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Ferguson named in NZ test squad
Nearly seven years since a young tearaway fast bowler made his first-class cricket debut for Auckland, Lockie Ferguson is finally within touching distance of his first test cap.
The 28-year-old was confirmed today in the 15-man New Zealand squad for five tests against England and Australia, and is at evershortening odds to make his debut as soon as next Thursday in the England series opener at Mount Maunganui.
Captain and key batsman Kane Williamson was also passed fit for his first international since the August tests in Sri Lanka, after he sat out the Twenty20 series against England with a recurring right hip injury.
A largely predictable squad features five pace bowlers – Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry – while legspinner Todd Astle and left-armer Mitchell Santner will fight out the one spinner’s berth in the XI.
Ever since the Cricket World Cup when Ferguson was one of New Zealand’s players of the tournament – his 21 wickets second only to Australia’s Mitchell Starc – it seemed a matter of time until the country’s fastest bowler was unleashed in test cricket.
His first-class record is impressive, and after snaring 4-23 against Wellington in the Plunket Shield last week he has 153 wickets at an average of 24.3.
The big question now is whether Williamson and coach Gary Stead shoulder-tap him at Bay Oval in what would be a mouth-watering fast bowling duel with England’s Jofra Archer who took 22 wickets from his four Ashes tests against Australia.
With Boult and Southee the established new ball duo, Ferguson will have to unseat Wagner who’s been a strong test performer and bowled New Zealand to victory in his last test, taking 9-73 against Bangladesh in March.
Ferguson and Wagner may be given one test each against England, with Stead saying he favoured a rotation policy with his five pacemen to keep them fresh over a gruelling five-test stretch.
The batting lineup plus allrounder Colin de Grandhomme is unchanged from the 1-1 series draw with Sri Lanka which saw New Zealand retain their world No 2 test ranking, with Tom
Blundell the backup batsman and gloveman.
Williamson’s fitness must be a concern, having played one innings in the past 12 weeks: 26 in 56 minutes for Northern Districts against Canterbury last month.
Spin is expected to play a minimal part in the two tests in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton, but it’s an intriguing race between Astle and Santner.
Astle has four tests to his name – all of them victories – and was the incumbent in the Bangladesh home series. Santner was player of the Twenty20 series but hasn’t nailed it yet in red ball cricket, playing the last of his 18 tests at Galle in August.
It means more bad luck for Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel who helped bowl the Black Caps to test victories in the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka but appear to be marked ‘overseas tests only’.
Two of the 15-man squad will be released on Wednesday to play the second round of Ford Trophy the following day.