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A David Trist (coach)-Jeff Crowe (manager) hierachy could be the way the Black Caps and New Zealand Cricket enter the new millennium.

This duo is likely to be NZC's preferred option when the successful candidates are named on Tuesday to succeed coach Steve Rixon and manager John Graham.

The early coaching favourite this time appeared to be John Wright the former long-serving New Zealand opening batsman and former captain now in his third season coaching English county Kent.

Wright's vast cricketing knowledge, his distinguished international record, personable manner, plus his expertise in batting techniques at the top of the order, appeared to make him a suitable candidate.

However, it could be argued that Wright is only in the early stages of his coaching career and Kent, after a highly successful first season, has just been middle-of-the-road since.

Enter Trist into the calculations. After declining nomination for the position in the past, Trist has been tempted into coming forward after the first year of a three-season contract with Auckland.

He has an extensive coaching background, firstly in Christchurch from the early 1980s before moving up the ladder with provincial assignments at Eastern Province (South Africa), where he transformed a perennially struggling side. He also steered Holland into the World Cup finals in 1996.

With Canterbury he was involved with the development and rise of such exciting talents as Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Stephen Fleming, helping mould and lift the team to championship honours.

Fleming and the strong Canterbury contingent already in the side would probably have few qualms about a Trist appointment.

Trist still has a property at Little River and would not be averse to being based in Canterbury, where the new coach must be domiciled.

A likeable and charismatic character, Trist has already shown he is capable of handling the pressures that go with such a high profile position.

His playing experience for New Zealand as a medium-fast bowler and handy lower order batsman was limited to one overseas tour call-up in 1969 and no test play, but he was a solid provincial performer in some star-studded red and black teams.

What he may lack in some areas of expertise, will be balanced by the appointment of Crowe, a top order batsman who had a short stint captaining the national side.