Cricket: Selection smacks of mistaken identity

Hamish Marshall will join the New Zealanders in South Africa, but as RICHARD BOOCK reports, his identical twin, James, would appear to have better credentials


The New Zealand cricket selectors plucked a 21-year-old identical twin out of relative obscurity yesterday. Now all they have to worry about is whether they got the right one.

The main feature of the 15-strong squad picked for the test series against South Africa is the inclusion of Northern Districts batsman Hamish Marshall as a replacement for injured test opener Matt Horne.

Horne, who batted for over an hour in Dunedin club cricket last Saturday before bowling a spell of medium pace, apparently failed a New Zealand Cricket fitness test during the week.

The selectors reacted predictably to the seam bowling crisis, naming Kerry Walmsley and Andrew Penn in the squad, and have deferred a decision on Chris Cairns until the end of the one-day series next week.

However, the inclusion of Hamish Marshall ranks as one of the more perplexing selection decisions of recent times, not least because of the superior form of his twin brother, James.

While their faces might be identical, their first-class records are nothing of the sort, with James having so far outshone his twin with the bat and out-performed him in the field.

On top of that, James is an established opening batsman - the position most likely to be vacant during the three tests - while Hamish bats in the middle order.

The newly-selected test batsman has played just 13 first-class games, for a career average of 20.90 and a highest score of 58.

James, on the other hand, has scored two centuries in 25 matches, passing 50 on nine occasions for an overall average of 30.04.

Convener of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee suggested Hamish would be viewed as a top-order batsman who could possibly open if Craig Spearman proved unsuccessful.

He said Marshall had secured his place on the back of some strong form for the New Zealand Academy side in India, a tour which did not carry first-class status.

Marshall scored two centuries batting at No 5 and No 6 during that tournament.

"We're pleased we're in a position to give a 21-year-old the chance to prove that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level." Hadlee said.

"We're in no doubt that he has the the potential to cement a place in the side for some time to come. Apart from his recent efforts with the Academy side, he's also had good results in the past two seasons of first-class cricket."

Actually, Marshall averaged 18 in his first season of first-class cricket, and 22 in his second.

The panel have bracketed Scott Styris in the squad beside Cairns, whose ability to manage a debilitating knee injury will be assessed after the sixth ODI next week.

Walmsley and Penn looked virtual certainties after the injury problems experienced by Cairns, Geoff Allott and Dion Nash, and will now vie with Shayne O'Connor and Daryl Tuffey for a test berth.

Offspinner Paul Wiseman remains in the side as the apparent No 1 spinner, while Brooke Walker returns to test contention after a year on the outer.

The first test starts at Bloemfontein on November 17.

Test squad: Stephen Fleming (capt), Mark Richardson, Craig Spearman, Hamish Marshall, Mathew Sinclair, Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle, Adam Parore, Chris Cairns or Scott Styris, Brooke Walker, Paul Wiseman, Andrew Penn, Kerry Walmsley, Daryl Tuffey and Shayne O'Connor.