Mitchell Santner would be a fine option to bowl death overs for New Zealand.

OPINION: The introduction of Twenty20 cricket has seen a number of innovations filter into other forms of the game.

But could the next big innovation be a rethink of how captains negotiate the all important "death overs" in a One Day International.

Will spin, which has been by far the most effective style of bowling in Twenty20 cricket, start to be the go-to from overs 41-50?

PHOTOSPORT Trent Boult and Tim Southee should be specialist fielders in the final 10 overs.

Here goes the theory, for those scoffing away at the thought of yorkers and slower ball bouncers being the way to bowl in those dangerous final moments of an ODI innings.

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Of players who have bowled more than 50 overs in Twenty20 international cricket, 17 of the top 20, based on economy rate, are spin bowlers. Daniel Vettori is most economical, at a 5.74 RPO, while Mohammad Hafeez is 20th with a 6.8 RPO.

In Indian Premier League history, of players who have at least 40 wickets, spinners fill 12 of the top 15 most economical spots, ranging from 6.18 RPO to 7.5 RPO.

The emergence of spin in Twenty20 cricket has been surprising.

When the format first filtered into the game, it was thought to be the death of the tweaker. Our long held views were that pace was needed to stifle big hitting batsmen. By flighting it up, you're begging to be smashed.

How wrong were we?

The question should now be asked. Are captains making the right calls in bringing back pace bowlers for the death overs, given the similarities they have with Twenty20 cricket.

New Zealand's most recent ODI against South Africa gives us a prime example of how spin can be effective at the death.

Of the 10 death overs, Jeetan Patel and Mitchell Santner bowled five overs, accounting for 37 runs. That is an RPO of 7.4 at the death.

Tim Southee and Trent Boult combined for the other five overs, and were clubbed for 69 runs in five overs, an RPO of 13.8.

Yes, they took a wicket between them, and a runout also fell from their bowling, but the runs they gave up could have lost them the game on any day when Martin Guptill doesn't go ballistic.

The argument for seam bowlers is variation, and the ability to hit the block hole.

The problem is that our pace bowlers are having perhaps their best series for death bowling in recent memory, finding the yorker length reasonably regularly. And yet they are still going at quite the rate.

Twenty20 has seen the rapid improvement of batsman creating shots to those bowlers. The scoop negates a yorker, as Brendon McCullum has showed repeatedly. Batsmen sit deep in their crease or charge with the knowledge the keeper won't stump them. They have more options, in other words.

Against spinners, it comes down to brute force. Charging is a risk. Sitting deep in your crease can be an even bigger risk. There is much more to weigh up when attempting to counter a spin bowler than a paceman.

Here's a final stat to make you think.

In Twenty20 internationals, New Zealand's leading paceman, Boult, has an economy rate of 7.88. Kane Williamson, a part time off-spinner, has an economy rate of 7.92.

A part timer should never be that close to your main pace weapon, and yet Twenty20 cricket allows for that to happen.

So here's something to think about.

Bowl Boult and Southee for six or seven overs each at the start. Bowl your third seamer through the middle, with a sprinkle of spin. Then give Boult and Southee a final blast after the 30 over mark.

Once the batsmen start swinging, turn to the tweakers. Twenty20 cricket has showed they are the best at battling the big hitters.