Cricket: Zimbabwe test for opening hopefuls

By RICHARD BOOCK

Expect the New Zealand cricketers to blood a new top-order batting combination in this week's Zimbabwe tour opener.

New Zealand leave Singapore tonight bound for Zimbabwe with as many questions hovering over the test team's top order as there are concerns over the one-day side's batting line-up.

Whatever else might be decided in the lead-up to next month's first test, it seems the selectors are keen to pair rookie Mark Richardson with incumbent Matt Horne as quickly as possible, leaving Mathew Sinclair and Craig Spearman to vie for a role further down the order.

Still reeling after the meek surrender to South Africa on Friday night, coach David Trist said he was relieved to turn his attention to the tour of Zimbabwe, where New Zealand will play two three-day games, two tests, and three ODIs.

"We see Matt Horne and Mark Richardson as specialist openers, and will give them every opportunity to find form before the first test," he said from Singapore yesterday.

"We were forced to open with Craig [Spearman] because of injury last summer, but he still has options down the order and will certainly have an opportunity to stake his claim - as will Mathew Sinclair."

Sinclair's test future seemed assured after his 214 against the West Indies last season, but the 24-year-old suffered a form reversal against Australia and managed just 61 runs in his next six innings.

He fell bowled or leg-before on six out of seven occasions, sending his average plummeting from above 200 to 39.28 in the space of three tests.

Although much maligned after his struggles against Australia, Spearman has proved New Zealand's most successful No 3 over the past three series, and could well return to the position if he can find some early form in Zimbabwe.

In 16 tests he has harvested 864 runs at 29.79, but in four opportunities at first-drop last season he managed 209 runs at an average of 52.25.

Although Horne was in the worst form of his life last summer he seems to be in line to partner Richardson on the basis of his overall test record, which after 27 matches has returned a semi-respectable average of 30.55, including three centuries.

However, the new Otago captain has failed to reach 50 in his most recent 18 innings, and in seven tests last season scrambled just 171 runs at 13.15.

Trist said he had emphasised the dangers of under-estimating the struggling Zimbabwe side, who had made life difficult for almost every visiting team since their admission to test ranks in 1992.

"The Zimbabwe tour is perceived by the public as a soft touch, and it's true that it's a good start to our programme," said Trist. "But the expectations of teams touring there have been quite different from the actual experiences.

"Zimbabwe have already beaten Pakistan and England at home in one capacity or another, and they've had us stretched on more than one occasion, so we should expect another torrid challenge."

He described Friday's eight-wicket loss as the worst performance he had been associated with since taking charge last year - "a wake-up call for everyone, including myself."

Conditions at Kallang Stadium were not ideal for international cricket, but Trist refused to blame the pitch, saying the top order were often the architects of their own misfortune.

As a result, the experiment of developing Daniel Vettori as a makeshift opener had been put on the back-burner, while the tactic of using Chris Cairns at No 3 was also under review.

"The jury's still out on the Cairns promotion, although I thought he batted pretty well, to be honest." Playing at No 3 could be a big influence on the game.

New Zealand start their opening three-day match against a Zimbabwe Selection at Mutare on Friday.

September 1-3, v Selection XI, Mutare; September 7-9, v Selection XI, Kwekwe; September 12-16, first test, Bulawayo; September 19-23, second test, Harare; September 25, v Selection XI, Harare; September 27, 1st ODI, Harare; September 30, 2nd ODI, Bulawayo; October 1, 3rd ODI, Bulawayo.