either one of two new pace bowlers for the five week-long series.

The complicating factor, is that potential New Zealand fast bowlers are fairly thin on the ground at the moment, with Simon Doull's continued unavailability only exacerbating the problem.

The panel are apparently preparing to add to the 21 players already picked since the start of last month, requesting that former international seamers Kerry Walmsley and Andrew Penn join Canterbury hopeful Chris Martin on standby at New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre.

It is difficult to see a call-up extended to Martin, who struggled for penetration on the recent New Zealand A tour to England and ended last season with 23 first-class wickets at 29.82.

On the other hand it would be no surprise if Penn and Walmsley both got the nod.

Walmsley, the 26-year-old former Auckland paceman, played two tests against Sri Lanka in the 1994-95 season and has recently announced a switch to Otago, where he hopes to receive more playing opportunities.

A bowler who impressed with his pace, bounce and outswing, Walmsley took seven wickets in his two tests, and although playing only five first-class matches last season, has been identified by Hadlee as the "type" of bowler required by New Zealand.

Hadlee suggested the current injury woes would continue until there was a much larger pool of candidates.

"Walmsley didn't play a lot for Auckland last year, but as a panel, we don't have any grudges or hidden agendas," he said.

Penn has teetered on the edge of international selection for the past three seasons after ending the 1998-99 summer as the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket.

The Central Districts' paceman has played in four one-day internationals but no tests, although he was called into the New Zealand squad when Doull was invalided out of last year's England tour.

Whether just one or both will be named tomorrow depends mainly on the selectors' thoughts on incumbents Darryl Tuffey and Scott Styris.

They were included in the test squad to play Zimbabwe, but found themselves not required for either match.

It could be that the selectors decide to free up a space for another seamer by dropping Craig Spearman and using Mathew Sinclair as a back-up opening batsman.

Alternatively, there is also a chance they may increase their options by carrying just one spinner.

Of the 15-strong squad in the Republic, ODI specialists Chris Nevin, Chris Harris, Roger Twose and Geoff Allott seem almost certain to return and they would be replaced by Matt Horne, Mark Richardson, Sinclair and at least one of the short-listed seamers.

Possible New Zealand test squad: Stephen Fleming (capt), Matt Horne, Mark Richardson, Craig Spearman, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Shayne O'Connor, Darryl Tuffey, Kerry Walmsley, Scott Styris, Brooke Walker, Paul Wiseman.