Date-stamped : 14 Oct97 - 06:16
October 14, 1997 

New Zealand Squad - Few surprises expected 

by Geoff Longley

Only one position should create much debate when the 14-man New Zealand 
cricket team is named today for the test section of the Australian tour.

With the fitness of pace bowlers Simon Doull and Geoff Allott, plus 
Bryan Young confirmed yesterday, they will all return to the side. 

The contentious position surrounds either taking another batsman, which 
is between Craig McMillan and Craig Spearman, or retaining slow bowler 
Paul Wiseman. 

Selectors Ross Dykes, Mike Shrimpton, and Rick Pickard have pledged a 
policy to have two spinners included in a side wherever possible, which 
is in Wiseman's favour. 

However, Chris Harris came through to fill the second slow bowler's role
in Zimbabwe, while his batting in the middle order strengthens a brittle
top order. Thus Wiseman, regarded as Dipak Patel's off-spinning 
successor, may be left at home to develop further at Conference Cricket 
level. 

Then the choice probably comes down to Spearman or McMillan. McMillan, 
of Canterbury, impressed in the middle order when getting his 
opportunity in the one-day internationals against Zimbabwe and a strong 
case can be made to continue his development in the state games before 
the three-test series. 

Spearman continued to flatter only to deceive when given an 11th hour 
opportunity in Zimbabwe after Young was ruled out. Promising starts were
rarely converted into high scores and a back-up opening batsman may be a
luxury. 

The medium-fast pace bowling contingent will be bolstered by the return 
of Doull and Allott. Heath Davis deserves an outing on the hard 
Australian wickets, although his no-ball problems re-surfaced in 
Zimbabwe while left-armer Shayne O'Connor deserves to be further 
developed in Australia. 

A possible 14: Stephen Fleming (captain), Chris Harris, Chris Cairns, 
Geoff Allott, Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle (Canterbury); Blair Pocock, 
Adam Parore (Auckland); Daniel Vettori, Bryan Young, Simon Doull 
(Northern Districts); Matt Horne, Shayne O'Connor (Otago); Heath Davis 
(Wellington). 

Source :: The Canterbury Press (http://www.press.co.nz/)

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