Dion Nash: Nash's courage has never been in question but it has to be wondered whether he will ever again be able to make the contribution he wants, and the team needs, to the New Zealand cause. The manner in which he put the team before personal injury in Zimbabwe, and then produced a superb run out to win the game, speaks volumes of the impact he can have. The hope is that he can regain full fitness, the expectation is very much wait and see.

Mathew Sinclair: With an irrepressible desire to score as many runs as possible Sinclair's possibilities in international cricket look limitless. He knows he needs more consistency, and that will be a prime target in Pakistan, Australia and at home against England next summer. His batting in Christchurch was a delight, while he showed his fortitude in South Africa. Believe it or not, but the best is yet to come from him.

Mark Richardson: One day Mark Richardson will sit back and read about the summer that carried his stamp. A player who seemed unfashionable in the modern academised structure, but who refused to let his desire to be competitive at the highest level die. In the process he shone the light for experience, scored a triple century, a double century, a Test century, 1000 domestic runs and 2000 runs in a season. What more was there to achieve?

Matthew Bell: Yet another example of a young prodigy exposed too early to top class play who, after being discarded, has come back stronger in attitude and the better player for it. Martin Crowe and Ken Rutherford went through the same process. Bell has plenty of improvement still to come out of his game but the signs are there and if he can help settle the opening position problems, New Zealand's future will have a much rosier hue.

Daniel Vettori: If it had ever been doubted, the role that Vettori plays in the national side could not have been more graphically illustrated. The Test team looked different and ineffectual without him. The few one-day games he played highlighted the mesmeric qualities his bowling brings to proceedings and few are the batsmen who can take him lightly. A vital cog for the next decade.

Craig McMillan: Emerging as a genuine world-class player this summer, McMillan has had a great year. A defensive century under pressure against Zimbabwe in Wellington was backed by one of the most exhilarating Test innings against Pakistan in Hamilton. There is an assuredness about his play that is appealing, a desire to punish bad balls that is refreshing among New Zealand players and an adaptive quality that makes him an extremely useful middle-order batsman in both forms of the game. Look for even bigger things next summer.

Matt Horne: Another injury at an inopportune time after scoring the match-winning century in New Zealand's first Test victory over Zimbabwe. Then after getting over his broken hand he contracted an illness which kept him out of the Pakistan series. His misfortune has been Matthew Bell's chance and the Horne desire to regain a place will be well tested next summer. Too good a player to be discarded and likely to be the source of much soul searching by the selectors.

Stephen Fleming: There were times during the summer when everything seemed possible for Fleming. There is an aristocratic look to his stroke play at times. The solidity of his straight drives is always a sign that an innings of substance is on its way. Sadly, they have still not been transformed into centuries but once he gets it right, a lot of ground could be made up in a short period of time. Already New Zealand's most successful and longest serving captain, he has grown into the position and an even more dominant figure is set to emerge. Middlesex could be the final grooming for the development of a significant player on the world stage.

Nathan Astle: The least-performed of New Zealand's batsmen this summer, Astle has suffered his worst season in the international game. He clearly has some things to think about over the winter. He got through problems in his one-day form during the year and with similar application to his first-class form he can overcome. His career averages are still healthy by New Zealand standards but they could be even better. An instinct player, he needs to be in peak touch next summer as the pressure mounts from other players.

Adam Parore: Now the most successful of all New Zealand's wicket-keepers, and one who is in command of his craft, he contributes in so many ways to the performance of the side. His ability behind the wickets is unquestionably at the highest level of his career and his attitude is likewise. A more relaxed player, it would be nice if he could regain some of his finest batting touches.

Brooke Walker: Having marked his arrival with more than a hint of promise of resolving New Zealand's desire to have a leg-spin option, Walker failed to kick on when injury minimised his chances. His ability with the bat makes him an appealing prospect but injury concerns are going to have to be resolved.

Paul Wiseman: Having lost Vettori's services for the summer, there was a golden opportunity for Wiseman to come through as a first rate alternate spinner. Unfortunately, a foot injury at the wrong time in South Africa prevented Wiseman from building on the five-wicket haul he took in the first Test win over Zimbabwe and he never seemed to recover the sort of form that New Zealand desperately needed. Needs to restate his case to be considered the logical back-up to Vettori in the future.

Craig Spearman: The curious career that has been Spearman's lot seems to have run its course this year. A batsman capable of taking first-class attacks apart, the same could not be said at international level. The advance of Richardson, Bell and Horne has meant that he has dropped down the list and the reality is that other options would probably be tried before him in future.

Shayne O'Connor: Started the African tour a new bowler. Faster, with more swing to call on and a determined attitude, he enjoyed some of his finest moments. Even his one-day bowling was reaping rewards that had been long overdue when he succumbed to a knee injury and was unable to take any part in the home international scene. O'Connor has an important part to play over the next few years and his decision that he wasn't ready for the last Test against Pakistan may prove, in hindsight, to be a highly beneficial choice.

Daryl Tuffey: The biggest mover for the summer. Taken to South Africa for the experience, he returned home without notable success. But he did learn the benefits of working hard and his results tell the story from the home season. A big, strong bowler, he was just the man for New Zealand after coming home and putting in the effort. A superb example to young players of the benefits to be had from hard work.

Chris Drum: A classic case of a previously rejected player going away and thinking about his game and coming back even stronger. Given the injury ratio, he only needed to perform well on the domestic scene to be in with a chance. He did that and won his way back to international status, a situation helped by a superb effort in helping the New Zealand A team humiliate Pakistan at Lincoln. Injury in the second Test was a cruel blow. Still has a role in the future.

Kerry Walmsley: Out of international cricket for four years, he was another called to service in South Africa but didn't really seize the moment and struggled to make an impact again during the summer.

Chris Martin: An unknown heading to South Africa, he soon impressed himself upon the public consciousness with his slight frame producing performances belying his stature and surprising more than a few batsmen with his inswinging yorker. A fine summer for a player with a large work load. More to come from him in the future.

Grant Bradburn: Called on by the selectors to tie down an end in Christchurch, Bradburn was dropped from the last Test team only to be reinstated when Brooke Walker pulled out of the side. Unable to break through in Christchurch, he came back in to provide some fine behind the wicket catching ability but was not required to bowl. However, did enough to ensure a return to the international game with his future really in his own hands.

James Franklin: Normally Franklin could have expected a year or two of waiting for a place in the top 12 in the country. But he so impressed in one-day play that his selection for the third Test against Pakistan, after he was dropped after the first Test, allowed him to complete a minor triumph and show that he was capable of playing the game. His four for 26, his best Test figures, sum up the advance he made this year. With work on his build, there is every chance for Franklin in the years ahead.

Hamish Marshall: Marked down for future reference. A gutsy effort in his solitary Test after being chosen as a replacement to South Africa, he made the most of an Academy team tour to India and showed why he had impressed the selectors when battling through some tough bowling in Johannesburg. Heavy run scoring in the Matthew Bell-style will help his return.

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