New Zealand Middle order chases bigger scores (4 December 1998)

4 December 1998

New Zealand Middle order chases bigger scores

by Shayne Currie

While attention is focused on who will open the batting, New Zealand must also overcome some middle-order blues before the first cricket Test against India.

Neither Nathan Astle nor Craig McMillan built on promising starts during the Conference series and will be eager to stay at the crease for long periods when New Zealand A meets Pakistan A in Hamilton from today.

Astle has the added complication of opening the batting for New Zealand A, knowing that a good performance would see him elevated up the order for the test, which starts in two weeks in Dunedin.

Convener of selectors Ross Dykes said yesterday that Astle and McMillan did not look to be out of form, but needed to apply themselves and go on from scoring 30s and 40s. The match against Pakistan A was a chance to boost their own confidence rather than the selectors', said Dykes.

He is concerned about the lack of depth of middle-order batsmen at the top level. "When you look at it, there are not a lot of options."

Astle and McMillan consistently made double figures in the Conference series, but the highest score either of them got was McMillan's 45 for Central against Southern in the Conference final.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who has been in good form with the bat, was positive about the Conference series, but said the two disappointing factors were that none of the openers took the opportunity to seize the vacant test spot, and that more batsmen did not make centuries. "There's been some steady performances but nothing that has said 'I really want that (opening) position'.

"I think the selectors were looking for that, and also the middle order to be contributing with bigger scores -- the likes of McMillan and Astle haven't performed as well as they would have liked."

For McMillan, it was a matter of balancing his naturally aggressive game and staying in the middle for long periods for the sake of the team, said Fleming. Both Fleming and Dykes praised the Conference series concept. "The result (of the Conference series) is we get players who know what they need to do at international level and start putting pressure on top players which has been missing for a wee while," said Fleming.

Dykes said: "As selectors we were probably a little disappointed we didn't quite get the performances we would have liked to get.

"That's a general comment. There were some very good features. With the exception of Timaru (scene of an abandoned match) and the rain in Auckland, we played on good pitches. There were opportunities for both batsmen and bowlers to display their skills. The batting was patchy. We would have liked to have seen more players put their hand up and say pick me on my performance."

Fleming was pleased with the form of wicketkeepers Robbie Hart and Martin Croy, saying they were starting to put pressure on the top.

Incumbent test keeper Adam Parore played little cricket because of Northern's bad run with pitches and the weather.

Fleming was also pleased a "healthy pool" of fast bowlers was being built up, with the likes of Andrew Penn, Chris Drum, and Warren Wisneski putting pressure on the test incumbents.

Aside from the opening batting berth, which is expected to be filled by either Astle or Matthew Bell, the other major selection question is in the bowling attack.

Canterbury's Geoff Allott may have the edge on Otago's Shayne O'Connor to start against India.

Allott is quicker and may be a more potent weapon on the traditionally hard and quick Carisbrook wicket.

However, Dykes did not rule out the possibility of playing both.

"It could occur through injury or pitch conditions -- we haven't made a commitment."

The New Zealand team will be named on Tuesday at 2pm.

A possible test XI: Nathan Astle, Matthew Horne, Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Chris Harris, Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori, Dion Nash, Geoff Allott, Simon Doull, Shayne O'Connor (12th man).

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)