The Santner clause in Black Caps’
Will Somerville’s former spin bowling rival is tipping him to make an impact if recalled at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and team-mate Mitchell Santner to earn a selection reprieve.
Australia’s spin whiz Nathan Lyon, who helped mop up New Zealand’s second innings in their 247-run defeat in the Boxing Day test, was happy to talk spin permutations for their rivals yesterday.
The Black Caps fly to Sydney today needing some spark, 2-0 down in the series ahead of Friday’s third test in what are expected to be spin-friendly conditions.
Somerville joins them as a replacement for the injured Trent Boult (broken hand) which means at least one change from the MCG.
Coach Gary Stead said two spinners was ‘‘a definite possibility’’, depending on the pitch, with the struggling leftarmer Santner, offspinner Somerville and legspinner Todd Astle all in the mix.
Lyon and Somerville, 35, were New South Wales team-mates before the latter crossed the Tasman for more opportunities with Auckland last year. The Wellington-born Somerville soon made a test debut in Abu Dhabi 13 months ago and took a memorable 7-127 on debut as New Zealand closed out a series win over Pakistan.
Lyon said of Somerville: ‘‘He’s a lovely guy . . . I’ve trained with him a fair bit.
‘‘He’ll be a big challenge for us. He gets a fair amount of bounce, has a great record at the SCG and loves bowling there.’’
Somerville’s inside knowledge of the SCG was a key to his recall, Stead said, saying they had enough fast bowling cover for Boult in Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson.
Somerville made his first-class debut in 2005 and has just 29 first-class matches to his name, taking 96 wickets at 27. In three tests, the latest in Sri Lanka in August, he has 14 wickets at 25.
Stead said: ‘‘Will understands the ground so we’ll be tapping into his knowledge around the chances of that wicket turning and what role the spinners will play.’’
That brings Santner into the conversation, after the left-arm spinner took a solitary wicket at the MCG. From 69 overs in Perth and Melbourne, Santner took 1-250.
Australia has always been a tough place for spinners from all countries, with Mark Craig taking eight wickets at 64 in 2015 on the