Bowlers need to step up to the mark

Situations vacant: bowlers who have a grip on their skills and can deliver plans consistently for captain Kane Williamson at the World Cup.

Performances in the one-day series against India later this month should carry influence when the 15-strong World Cup squad is picked.

Job descriptions for the bowlers haven’t changed but concerns about those who can fill specialist needs in 50-over matches have widened.

The merits of Colin Munro at the top of the order is the only immediate question about the batting and that may leave debate about shifting wicket-keeper Tom Latham up to his test role as opener. That’s unlikely but it’s an option.

Otherwise room in the batting lineup has shrunk with Martin Guptill, Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls and Jimmy Neesham getting runs with Latham to add to that list.

The bowling has headed in a different direction.

At test level, opening bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee have done the business but there was a ragged edge about much of the bowling even though they swept the one-day series with Sri Lanka.

After last night’s T20 game at Eden Park, attention switches to

"There was a ragged edge about much of the bowling."

the inquisition from India’s batting power. That lineup blunted Australia’s attack for an historic test series win and has three onedayers against Australia to warm up for their visit across the Tasman.

They may take a game or two to adjust to the conditions but Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shikar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni and colleagues will take the demands up several notches for the New Zealand bowlers.

For the World Cup, coach Gary Stead has to settle on a primary group of bowlers whose batting ability is a bonus rather than a requirement and then he can take an all-rounder or two but injury may reduce his choices if Adam Milne, Todd Astle, Corey Anderson or Mitchell Santner can’t sustain enough work.

Stead and his staff will have assessed likely conditions and the size of grounds in England when the tournament starts in May and which bowlers best fit New Zealand plans and the tournament format.

Pace is the best weapon to create batting indecision so Lockie Ferguson hits that mark, along with a fit Milne, Seth Rance or Scott Kuggeleijn as wildcard challengers. Boult and Southee’s experience leads the way with maybe Matt Henry who has been successful on the UK circuit but needs a chance and results.

If spin is a necessity then Ish Sodhi, Will Somerville, Ajaz Patel and Astle grab the discussion but usually New Zealand opts for batsmen who bowl a bit like Santner or medium-pacer batsmen such as Colin de Grandhomme, Anderson, Neesham or Doug Bracewell.

Stead wants a couple of allrounders but he should zero in on specialist one-day bowlers like Ferguson and Sodhi whose attacking edge creates the point of difference to win a World Cup.