It's just as well that New Zealand Test opening batsman Matt Horne relishes a challenge, because that is what he has in front of him to reclaim his Test place next summer.

The 30-year-old was struck a double blow over the past season. Firstly, after scoring the fourth of his Test centuries to help New Zealand to a victory over Zimbabwe, he broke his hand and then, when attempting to make his recovery, he came down with a strand of glandular fever and was forced to rule himself out of contention.

What had spelled disaster for New Zealand, given its decade of trying to find suitable opening batsmen, became one of the high points of the summer as Mark Richardson continued his outstanding metamorphosis from failed left-arm spinner to quality opening batsman and the Matthew Bell returned as a competitive performer at Test level.

For the first time since 1990 there are three New Zealand batsmen scraping over the Test opening duties.

And that suits Horne fine.

Now recovered from the virus, he is building up his strength again and took part in last week's fitness assessments at the High Performance Centre at Lincoln.

"It was good to touch base, have a bit of an oil and grease and to do a bit of analysis about where we go from here," he said.

The frustration of having to sit back and let time take its course in his rehabilitation was never easy. Not a good watcher of cricket at the best of times, Horne followed New Zealand's summer from his couch by shutting out the disappointment of not being there and just absorbing the cricket for what it was.

He tried to alienate himself from the action and take the emotional side right out of it.

Horne had no choice but to declare himself unfit. He struggled through the latter part of the summer and said he was operating at barely above 50% capacity and with the increased intensity of Test play he had to think of the greater good of the team and rule himself out.

But he was pleased with the way the medical panel helped him and is keen to make it back.

"The onus is on me. That hasn't changed. All the selectors want batters to do is score runs so they can have a choice.

"It will be a test of my fortitude and for the others.

"It is a very healthy situation for New Zealand cricket to be in.

"Mark and Matthew have done extremely well. I will have to force my way back into the the team by scoring runs, and plenty of them," he said.

Having watched Richardson's advance, often from the other end of the pitch for Otago, Horne said he took his hat off to him.

Richardson played to a very simple plan while being a very focused individual. His situation was comparable with Andrew Jones' late development as a player.

"But now he's got it, it's second nature to him. He keeps it simple and I am in awe of what he's achieved.

"That's the beauty of cricket and individuals, everybody develops at different times," he said.

That has Horne wondering if some cricketers give the game up too soon when they don't achieve international status or gain Academy selection.

He pointed to Wellington batsman this year Richard Jones. He had opted for a change of scenery in his cricket and it worked out for him in a big way.

There was still a place for older cricketers, and the call up of Grant Bradburn this summer was another case in point.

Academy cricketers may have the preferred running for international call up but there was still something to be said for the players who had been through the trial and error phase and who emerged stronger players because of it.

That set them up as good contributors when getting the international call.

Horne faces a busy winter preparing for his reselection bid. He is working on his Level II coaching papers while working on the plan that is set for him by the national coach.

"The way I see it, there is a lot of cricket next season. I may not be the first cab off the rank but I want to hit the ground running in August or September and hopefully gain selection for the tour to Pakistan. That's the first goal I should aim at, but I can't control that and just have to achieve maximum levels of output for myself," he said.

Horne felt he got the balance a little wrong in his winter work last year. He was better physically, but he felt his technical game went backwards and that has been taken into account in the winter programme he has this year.

His cricket horizons have also been developed through his taking on the captaincy of the Otago team this year.

"It broadened my horizons. It was a challenge and a bit of a season of 'what-ifs?'"

As a top order batsman, he felt there was an introverted approach to the game but as captain he was forced to open his eyes and see what was going on around him in the game.

"I learned quite a few things and would do some things differently next time," he said.

With his health back to normal, technical development of his batting over the winter and the benefit of that wider exposure as captain, Horne will have gone through another phase in his career when selection time comes later in the year.

He may have been off the scene as Richardson and Bell have prospered. But with 1608 Test runs at an average of 30.92, in 29 Tests, Horne is far from a spent force and a rare season of jockeying for the opening positions will be an overdue treat for New Zealand watchers.

© CricInfo