WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand pace bowler Kyle Jamieson’s search for extra pace in the off-season bore fruit with a hat-trick in domestic first class cricket on Thursday as he kept his selection chances high to face West Indies in December.

The 2.03 metre-tall Jamieson only made his test debut earlier this year, but exploited his height to get the ball to bounce sharply against India’s vaunted batting lineup and took nine wickets at 16.33 in the two-match series.

Auckland’s Jamieson said when New Zealand’s domestic season resumed last week he had been working to add extra pace to his arsenal to further push his case for selection.

On Thursday he ran through the Central Districts middle order when he had Tom Bruce caught by Martin Guptill in the slips before he bowled Dane Cleaver and Brad Schmulian to complete the hat-trick in the Plunket Shield game on Eden Park’s Outer Oval.

Jamieson finished with innings figures of 5-41, to follow up a match return of 8-45 against Otago last week.

“We had so much time off you’re always putting in work to improve your skill set,” Jamieson told TVNZ last week.

“It is something that I am always looking to push the envelope a little bit ... From my point of view, it’s a combination of your action and rhythm and your S&C (strength and conditioning) work and trying to put that all together.”

Despite his impressive test debut and early season form, Jamieson is probably set for a fourth seamer’s role, behind spearheads Trent Boult and Tim Southee and first-change bowler Neil Wagner for the two-test series against the West Indies.

Jamieson, however, also scored 44 and 49 in his two test innings, and New Zealand coach Gary Stead told reporters at the time while he would be picked as a bowler first he could potentially fill an all-rounder spot.

Source: Reuters

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