Fit New Zealand offers good competitive options in South Africa

New Zealand selectors have learned never to breathe sighs of relief, but they must have some measure of satisfaction that their chosen 15 look likely to be all available to step on board their flight for the World Cup in South Africa tomorrow.

All the players came through the domestic cricket they played after the completion of the National Bank series against India, although of the players captain Stephen Fleming and left-arm spin bowler Daniel Vettori did not play in today's games.

Vettori did not play the last three matches as precaution against a slight groin strain he suffered while Fleming was getting over respective blows to a toe and his shin causing him to miss the last two rounds.

There are still two weeks before New Zealand's first game, against Sri Lanka at Bloemfontein, but before then the side will have warm-up matches against Easterns at Benoni on Tuesday week, and against Gauteng at Soweto on Thursday week.

Those games, and the likely conditions in South Africa are certain to be a factor in making the final selection of the side which faces a tricky opening to their campaign with successive matches against Sri Lanka, the West Indies and South Africa at the start of the tournament.

Given what has happened in New Zealand during the international season, with players being dropped back to domestic level in a form of rotation to allow players as many opportunities as possible, there has to be some satisfaction for the selectors Sir Richard Hadlee, Ross Dykes, Brian McKechnie and coach Denis Aberhart with the outcomes.

On the batting side of things, Scott Styris was the third highest run scorer with 293 runs in his eight innings, Lou Vincent was sixth with 263 runs, also in eight games. Chris Harris made a late charge to finish with 236 runs in nine appearances.

While key batsman in the side, Chris Cairns scored only 159 runs in his seven matches, it was at a strike rate of 95.78 and included in that was a New Zealand record for the fastest 50 in one-day domestic cricket, off 20 balls!

And while the bowlers didn't quite dominate the wicket-taking, the economy rates did offer much encouragement. Styris achieved an economy rate of 3.25 per over while Harris was at 3.34.

Kyle Mills had a rate of 3.18, Jacob Oram 2.50 from his two games, while left-arm spinner Vettori, in his three appearances, had a rate of only 2.60.

The key areas as the side settles into South African conditions will be deciding who is to bat at No 3 where Craig McMillan and Mathew Sinclair are the obvious contenders for the position.

McMillan played seven matches in the State Shield and scored 154 runs, 122 of them coming in his unbeaten innings against Wellington while Sinclair played five and scored only 78.

However, in the Indian series, Sinclair could reflect on seven matches which brought him the second highest number of runs for New Zealand of 146 while in his four games McMillan scored only 31. It is clearly going to be one of the tougher decisions for the tour selection panel to cope with, and it may be that the issue is not resolved until the later stages of the championship.

But that would be reflective of the attitude of the selectors who have made a point of wanting to have competition within the squad and it will probably come down to whichever player takes his chance.

The make-up of the bowling attack is the other issue. It is extremely unlikely, if pre-tournament intelligence is to be believed, that conditions would allow Vettori and Harris to both play in the same side. Vettori is regarded as the more precise bowling option, but Harris with his experience can never be discounted.

Fast bowler Shane Bond is always likely to be the first member of the attack to be picked and he has a huge role to play in the side's prospects of success.

With Andre Adams, Oram, Styris and Mills all offering all-rounders' skills to the side there is going to be some pressure for places.

Oram's extra height could be the sort of option that will see him tried first in the tournament while the explosive qualities Adams gives the side will be in his favour initially. But it all comes down to taking opportunities when they are available and the final choice cannot be resolved yet.

That is not to forget the option that Daryl Tuffey provides as well. On New Zealand form, he would be the obvious person to open the bowling with Bond. He had such a dynamic home season and was the international player of the New Zealand season that he, too, is likely to be regarded as a first choice.

Again, however, the longer term issue is likely to be decided by who best adapts to the particular conditions struck at the various venues whether they are at the coastal level or up on the veldt.

The comforting thing has to be that as New Zealand head to the tournament, looking to be the first side to advance beyond the semi-final stages reached by the sides of 1975, 1979, 1992 and 1999, the chosen squad are fit and ready to go and with an in-built competitive mechanism that offers a side that can be competitive in those vital first three matches to ensure New Zealand a comfortable ride into the Super Six side of the event.

Captain Fleming offered the comment after the disappointing pitch-dominated home series with India, that New Zealand would get better in better conditions, now he has the opportunity to see that bear fruit.