*Official* New Zealand Domestic Cricket Season 2012/2013

[Smudge]

Does anybody know Ben McCord's bowling style, batting number/hand and date-of-birth?

No, but I do know his parents (and his sister), and will be staying at their motel in a couple of weeks' time for a week, so could get an idea of his age...

 

[Kippax]

17/08/1987, and open to an Ireland call-up apparently.
Client List - Ben McCord
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2012-13 four-day Plunket Shield competition at Nelson Park, Napier, from this Sunday (from): Kieran Noema-Barnett (captain), Roald Badenhorst, Doug Bracewell, Carl Cachopa, Jamie How, Andrew Lamb, Andrew Mathieson, Tarun Nethula, Jeet Raval, Mathew Sinclair, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Wheeler, William Young.

"It looks a little green at the moment and that'll depend on the weather in the week. We have all things covered. It would be unlikely, I think, that we'll go with four front-line seamers plus the two allrounders but we'll know more nearer the time."

That talking point during the long weekend was unwanted Black Caps bowler Tarun Nethula, who came across more as a front-arm medium-pacer rather than the classic behind-the-head action indicative of leg spinners.

"His action has changed and he sees that as a positive thing. He's probably got his arms higher than what he had historically but he's happy with the way it's coming out.

"I think it's something he's got to persevere with and he's happy with that. He landed it pretty well while we were training today [Monday] at lunch time," Hunt says.

Hawke's Bay senior men's coach Lincoln Doull dropped Nethula from his line-up for the Chapple Cup-winning final on Monday, opting instead for Taradale left-arm offspinner Ajaz Patel, although Patel was not required after the seamers skittled Manawatu for 90 to become one-day inter-district champions.

Patel, who has arrived here from Auckland, and left-armer Marty Kain, of Nelson, are the back-up spinners in the CD squad.

"Ajaz has done everything right since he's decided to come down to the Bay and have a shot.

"We're very pleased with him and, equally, Marty Kain's done well when we were down in Lincoln [Christchurch] recently," Hunt says, adding they are different type of bowlers but will probably play some part in the CD campaign this summer.

Former Northern Districts seamer Andrew Mathieson is the other new face in the equation.

"He's under contract so we brought him here to bowl fast.

"He's showing us a lot of good things so we've named 13, with an extra bowler, so he fits into that squad well."

Mathieson's a bit different to the others because, like Roald Badenhorst, he's a right-arm swing bowler who will be juggled with left-arm swing bowler Ben Wheeler.

"Andrew brings a different type of pace as an into-the-wicket bowler."

Former Wellington Firebird Andrew Lamb, who plays in the Horowhenua-Kapiti region, brings "a bit more experience" with his right-arm pace deliveries.

"He brings a different dimension and is very much a third seamer but bowls in the right areas and has done very well since he's been with us."

 

[Howsie]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mathieson came in and dominated right away. He should've been playing first class cricket full time two or three seasons ago.

 

[Kippax]

Dump Nethula and go four-pronged!

Fits in with 'what the opposition wants least' theory, Sodhi's figures aside I was looking forward to that 2/200 pressure release from Nethula.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Ryder named in Wellington squad | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News

Stephen Murdoch (c), Michael Papps, Mike Pollard, Jesse Ryder, Grant Elliott, Luke Woodcock, Luke Ronchi, Jeetan Patel, Andy McKay, Mark Gillespie, Scott Kuggeleign, Dane Hutchinson.

Brodie axed! Boam out before Woakes even arrives.

 

[Prince EWS]

Pretty surprised to see Pollard in ahead of Brodie and Boam personally. Papps and Elliott.. well they were always going to be there.

 

[Blain]

Papps and Elliott... talk about dead weight. Boam is a more talented, younger version of Elliott imo. Pollard scored some runs in the warm up to get his nose ahead of the others. There will be a bit of competition for the firebirds this season!

McCord went to my school actually, was never that quick but was a good batter. Either Medium or Medium-Fast.

 

[Howsie]

Wellington are a blight on NZ cricket. How many of those players are born and bred Wellingtonians? I count five. Don't win anything, don't produce anything. Seriously, why bother with them?

 

[Kippax]

We are bang to rights on being Chelsea and serving theatre-goers rather than guys who grew up to know their Reid Gate from their Dempster Gate, but is ND's niggly, small-ball mentality that much better for New Zealand cricket? Is opening with Yovich serving our cricket that much better than opening with Joe Carter? Denying Mathieson games for years you say for the sake of 'bad in the big picture, good in the small picture' guys like Aldridge and Arnel?

 

[Bahnz]

Wellington are a blight on NZ cricket. How many of those players are born and bred Wellingtonians? I count five. Don't win anything, don't produce anything. Seriously, why bother with them?

Reckon it has a bit to do with how wealthy and middle-class the city is. There are plenty of talented young kids playing high school cricket, but then they all go off to focus on their university careers and only a small portion stick to cricket.

 

[Kippax]

Also, no mention of van Beek in that Canterbury article: he has a contract, so I'd expect him to be in the equation along with Nuttall (who doesn't).

He is playing, done in by Nuttall's club form apparently.

Opener Michael Davidson played numerous pull shots to the mid-wicket boundary in his knock of 79 and was ably assisted by Ben Cant (38), Dean van Deventer (28) and Scott Duggan (26*), who along with 35 extras provided the backbone to their total.

Sydenham's reply never really recovered after a disastrous start, with van Deventer (4-32) capping a fine all-round performance by ripping through their top order.

Old Boys-Collegians produced a stunning turnaround to defeat opening-round winners East Shirley by 65 runs at Burwood Park.

OBC set a modest 144, which was propped up by Matt McEwan (44) and Todd Astle (35), before they produced a disciplined bowling performance to rout Easts for 79.

Canterbury trio Ed Nuttall (4-19), McEwan (2-23) and Logan van Beek (2-24) were the chief destroyers for OBC, with Nuttall picking up his second four-wicket haul from as many games this season.

I've watched a bit of Nuttall now and I think he may be this season's McClenaghan in surprise LFM (or LMF) performance, consistently swinging the ball back in for inside edges and LBW shouts etc., a lot of his runs conceded when he dropped short and attempted to be a 130kph dimestore hood like Wagner. Definitely expect he'll a better guy for the Cantabs than his World Cup stats suggested.

 

[Cricket CoachDB]

Cheers for the info on Ben McCord

I think I'd be going for Brodie ahead of Pollard and Papps if I was running Wellington. Same probably goes for Boam over Elliott. Interesting to hear that Rance has gone there.

Lots of seamers in the shake-up for CD including the (for me) surprise of Lamb: is Bevan Small injured?

Interesting thoughts on Nuttall, Kippax. I've learnt that it is easy to get completely the wrong picture of a player by judging them on statistics in one short competition like a World Cup. I think I tend to give more credence to U18 and club stats than I do an U19 WC. Similarly Kurtis Patterson relatively disappointed there, but a Shield ton on debut is worth so much more.

Matt McEwan is another interesting name-some good all-round figures in pre-season. I'm surprised he hasn't gone to Wellington too to join the All Rounders Club, but I think he's a Kiwi so fails to conform to their transfer criteria..

 

[SteveNZ]

Few left-armers to look at this season. Saw Wheeler bowl in Napier a couple of seasons ago and he was top-class. Swung it late at a very good clip. Mitch has the chance to step up with another big season and an injury or two (not to himself, of course). Boult continuing to rise hopefully, Wagner wanting to prove he's not a FC bully, McKay trying to prove he's being overlooked simply on his lack of hair, Nuttall, Ronnie Hira trying to become a FC option (doubt it) etc.

 

[Immenso]

Few left-armers to look at this season. Saw Wheeler bowl in Napier a couple of seasons ago and he was top-class. Swung it late at a very good clip. Mitch has the chance to step up with another big season and an injury or two (not to himself, of course). Boult continuing to rise hopefully, Wagner wanting to prove he's not a FC bully, McKay trying to prove he's being overlooked simply on his lack of hair, Nuttall, Ronnie Hira trying to become a FC option (doubt it) etc.

and Lonsdale. Had a good last season.

 

[Athlai]

For those who suspected the rise of Jeets and Franklin was Athlai dabbling in the dark arts, everything in the sig of the President of T.I.T.S. has now aligned.

Bangladesh Cricket News: Tamim Iqbal signs up for New Zealand T20 side Wellington Firebirds | ESPN Cricinfo

MUAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER

YEssssSSSS

 

[Athlai]

Also good to see Gillespie back in the team. Bit tiffed at the lack of Boam and Brodie is a bit of a harsh one. But we'll always have this problem till we can get rid of Elliott and Papps.

 

[Athlai]

Also someone else besides me should run a T20 domestic selector. Always gets a bit of interest going in the HRV cup on here.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Picks for upcoming season (first game starts tomorrow)

Plunket Shield: Otago
One day: Wellington
HRV Cup: Northern Districts

Highest FC run-scorer: Neil Broom
Highest FC wicket-taker: Brent Arnel (yuck)
HRV Cup MVP: Scott Styris

Batting 6 in Test team at end of summer: Daniel Flynn
Current nationally contracted player who gets dropped from FC team: Tarun Nethula

 

[SteveNZ]

and Lonsdale. Had a good last season.

Yup, very much so. So much more than a sweat band, which he was originally.

Plunket Shield: Otago
Ford Trophy: Wellington
HRV Cup: Auckland

Auckland know how to win in 20-over format, you can't overlook that. Otago will have wicket-takers coming out of their posteriors and Wellington are well overdue for a trophy. Can't wait for tomorrow

 

[BackFootPunch]

Heard rumours last season that Lonsdale had quite a fan in John Wright. He apparently thought Lonsdale would play for NZ in the next 2-3 years, so will be interesting to see how he progresses with Wright out of the picture.