*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Mr Miyagi]

Yeah, that 2020/21 season in particular is a disaster. I presume that David White was frantically scrabbling around looking for someone - anyone - to play a few warm-up games with ahead of the World T20. A pity they didn't go with Afghanistan instead - they're probably a better T20 side atm, and would've had more interest from the public if only for the novelty and the Rashid factor.

Oh we get the Netherlands here instead of Afghanistan. Have a look down the bottom. I don't mind NZ doing its part for the second tier nations, but Afg would have been nice as well.

20/21 isn't too bad imo. Wt20 in Australia. 3 tests against WI to roll them over. 2 vs Pakistan. Then a home and away Chappell Hadlee. But two whole weeks of January including the second week before many people have gone back to work not to mention school holidays for both weeks, is empty. Maybe Sky will broadcast some domestic games? Yeah right.

 

[Zinzan]

Meanwhile on a less depressing note, Gup striking the white-ball well. Especially enjoyed the Dhoni-like whip action at 2:09

 

[Zinzan]

Lockheed Martin Ferguson also going well so far. Any speed readings on Milne this season? Would be good to know if he's found that yard of pace that he'd misplaced last year.

Yup, last night he was consistently in the 92-93.4 MPH range. Was just too quick for Essex, had figures of 4-15 off his 4 overs. Was the most controlled spell I've ever seen him bowl.

In fact Milne and Ferguson (who's also been on fire), have the 1st & 2nd fastest speeds in the comp to date.

Add Matt Henry's freakish performance in the County Championship, Sodhi's match-winning 4-17 last night, & the batting of Guptill, KW & Corey Anderson, the kiwis are having a good time overseas.

 

[Kippax]

Just need Latham to validate all of this news by nabbing a 2019 IPL contract and go about posting a top 10 runscorers effort there.

At that point, all this Kiwi success at English counties really will be looked back on as the start of a great rise above the 'business of yesteryear.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

If Latham can score quickly as an opener and keep wickets it really improves the balance of the ODI side, especially if Santner continues his run scoring touch from the England one dayers

 

[Zinzan]

If Latham can score quickly as an opener and keep wickets it really improves the balance of the ODI side, especially if Santner continues his run scoring touch from the England one dayers

Why move him to opener when he's had recent success in the middle order?

He's also our 2nd or 3rd best player of spin, so I'd prefer him at 5 in those middle overs.

 

[Blain]

News articles are saying it's down to Malan and Stead, with Stead the odds on favorite. Does anyone have decent knowledge of these guys?

Just thinking about Canterbury vs CD, they are polar opposites. Canterbury is at the end of line with not much serious talent left (Nicholl's, Jamieson and Nutters aside), and have heavily relied on Ellis, Fulton, Astle to get them through in the past. CD are chocker full of youth, and have developed and improved some top/fringe BC's domestic players lately (Bruce, Patel, Tickner, Young, Rhance, even Cleaver has stepped up). Canterbury just haven't developed enough batting talent, and have had to grab Murdoch and Pollard off Wellington.. Hardly ideal.

 

[Kippax]

Malan (37) was a specialist batsman I think. A very big religion, golf and crossfit man. Might be ideal to ease Bowes, Conway, Luddick etc. into the 2020 list of NZ's contracted players, but the typical NZ fan isn't exactly Prince EWS or Jeffrey Tucker, so I doubt NZC are quite ready to 'go there'.

I doubt Ken McClure will be missing any NZA red ball squads if Stead gets the job. Loves McClure and his grit, like a son he never had.

 

[Kippax]

On a completely unrelated note, I see the Northern Territory's Strike League is becoming quite an interesting option. Certainly a braver option than U.K. or Netherlands club cricket, when the challenge includes Aaron Summers on a typically quick Marrara Oval pitch.

New Zealand names I recognise marked with blue, familiar Aussie names with red.

 

[Kippax]

I doubt Ken McClure will be missing any NZA red ball squads if Stead gets the job. Loves McClure and his grit, like a son he never had.

Probably important I clarify here that Stead wouldn't be taking New Zealand back to thinking of 230/3 after 90 overs as a really good stodgy effort. He did just kick Tim Johnston into the wilderness this winter, in favour of more dynamic #intent players, two largely unproven yet in theory more attacking spinners (left-arm wrist spin of Coburn, van Woerkom to spin the ball away from right-handers).

Tim Johnston stunned at Canterbury contract snub

Liked McCullum a lot -

The sensitive feelings of modern player talent coping with an indelicate South Islander as coach might be something to watch for if Stead gets the job. Tim Johnston feeling really kicked in the stomach and betrayed out of nowhere does seem like kind of an 'early years Hesson' quarrel, doesn't it.

 

[SteveNZ]

Can someone with more time on their hands than me summarise (or find an article doing so) of all the NZers performances in the English T20 comp?

 

[Kippax]

 

[Athlai]

Elliott’s bowling

 

[Fuller Pilch]

i see Nicholls is going to join Ferguson and John Wright at Derby

 

[straw man]

So basically everyone is a gun apart from Munro, whose numbers are still not bad. Impressive.

 

[_Ed_]

Munro currently 56* (37) in the opening game of the CPL.

 

[_Ed_]

It's Stead: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...ry-stead-gets-nod-for-black-caps-coaching-job

 

[jcas0167]

Some interesting comments under that Stuff article. One complaining that he emails rather than calls players with bad news. Another that they received coaching from him in the early 90's with video analysis and saying he was great.

 

[SeamUp]

Test: Kane Williamson (captain), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.

ODI: Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Watling, Colin Munro, Taylor, Nicholls, Latham, de Grandhomme, Astle, Sodhi, Southee, Henry, Boult, two to be added from NZA/NZ T20 squad.

Twenty20: Williamson (c), Guptill, Munro, Taylor, Mark Chapman, Tim Seifert, de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Southee, Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Seth Rance, two to be added from NZA.

New Zealand A (for T20, 50-over and first-class matches against Pakistan A): Corey Anderson, Astle, Blundell, Tom Bruce, Chapman, Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Patel, Glenn Phillips, Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Wagner, Watling.

Ravindra cracks NZA but couldn't make the Firebirds last season.. Awesome. Good squads, Rance will get tapped in the UAE, if he's not swinging it a foot he's suspect. Yeah CDG aint a batsman, will be interesting to see how the test team lines up. Looks like they're betting on roads.

Great to see a better NZ A schedule.

Interesting they taking Ravindra. If they taking him I seriously would have taken Finn Allen too.

 

[thundaboult]

So I caught up with some english domesitic and vitality blast t20 action and see that Henry killed it. Also, Milne is back bowling pace (THANK GOD, HAD ME SCARED LAST YEAR WITH HIS SOUTHEE PACE), and fergusson is breathing fire too. Sodhi looks to be deadly on his day (needs consistency desperately). Two things I noticed about Henry milne lockie are, wickets and also keeping the runs given part low low low. Very encouraging to see just a year from the world cup in the same country. A boult, henry, lockie, milne and sodhi attack is delicious. But from other onlookers, are the pacers actually bowling well and better than they have before or is it just their express pace beating up domestic batters?