Bowling Worries in the Offing

I think the one-dayers in Zimbabwe showed us that we have some serious issues to deal with on the bowling front. These days chasing a score like 328 is less of a big deal than it used to be - Ireland chased down a similar score against England in the World Cup - and the introduction of new balls at both ends makes it relatively difficult for slower bowlers and those who rely on reverse-swing. But the pattern that emerged over the ODIs hinted that this will not be a one-off occurrence.

The two best and most economical bowlers for NZ were Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram. The rest went for plenty. No surprises there - there's often no substitute for experience, and both of them are class ODI bowlers. But Oram likely has a year at most left in the game, and Mills is getting old as well. With Vettori's limited overs future looking uncertain, we might find ourselves having to build an attack from scratch next year. And how long that could take is anyone's guess.

It's really the bowling in the middle overs, specifically the slow bowling, which has me worried. At the start of the tour, I wondered whether Nathan McCullum or Luke Woodcock would be able to take on the Daniel Vettori role. Clearly, there is only one Dan, and NZ must learn to get by without him. But both N-Mac and the Bald Eagle are far too hittable at this level, and neither offers much in the way of penetration. I have a feeling they would be cannon fodder for better batting sides. The retirement of Styris has deprived us of yet another mid-innings good operator. Leave aside Vettori, where's the next Harris or Larsen?

I have high hopes for the pace bowling stocks though. Southee has his best years ahead of him, though his fitness will have to be monitored very closely by the management. Doug Bracewell has decent skills in place and should be a fixture in the side by the end of this season. McKay is expensive but provides strike power. Others like Boult and Milne are waiting in the wings, and the domestic scene is full of fast-mediums like Aldridge who can fill in a hole if needed.

But I have to wonder if we have a succession plan when it comes to the spinners. Who are the leading spinners in the country - Jeetan Patel, Todd Astle, Bruce Martin, Nick Beard? Damned if I know. To me most of them are just names on scorecards. I wonder if we'll have a situation like Australia's where the spinners slot becomes a veritable revolving door in an endless quest to find the next you-know-who.