***Official*** New Zealand Domestic Season 2017/18

[Bahnz]

Jeez, you'd think that's the kind of wicket that Arnel would cause nightmares on. Possibly a seamy road?

 

[Athlai]

Jeez, you'd think that's the kind of wicket that Arnel would cause nightmares on. Possibly a seamy road?

No one can stop the juggernaut that is the Firebirds 17/18

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Those super-green day one pitches quite often seem to end up doing not a lot, though.

 

[Bahnz]

3 very Wagner-esque dismissals there to polish off the table. To some extent, it kinda seems that Wagner is shying away from all the unsung top-order wicket taking that he cut his teeth with and now seems happier with bundling out lower-order batsmen with the kind of 1-dimensional tactics that Blocky always sneered at.

 

[Bahnz]

That looked like a frighteningly quick spell from Ferguson.

 

[jcas0167]

I didn't realise Warren Barnes was born in South Africa. Seems to be learning from Wagner with some hostile bowling to prise out 4 Auckland wickets. This was foreshadowed a couple of seasons ago, but seems to have had injury issues.

Barnes has pace.

Not the sort of pace Adam Milne has, but he is quick enough to hurry good players.

He gets the ball to shape away from right-handers.

He has a deadly yorker, a decent bouncer and, in five twenty20 games for the Volts, he has picked up seven wickets at an average of 17.71 and an economy rate of 6.20...

It is easy to see how Barnes picks up injuries. While he has lovely action, he does sort of catapult himself towards the batsman with a lengthy leap during his last few strides before he lets the ball go.

It is that momentum which helps him generate that extra pace.

''I've always had a really big jump and I guess it is something which has just developed.''

 

[Fuller Pilch]

That looked like a frighteningly quick spell from Ferguson.

No offence to Southee or Henry, but if he continues this I'd be stoked if the selectors went left-field and gave him the new ball in the first test against the Windies. In a four-man seam attack with Boult, Wagner and CDG there is more room for a gamble.

 

[Bahnz]

Ryder continuing his bullying ways. Would like to see him matched up against Boult to see how well he's really playing.

 

[straw man]

Yes good wicket highlights from both Ferguson and Barnes. Ferguson monstered Wilson and Nicol.

Barnes' action has a little bit of Chris Martin to it . Just a little.

Knew as soon as I saw Neesham was dismissed by Ferguson that it would be a short ball at the body, and it was. :/

 

[Mike5181]

No offence to Southee or Henry, but if he continues this I'd be stoked if the selectors went left-field and gave him the new ball in the first test against the Windies. In a four-man seam attack with Boult, Wagner and CDG there is more room for a gamble.

He could steal Henry's spot in the squad at least. Hard to ignore a guy bowling 145ish and putting up figures like 7/34, even with his recent international performances.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Barnes' action has a little bit of Chris Martin to it . Just a little.

I thought I was the only one who noticed that, definitely some similarities with the leap to the crease.

Will be interesting to see if Sams can get into the NSW squad when he gets back to Australia. Would be an interesting test of Aus v NZ domestic cricket strength.

 

[Prince EWS]

Will be interesting to see if Sams can get into the NSW squad when he gets back to Australia. Would be an interesting test of Aus v NZ domestic cricket strength.

People have kind of thought for a while that he was good enough for Shield cricket. He's played for NSW Second XI a bunch of times. He does have quite literally the Test attack (Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon) ahead of him at full strength, and while the full strength team isn't available very often he still has a bunch of former internationals (Copeland, Abbott, Bollinger, O'Keefe, Sandhu) to contend with.. and beyond that he also seems to be behind Sommerville, Conway, Stobo, Edwards, Nair and Hatcher, as they were given contracts (and in most cases played last season too) while he wasn't.

Now that seems like a lot of players ahead of him, and it is. But it's mainly because NSW is a bit h4x. He'd push a lot harder for a spot in other states.

 

[Bahnz]

van Beek's action really does look very nice these days. Good high point of release and plenty of momentum through the crease.

 

[straw man]

van Beek's action really does look very nice these days. Good high point of release and plenty of momentum through the crease.

He's always had a pretty nice action to go with his underwhelming stats imo. And yeah, it does look a bit better again now.

 

[straw man]

I wonder what pace Ferguson typically bowls in domestix. We know he can pass 150 but tires towards the middle and end of an ODI spell. Probably occasionally cranks it in FC but mostly bowls more like 140, would be my guess. Would get a bit of reputational speed too i.e. '**** this guy is gonna be fast', to have the batsmen on the hop before he's even bowled.

I've been fantasising for about three seasonsabout Milne surviving an FC season, taking wickets and playing tests for NZ, probably as fourth seamer in place of CDG; it might be time to transfer that hope over to Ferguson. A shame he can't bat as well as Milne though, so it's not going to work with him as fourth seamer.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, I reckon he'd probably be around 140 consistently whilst throwing in the odd 150 effort ball, dropping to mid 130's during later spells. 140 is proper quick by FC standards (Boult used to leave some of our domestic batsmen looking borderline frightened back in the day). Continuing his rampage through Otago's really quite decent top order.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Those first couple of wickets he took in the first innings looked lightning quick.

Wellington having a shocking second innings ... game three is usually where their Plunket Shield hopes begin to waver, so I’m not totally surprised.

Michael Bracewell hasn’t done much for the Firebirds yet.

 

[Athlai]

Those first couple of wickets he took in the first innings looked lightning quick.

Wellington having a shocking second innings ... game three is usually where their Plunket Shield hopes begin to waver, so I’m not totally surprised.

Michael Bracewell hasn’t done much for the Firebirds yet.

Firebirds probably have enough runs tbf.

 

[straw man]

@Bahnz: Yes he is, though Wilson, Nicol, Broom, Neesham all going to struggle with real pace. Whereas Ryder and some of the other CD middle order batsmen seemingly handled him pretty easily last week.

One more for the 10-fer.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Firebirds probably have enough runs tbf.

Hopefully, but this pitch should be reaching its best point for batting on about now ... (just going by how green it was earlier).