March 09 Saturday 2002
New Zealand look for Butler service against England

CHRISTCHURCH: Ian Butler is set to make his Test debut against England in Christchurch next week after being named ahead of Daryl Tuffey in New Zealand's 12-man squad.

Butler will deputise for the injured Shane Bond and take the new ball with Chris Cairns as New Zealand look to use pace against England in the first Test at Lancaster Park.

Chris Martin has also been selected despite failing to trouble the England batsmen for Canterbury during the current warm-up match at Hagley Oval. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was instrumental in Butler's selection after being impressed by his bowling during a recent domestic match between Wellington and Northern Districts.

Butler struck Fleming a painful blow on the hip in a hostile performance that sealed his place in the Test squad. Butler played two one-day internationals against England recently but was left out after the third game of the series in Napier, and bowled just nine overs in total as he struggled to cope with the step-up to international cricket.

"Ian Butler is bowling fast and accurately," said Sir Richard Hadlee, the chairman of selectors. "His one-day international debut may not have been particularly spectacular but he has remained unfazed.

"Fleming reported that Butler bowled fast and was difficult to deal with and this confirmed the selectors' view that Butler should be given a chance at Test level." Hadlee explained that Martin's ability to bowl to left-handers, of which England are expected to feature three in their top order, earned his selection with swing bowler Chris Drum making up the pace attack.

Of the 12, Drum is the most likely to miss out with Daniel Vettori certain to play. Craig McMillan, Vettori and Cairns all passed fitness tests to be named in a squad which also includes Adam Parore, who put his Test career on the line by making himself unavailable for Auckland.

Parore backtracked but Auckland refused to select him in their State Championship side, forcing him to play a club match this weekend in order to get some match practice ahead of the first Test.

"All is forgiven," Hadlee said. "He is clearly the best we have available and arguably one of the best in the world. "It was taken out of our hands when he made himself unavailable and they then chose not to pick him. We supported that decision which meant the only cause available was to play a club match which satisfies our requirements."

Mathew Sinclair has been left out of the squad in favour of Lou Vincent, who scored a century and a fifty on his Test debut in Perth at the end of last year.

Squad: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Ian Butler, Chris Cairns, Chris Drum, Matthew Horne, Chris Martin, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Mark Richardson, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.