Styris starts to look like a Test match candidate

These things always have to be put into some kind of perspective, but New Zealand have done nearly as much as they might have wanted over the first two days of their three-day match against Boland at Boland Park in Paarl.

At the close of the second day on Wednesday, the home side were hanging on at 189 for nine in their first innings in reply to New Zealand's 403 for five. The tourists are in a position where they can dictate the final day, and even though a result is unlikely, New Zealand have the option of indulging themselves in batting practice on the final day.

Which is not to say that New Zealand have resolved any of their problems as they start to think about the first Test match in Bloemfontein on November 17. They might well be no nearer to deciding who will share the new ball with Shayne O'Connor and one of the spinners, Paul Wiseman, is still hopping about with a sprained ankle.

But Scott Styris has made an interesting claim to be included in the Test side as an all-rounder, an argument enhanced by the departure of Chris Cairns. Styris, whose chief claim to discussion prior to this match amounted to an occasional delivery bowled with his leading, or left, arm down by his side, scored an unbeaten 73 before grabbing three wickets - two bowled, one leg before - as Boland batted and then took a catch at second slip to complete a productive two days.

Chris Martin picked up three Boland wickets and Kerry Walmsley one while Daryl Tuffey looked relatively innocuous against a Boland batting lineup largely bristling with inexperience. It is difficult to make any hard and fast judgements and the New Zealand seamers have at least one other outing - against North West in Potchefstroom in a three-day match starting on Saturday to more convincingly advance their arguments.

Apart from this, Mark Richardson again demonstrated his unwillingness to give up his wicket as he advanced to 173 not out - no bad thing considering South Africa's formidable pace attack - while Brooke Walker's leg breaks earned him two wickets on Wednesday. Is Walker up to it to play Test cricket on pitches that are unlikely to offer him a great deal? We shall see.