**Official** New Zealand Domestic Season 2013/2014

[Kippax]

Delta Goodrem - Lost Without You - YouTube

 

[Dan]

Santner the Kiwi Jadeja?

 

[Prince EWS]

And impressive performances when pressure was on in the finals. Best option to replace NMc at #8 and ODI spinner in next 12-24 months?

Yeah good call. He's unlucky the next World Cup is in Oceania or he could've been lining up a squad spot.

 

[jcas0167]

 

[Hurricane]

VIDEO: Bruce Edgar on 'The Underarm Incident' (Part 1) - Video - Radio Sport - New Zealand's Premier Sports Station

Came across this tonight. Interesting to watch.

 

[NZTailender]

View attachment 21245

Gillespie going for the white Mr T look.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

Sodhi's got a window of about two years before he'll be dwarfed by either better batsman who bowl equally as well (Mitchell Santner), or a better bowler who bats equally as well (Josef Walker) or an out and out spin bowler (Elliott Santner) - Mitch knows he has a few years to get himself established as a batting all rounder otherwise he'll watch his kid brother forge a much more successful career than he could dream to.

Personally I think Josef has the stuff to be as good, if not better than Vettori, he's got an amazing brain for cricket and has pretty much captained every team he's played for outside of ND despite his young young age.

 

[Kippax]

.

Of keen interest to Arnel, Aldridge and their respective attacks will be the nature of new couch grass strip at Bay Oval. While rye is the usual species encountered in domestic cricket, springier couch was employed to ensure a finals deck could be ready in time after the ground had hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifying Tournament earlier this summer.

Turf Manager Jared Carter says the area’s dearth of rainfall has also been challenging — ironically because the ground has superb drainage. “We have had to go through 120 megalitres of water daily to keep the outfield in condition, but it’s looking a picture. It’s definitely worthy of a final.

 

[Kippax]

Anderson set for IPL after all - cricket - sport | Stuff.co.nz

Fears swashbuckling New Zealand cricketer Corey Anderson would miss out on his $866,000 Indian Premier League payday are off the mark and he expects to join his team this week.

Anderson cut and dislocated the little finger on his right hand in the Black Caps' World Twenty20 loss to Sri Lanka last week, but is hopeful he might be able to play in the Mumbai Indians' opening match of IPL 7, in Dubai next Saturday. The 23-year-old saw a hand specialist in Auckland last Friday. He had an MRI and was pleased with the specialist's findings.

"There's no fracture, no break and we're very happy with how the injury is going," he said.

"The ligaments are all fine too; everything else is good to go. Everything went well and the news was all positive."

Anderson has four stitches in the finger. He said he was hoping to play a full part in the IPL which would also make him available for New Zealand's tour to the West Indies in June.

Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said last week he had heard that Anderson could spend "between four and eight weeks [on the sideline]" and it would be tight whether he would be fit for the tour.

His cricketing and financial prognosis now look much brighter.

Firebirds end 10-year wait - cricket - sport | Stuff.co.nz

They took the longest, toughest route to the final then washed away their self-doubt in a sea of bubbly. Drought broken.

Three knockout matches in seven days on the road were conquered by Wellington who returned from Mt Maunganui yesterday with ripping hangovers and a richly deserved first piece of silverware in 10 years.

"It could have gone either way but it's just a relief that it finally went our way. It just felt good to have a trophy in our hands," said captain James Franklin who anchored Wellington's four-wicket victory over Northern Districts with four balls to spare in the one-day final.

A weight lifted from his shoulders, Franklin hailed the cool-headed contributions of virtually the entire squad this past week in Auckland, Christchurch and then Bay Oval.

"Our biggest failure in the last 10 years is not getting through pressure moments in big games. Now we've done three in the space of a week, all away from home. In all of them we had to go through adversity and soak up pressure."

After player reviews this week and then a winter break, focus will switch to the prized Twenty20 title, where Wellington made the final of last year, and the first-class Plunket Shield.

Franklin, in his first full season as skipper, wants to continue and he expects most, if not all, of his fellow veterans to join him. That includes paceman Mark Gillespie who could barely walk on his dodgy ankles but stood up with vital death overs on Saturday alongside Brent Arnel, a key acquisition who bowled out of his skin.

"I think he [Gillespie] has 71 wickets to pass Chats' [Ewen Chatfield's] first-class record. Even though some of our boys are getting a bit long in the tooth they're still playing some decent cricket. Having now won a trophy we've showed we can win things, but it's only one trophy and we'd like it to be more."

Some youngsters stood up in a squad with nine current or former Black Caps. Opener Michael Pollard went up another level with scores of 85, 70 and 43 to set the platform while Tom Blundell established himself in the top 11 and Henry Walsh guided them home in Auckland amid some wobbles.

Franklin also hailed coach Jamie Siddons whose success stories Michael Papps, Stephen Murdoch and Pollard were key contributors this campaign. "He's been a breath of fresh air after a number of years of mediocre cricket. He's very strong on his philosophies around batting and that's rubbing off on the young guys and even the older guys."

Chasing 233 on a turning pitch against four spinners and test frontliner Trent Boult was tricky task but they had the right men for the job.

Franklin was crucially dropped on eight by Jono Boult at fine leg, and didn't depart till the 48th over for 75. Then the returning Luke Ronchi did his thing, snatching the match from the Knights with an unbeaten 41 off 32.

They even had crowd assistance when a Knights supporter dunked the white ball in his beer after a Franklin six. Not even the locals would begrudge the Firebirds their overdue day in the sun.

Ronchi wakes up just in time - cricket - sport | Stuff.co.nz

The man of the hour so nearly fell asleep at the wheel.

After a marathon journey - six flights between Chittagong and Tauranga - Wellington gloveman Luke Ronchi was ready to curl up behind the stumps during Northern Districts' innings in Saturday's one-day final.

For the past three weeks on the subcontinent, he'd been fast asleep at that hour.

"I felt pretty good but about the 30-over mark of our fielding I went downhill massively, I was just knackered," he said.

"Then when we were batting I felt jittery for most of our innings. Then once I started batting about five or six balls into it I started to relax and adrenaline took over and I felt a lot better."

The jitters and the tiredness held off long enough for a trademark Ronchi cameo, 41 not out off 32 balls to usher home Wellington's first title in a decade.

Eight runs were required off the final over from former Firebird Scott Kuggeleijn - the Ford Trophy's leading wicket-taker - who offered successive full tosses to Ronchi who was then enveloped by a jubilant team-mate Luke Woodcock.

"Once you get up for that sort of stuff your adrenaline starts pumping and you're doing what you have to do.

"I felt pretty relaxed when I was batting, if we could take it as deep as we could we had a chance."

Ronchi, along with Knights Trent Boult and Anton Devcich, was a late callup for the final after New Zealand's early exit from the World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh last week.

His journey home took over 24 hours, via Dhaka, Dubai and Melbourne.

After arriving home at 7pm on Thursday, Ronchi was back at the airport at 9am to fly via Auckland to Tauranga.

It was all worthwhile yesterday as he celebrated his first title in his second year with the Firebirds. And it eased the disappointment of Bangladesh.

"That's cricket.

"When I was away I faced six balls in competition," Ronchi reflected.

 

[Kippax]

West Indies squads, NZ A tour of Europe squad later this week, apparently.

 

[Kippax]

If you didn't see him announce it in the Ford Trophy final coverage -

Congrats to Gareth Hopkins on a wonderful career. Gareth played 400 domestic games & 39 times for the @BlackCaps.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Domestic revamp could see franchises relocated - Cricket - NZ Herald News

The revamping of domestic cricket could see traditional bases abandoned and franchises relocated to provincial strongholds like Whangarei, New Plymouth, Nelson or Invercargill. Alternatively, more than one side could play in cities like Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

Each of those suggestions is hypothetical but among those being considered as New Zealand Cricket prepares to cast a dispassionate eye over the domestic game and it's possible a team could move outside their province.

No sudden changes will be made but if the six major associations are allowed to privatise up to 49 per cent of their franchise, players could move to stronger markets, or to those in which an investor conducts the majority of their business.

"There are no sacred cows," says New Zealand Cricket board member Greg Barclay regarding their approach.


A confidential report, authored by general manager of domestic cricket David Cooper, on the "administration and delivery of domestic cricket" makes 18 recommendations for improvement. They include:

As part of any sale approval of up to 49 per cent, each MA and/or NZC evaluating the potential value of any franchise.

Developing a proposal for the transformation of the domestic Twenty20 product, creating a new brand and including the timing of a relaunch. This should include a financial evaluation after rights discussions with Sky TV. In addition, there are 'drivers for change':

The majority of MAs face ongoing financial pressure and most are not in a position to build reserves for long-term, strategic investment. Their dependence on NZC revenue, via the international game, and gaming funding is significant.

The gap in the quality and required level of professionalism between domestic and international cricket needs bridging. New Zealand players are expected to come under further threat to leave international cricket either completely or in part with further international Twenty20 leagues emerging.

"Everything's up for debate," Barclay says. "It's quite conceivable a team could relocate to a bigger commercial centre. And would there be any harm in another sporting organisation like a rugby franchise buying in and sharing facilities?

" Leaving things as they are means results will stay as they are and we'll have a fairly mediocre domestic product getting picked off by other sports through the summer period.

"At the moment, cricket has an advantage if you ask the general punter 'what is the main summer sport?' However, I suspect you could walk up Queen St, for example, and ask people who was playing in the Ford Trophy final and they'd struggle to tell you."

Barclay's reasoning is backed by a paltry attendance at yesterday's final in Mt Maunganui.

"We want a sustainable future. The rigours an investor would bring must be seen as a positive from a commercial governance point of view.

"We must generate revenue which we can re-invest. It's also going to cost. We must recognise the commercial properties sitting around domestic cricket, not least of all broadcasting rights to the T20, raise awareness, make it more entertaining and hopefully earn some revenue off it."

Cricket Wellington chief executive Peter Clinton, whose side won yesterday's Ford Trophy, says it's a strategic direction they support.

"We see value in mustering private equity. Something has to change. We've got an exciting format with T20 but haven't been able to maximise its entertainment value because of limited resources."

 

[Dan]

 

[Kippax]

Nah, Edgar's a good man, but there's only one slow left-armer from Hamilton heading on that NZ A tour of Europe.

 

[Kippax]

KW will return to Yorkshire immediately after the West Indies tour and play until September ftr. Then the CLT20, then South Africa in NZ, then Pakistan in the UAE.....

Aaron Finch to be retained by Yorkshire as a sort of supplementary import for T20.

 

[hendrix]

KW will return to Yorkshire immediately after the West Indies tour and play until September ftr. Then the CLT20, then South Africa in NZ, then Pakistan in the UAE.....

it's too much.

 

[Kippax]

Yorkshire might be begrudging of a release in September actually, that would be great. Geoff Boycott and Michael Vaughan locking horns with Scott Styris over custody of Kane.

 

[RxGM]

If you didn't see him announce it in the Ford Trophy final coverage -

Good career from Hopkins, though was time to move on, I presume that Bates will take over as captain. Will be interesting to see who takes over the gloves. There a quite a few options both within the Auckland system and exports returning home:
Craig Cachopa, Brad Cachopa, Fletcher, Christopherson, Bassett-Graham

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: 'Beer' ball after six - National - NZ Herald Videos

Hey, that's my exact cut of the footage. NZ Herald monitoring the thread.