Patel gets test spin nod

New Zealand’s horses for courses approach, and Ajaz Patel’s remarkable Plunket Shield wicket-taking run, earned him the nod for the first cricket test against Sri Lanka.

Patel edged fellow spin star of their Pakistan series victory, Will Somerville, for the sole spinner’s berth at the Basin Reserve starting on Saturday.

Somerville (Auckland) and the man he replaced in the United Arab Emirates, Ish Sodhi (Northern Districts), return to domestic cricket to twirl against each other in Friday’s Plunket Shield match at Eden Park’s Outer Oval.

Central Stags batsman Will Young was the new name in the

13-man Black Caps squad, included as batting cover and unlikely to play but rewarded for his three centuries for New Zealand A this season.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead and fellow selector Gavin Larsen were always going to pick one spinner at a pace-friendly Basin Reserve where the slow bowlers rarely feature.

It looked a tight race after Patel, 30, was man of the match on debut in Abu Dhabi with 7-123 in their four-run victory in the first test.

Then Somerville, four years older, almost matched him in the decider at the same venue, snaring 7-127 in New Zealand’s

123-run win on Friday. The pair’s figures on helpful turning pitches were the third and fourth-best match hauls by New Zealand bowlers on test debut.

Patel ended with 13 wickets at

29.61, having started the tour ahead of Somerville in the pecking order. Patel was rewarded for his dominance on home pitches where he topped the shield wicket-taking charts in the last three seasons and was named last summer’s domestic cricketer of the year.

"Ajaz certainly grabbed his opportunity on the UAE tour and he’s a proven performer in New Zealand conditions," Larsen said.

"Will Somerville was an obvious stand-out on debut in the Abu Dhabi decider and it’s great to know we’ve got quality spin bowlers who can create competition for places.

"It’s an exciting time for Will Young who has been pushing for higher honours for a while now. He scored hundreds against Pakistan A and India A in recent months and deserves his call-up."

Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell missed out for Young, and will rejoin Wellington for their shield match against the Stags in Nelson on Friday.

Otherwise it was an unchanged lineup from their 2-1 win over Pakistan, as New Zealand