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

[vandem]

Dropped by EPOO twice today, can report that bounce is getting low. OK for batting if you are patient.

Think I saw the least interesting action of the day, Barry / Horne attempting a recovery against tight bowling from Barnes and Craig, and de Boorder / Kitchen similar batting against medium pace trundling from Ferns and McEwan.

Caught the wicketless end of Lister's 3 wicket spell, looked to be getting a little swing. Ferguson looked 130-ish at the end of his spell, similar good lines as Wagner earlier in the day.

Two interesting field settings. 8-1 including 7 in slip / gully for Barnes to Ferns after 2 wickets earlier in the over, and a kneeling fielder at a silly backward point to Craig for LHB Barry for a couple of overs. 1st time I have seen this done, fielder stayed on his knees as Craig delivered, hands low, perhaps trying to catch a back-cut?

 

[nzfan]

Two unpredictable games resuming today, Otago vs Auckland (Auckland is ahead but they can't take it for granted) and Firebirds slightly ahead at this stage but a 50 run partnership for one of the wickets will upset the prediction considerably. CD vs Canterbury is a foregone conclusion. CD to win by an inning I'd think.

 

[nzfan]

Just as I check Otago are 9 down and the result now is foregone conclusion.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Bennett gets Brownlie LBW ... that’s a pretty big wicket, ND still have enough batting left to get there, though.

Wish there was just a non-stop live stream of these games. Although I guess I should technically be working ...

 

[nzfan]

Getting a bit closer now, Anton Devcich goes. About 110 runs required with 4 wickets to go... I think Firebirds will close this out prior lunch.

 

[nzfan]

Now Kuggeleijn goes... to a shocker of a LBW call at least from the nzc video. Too high I reckon but not complaining.

 

[nzfan]

ND done and dusted... Firebirds now sitting at 60 points. If they win one more or more or less draw the rest of the season picking up batting/bowling points they should comfortably win the shield. Good thing is Firebirds closed out 3 games in a row and the next round is going to be quite hard with most of the black caps returning to play for their respective sides. Firebirds won't lose any and will more or less field the same team.

 

[straw man]

Haha yes that Kuggeleijn lbw was surely high and legside-ish. Van Beek with 6/57, probably the best he's ever bowled.

12/78 for Ferguson, that's impressive. Doing well at knocking over the top order and the tail.

Other important story that Wags stranded on 39* in the first innings and 27* in the second. Might need a promotion.

 

[NZTailender]

Brownlie back to looking for a middle order berth then?

 

[Bahnz]

110 wickets at 24 is a pretty fine first class record, especially given EPOO's batsman friendly reputation. It certainly throws Milne's fc record of 68 wickets at 33 into the shade.

Still think he'd probably be one of those cricketers whose strong domestic record wouldn't translate to international success, but yeah he's gotta be in the conversation at this point.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

lol @ the #Plunketshield feed on the blackcaps page, all pornbots

 

[Athlai]

Brownlie back to looking for a middle order berth then?

He isn’t even averaging 40 this season

 

[Kippax]

I think NZT just means 'I'm happy for Seifert and/or Henry Cooper to open this season; I no longer back myself to push past Latham or Raval'.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think NZT just means 'I'm happy for Seifert and/or Henry Cooper to open this season; I no longer back myself to push past Latham or Raval'.

Yeah I didn't take it to mean that he thought Brownlie was actually in the frame, more just that he'd given up trying to get a spot as an opener.

 

[Kippax]

They're on the first grass deck of the summer, but he's on a careful mission to pad that average. North City definitely being the sort of minnow you can do that against. I see the Firebirds have thrown him just the one chance to make an impression in the two T20s between Wgtn City and Hutt Valley tomorrow, also at Kelburn Park.

Dempster Shield Teams Named - Cricket Wellington

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah I didn't take it to mean that he thought Brownlie was actually in the frame, more just that he'd given up trying to get a spot as an opener.

Yeah think he's transitioned into that middle order pro who has probably given up on Test aspirations but at the same time will become a backup/reserve without getting in the way of up and coming openers.

 

[Kippax]

A nice jab to Weerasundara's dreams. That ain't working. That's the way you do it.

 

[nzfan]

A nice jab to Weerasundara's dreams. That ain't working. That's the way you do it.

I'd wait couple more weeks before jumping on the bandwagon. North city at best can't even be considered good enough 3rd xi. I'd discount any runs against Naenae and North city. I'm not sure why those two teams are in the fray. Doesn't make any sense, they struggle to put a team on the park.

 

[Kippax]

I'd wait couple more weeks before jumping on the bandwagon. North city at best can't even be considered good enough 3rd xi. I'd discount any runs against Naenae and North city. I'm not sure why those two teams are in the fray. Doesn't make any sense, they struggle to put a team on the park.

Yeah North City's ongoing shitness is a perplexing thing. A big juicy catchment area, Edgar, Bell, Ronchi and others all living in that area, one of the city's indoor centres at their disposal, but it seems they can't even attract South Africans to take up residence in the conservative, anti-youth suburbs of Wellington.

 

[Kippax]

Ravindra is going okay in the Firebirds trials at Kelburn Park today, in his clearly least-favoured format. Relatively expensive with the ball (ER 9), but employed a slap through midwicket and a few deflections through third man to generate a T20 strike-rate.