Two more succumb to fatal African bowling disease

Andrew Penn may still have to play a game for his new province Wellington yet but he has done enough to convince two of New Zealand's selectors that he should join the Black Caps in South Africa.

Penn is the preferred choice to replace the injured Scott Styris on the ambulance run across the Indian Ocean that the CLEAR Black Caps tour of Africa has become.

Otago off-spinner Paul Wiseman is also to return home and will be replaced by Central Districts all-rounder Glen Sulzberger.

Wiseman will also return home after it became clear he would probably miss the second Test and was doubtful for the third.

"We were very please with Glen's form on the New Zealand 'A' tour of the UK and he showed during his brief time with the CLEAR Black Caps in Africa that he has excellent potential as both a batsman and an off-spinner," convenor of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee said.

Penn was originally selected as a replacement for the South African leg of the tour, he was forced to cry off after injuring his side in a club game in Wellington.

The former Central Districts bowler, who moved to the Capital from Wanganui, was to have travelled with Kerry Walmsley to join the side after the one-day series in South Africa.

However, Chris Martin took his place and has catapulted over Walmsley into the Test reckoning for the First Test which starts in Bloemfontein tomorrow.

Penn, who was gearing up to be part of Wellington's side for the Shell Super Max series finals in Auckland this weekend, had to divert to Christchurch.

He was required to undergo a fitness test and then bowl under the watchful eye of selectors Hadlee and Brian McKechnie.

Hadlee confirmed afterwards that Penn had met expectations and would be leaving tomorrow for South Africa.

With a high attrition rate among the faster bowlers in the country on the tour, Penn was seen as the type of bowler most needed in the event that any of those on tour should run into trouble.