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

[jcas0167]

Some impressive looking dismissals from Jamie Brown for Auckland, he looks lively.

 

[African Monkey]

How many times has he does this...it's like a knack, when his teammates score FA he goes massive. His hundreds (I'm only using random memories here) seem to be when no one else scores more than 30.

I have a new theory on why someone like Anaru gets picked for NZ, bear with me it might be a stretch. It's to provide incentive to guys to stay in FC cricket, to ensure the veterans and 'hard edge' remains on the scene to give young guys something to play against. If they see Anaz get picked at 33 despite a pretty average record, they're motivated to keep going until their mid-30s, whereas a lot of them would see it as a dead-end street past 30 if not being picked. Course, if these guys are getting picked ahead of the young guys it kinda defeats the purpose...just a thought. Can't see any other reason.

It sounds silly but I think you could be onto something there. I doubt we'll see him picked for NZ again but as you said, it'll give him hope that there could be another opportunity there somewhere.

Glenn Phillips needs to learn how to rotate the strike. He's very block bash at the moment

 

[Athlai]

Kitchen gets picked because of some stupid money ball system they have that is clearly just rubbish.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I’d think it’s more of a disincentive to stay in domestic cricket when you see players being selected in the national side with no basis in form or overall record. Makes a mockery of the domestic game, I think.

 

[Kippax]

Probably best I keep this video unlisted, even though a non-CW guy specifically asked me for a Chapman pros and cons video. It's exactly the sort of use of the vault that the powers-that-be wouldn't appreciate.

 

[Kippax]

Ravindra enjoying the dryness with some wickets there. He's now grafted his way to 38(111) opening the batting for Hutt, who are 103/2 in reply.

 

[Immenso]

Kitchen gets picked because of some stupid money ball system they have that is clearly just rubbish.

This is probably right.

But also, there may be some merit to it. They do need someone at 5 or 6 who can hit or at least score from ball one.

We've seen when they put Phillips at 6 that this isnt a skill everyone has.

That also probably why they like having CDG in there, and specifically why they like keeping CDG low on the order even though he is currently in better knick than 2 or 3 of the guys ahead of him.

I don't know if Kitchen is a ridiculous selection or not, I don't really know enough about evolving T20 skill sets.

On paper it's his worse format, and he's 33. But he is a good 'normal' player. I reckon he was quite unlucky to miss out to Devcich in some of the white ball stuff circa 2014 when we were expanding our base. Now, probably the opposite is true.

But when I see proposed selections on this board with people just shuffling succesful domestics T20 openers to 6 or 7 (Devcich, Phillips, Seiffert) I have plenty of doubts.

It's amazing how much a keeper without the required T20 skills really ****s with the dynamics of a T20 team.

If we're looking for alternatives, I very much get the Chapman push. His omissions is weird and brings down Kitchen 'hate'. The other alternative is Clarkson as a 6 or 7 specialist. But Clarkson's selection will probably be delayed or flip-flop until they find a keeper who can do a job in the top 5.

 

[Athlai]

I don't think Moneyball is rubbish, I think the way NZC is implementing it definitely is though.

 

[Immenso]

Probably best I keep this video unlisted, even though a non-CW guy specifically asked me for a Chapman pros and cons video. It's exactly the sort of use of the vault that the powers-that-be wouldn't appreciate.

I approve of keeping it unlisted.

Michael Bevan made himself a great career in white ball stuff with a similar reputation weakness to the short ball.

 

[Immenso]

If I was to attempt an nz best T20 team for a comp that mattered tomorrow:

Munro
Guptill
Taylor
Williamson / Chapman
Keeper (Blundell)
CDG
Clarkson
Santner
Sodhi
Milne
Boult

 

[Immenso]

When did Kane get rubbish again at T20s?

I've realised that since the kaputting of the CLT20 I've not really watched much T20 cricket involving NZers.

I recall a few years ago Doull advocating Kane not play T20s, then he went on and was awesome for ND at domestics and CL level. I assumed he had now 'got it' and would just continue to get better as his frame added more power.

I recall him introducing into his game the walk across and flick over leg etc.

Has he got as bad as Zinzan is saying?

I'm pro Kane keeping on with T20 as I reckon this can round out his game, add some dominance and presence. Much like I'm pro Latham in ODI middle order as I see that focussing attention on deficiencies that need improvement.

With a 100 odd (25 / 4) meaningless whiteball gamers per 4 year cycle, I really can't get bothered about putting best team out every game.

I back them both to be good enough to master that while preserving their test skills. These guys aren't Ravals etc who id be happy to see specialise, we need higher ambition for them.

 

[Athlai]

Kane has looked poor all summer in all forms.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I think Kane’s loss of form/end of golden run form (which sort of started last season, but has really taken hold this season) has had the biggest effect on his 20-20 game ... just because it’s the form he’s least naturally suited to. But he really looks bereft of ideas out there atm. A real far cry from when he used to be able to hit gaps almost every ball, a couple of years ago.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah that's the thing, unlike batsmen who are just good and not future greats he's capable of mechanically grinding out scores while woefully out of nick in the real formats but in the hit and giggle he can't work his way in.

Tbh as usual we're missing a trick here by not getting Chapman involved in white ball cricket asap as prep for the 2019 world cup and we should also be using this opportunity to give someone like Tickner a bit of a look at international cricket so he can gauge what he needs to work on so he can be a main bowler in the next 10 years. I'm a Phillips skeptic but he should be around the squad still.

Devcich will never be a test cricketer (barely Shield standard until recently) but he's the super smash MVP by a long way so I'd be interested in seeing if we can get a #7 and 5th bowler out of him.

Basically in this tri-series that's robbing us of real cricket I'd play

Gup
Lord Colin I
Kane/Ross
Chapman
Blundell/Phillips/Cleaver/Seifert who cares honestly just give a young keeper a look for the 2019 world cup
Lord Colin II
Devcich
Santa
Sodhi
Ferguson
Tickner
Boult

Tbh that team isn't very good still because aside from our middle order woes our bowling in limited overs heavily relies on Boult, Santner and Sodhi. Henry even neutered by must-bang-it-in-for-Hess itis has always been quality with a new cherry in ODIs but he's not much of a T20 bowler. Southee looks on the up from last year but still has the capacity to be frustrating.

I just want to sort out our bowling unit for the real world cup tbh

#essay

 

[Immenso]

^^ that's 12 players.

 

[Immenso]

I'm sceptical of Devcich as a 7.

To me looks like he just plays the same shot, but it could go anywhere in an arc from straight mid-wicket to extra cover, with a modern bat.

I don't see a gapper or a boundary clearer. I see a ring field clearer.

But. Making this assessment on bugger all recent sightings tbh. I should probably stay out of these discussions.

 

[Flem274*]

i don't rate his batting tbh, but he has been effective enough and i'm more interested in seeing if his left armers are as suffocating at international level. it's not an important format except for wallets so no harm in having a look.

 

[SteveNZ]

Some impressive looking dismissals from Jamie Brown for Auckland, he looks lively.

Let's not act surprised that he's a Howick Pakuranga product. Good bowler, good bloke.

 

[SteveNZ]

If we're looking for alternatives, I very much get the Chapman push. His omissions is weird and brings down Kitchen 'hate'. The other alternative is Clarkson as a 6 or 7 specialist. But Clarkson's selection will probably be delayed or flip-flop until they find a keeper who can do a job in the top 5.

It's definitely not hate, I think I raised it initially how ridiculous it was and I like Anaru as a guy and a cricketer. He probably deserved somewhat to be picked earlier, but not now.

It's really Hesson's call about Chapman's bowling that stinks the most in all this. Chapman's bowling record in T20 domestic (taking out Hong Kong) is actually not terrible, albeit limited. Aren't you supposed to back your systems for him to come in and become a better bowler, working on his craft against international batsmen in the nets etc whilst realising the upside of a 23-year-old with clearly a hell of a lot of talent and something unique skill-set wise to bat in the middle order? Sabermetrics, Moneyball, I don't care what system you're operating under, it's the worst non-selection I can remember since Chris Pringle at the 92 World Cup.

 

[SteveNZ]

Death hitting is something we need to be very focused on going forward. They're obviously set on Colin de doing it, I don't imagine they'd let him bat above 7 unless he scored an absolute mountain of runs and couldn't be ignored. Who's going to hit at the death in 2019 WC and 2020 T20? There's nothing of any great potential in our squad at present, Colin apart.

So Clarkson, Cleaver (with gloves), Chapman etc need to start being given the right opportunities to be those people. We're feeble at it.