***Official New Zealand Domestic Season 2021/22***

[Bahnz]

Lord Colin departs in signature fashion. Even if he never plays for NZ again, I hope he sticks around in domestix for a couple more years. The Plunket Shield has missed that "Here in Plunketville, I'm better than you, and you know it!" energy ever since Jesse was retired.

 

[Kippax]

That's a real shame that what CdG tried to do there has backfired. I think we all would've loved someone to finally knock this nagging Canterbury attack off a good length.

 

[Ghost]

Finn Allen trying to be like his hero Devon Conway with an after dismissal bat punch https://scoring.nzc.nz/#mcb1f7e6d-3dcf-41a6-aa83-55296b7bae57$$1_048_02

 

[straw man]

Sheat must be injured I assume, but Shipley is another in the same mold complete with barely jumping in the delivery stride. +1 to anyone that can hit this Canterbury attack off a length.

 

[Kippax]

No, Sheat's not injured. Shipley's induck with the Dookaburra was really penetrative in the last couple of rounds at the Basin and I think he's just preferred on merit now. Sheat was a bit off his game at times last autumn.

 

[straw man]

Shipley looks a good bowler (iirc started quite well a few seasons ago but in and out of side since then, still surprised he doesn't average under 30), but Sheat has been near top of the wicket charts for two seasons so that's a big move to omit him.

 

[Kippax]

Not a total disaster for Sheat, of course. Henry unlikely to be around as often late in the season. Shipley just has that Patumahoe game, with the height, and the nice pull shots etc. vs. a Ben Sears barrage.

 

[nzfan]

The domestic decks at basin is starting to worry me. Callum McLachlan the wicket keeper has now registered one king pair and a 7 ball duck. Others aren't fairing better either. Bay Oval of all has produced 15 wickets on first day. Plenty of batters confidence would have been destroyed by now particularly Firebirds' Hard to tell whether they are batting bad or is the deck doing way too much. Most dismissals today at Basin were pretty good nuts.

 

[nzfan]

Sheat dropped for Theo, that's some news. Still Canterbury rolled ND for 187. Canterbury themselves are 55/5 which is another matter.

 

[Flem274*]

The dookaburra is a scourge on fc. I appreciate the motorway era had its flaws but this is worse. Look at england and west indies.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

The dookaburra is a scourge on fc. I appreciate the motorway era had its flaws but this is worse. Look at england and west indies.

More a case of turnip field quality pitches for the West Indies imo, it's anodyne fingerspin as opposed to wobbly mediums that tended to dominate the wickets chart. Although that being said the last couple of proper FC seasons there pre covid certainly had some duke ball hax in them

 

[nzfan]

It's not like in the past when we used to play 10 shield games, we are playing 8 out of which half of them on tough decks with the dookaburra. At basin they have gone to such an extent even a last game of the season we can't tell the different between the outfield and the playing block.

 

[nzfan]

What about spinners coming out of Wellington? Who's going to get to bowl other than of course if you're the captain Bracewell. If you are not Bracewell you're not bowling on our deck. Or how do we ever increase our ability to play spin? No main stream spinner ever plays a game and if he does he won't get to bowl.

Guess it's time to write to NZC. Not sure if they can do much though, it's our local curator that has a say.

 

[Kippax]

It's not like this recent Wellington batting talent has a great record of playing with the same patient mindset of a Greg Hay or Ken McClure type when they head down to play a South Island game though, let's face it. It becomes their bowling that quickly drops its bottom lip.

 

[Immenso]

Up to 19 wickets now at Bay Oval day 1.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, as rough as the wickets look, I think it’s kinda telling that the likes of Latham, Nicholls and Conway seldom seem to have much difficulty in making runs on them. As great as the squad depth of the NZ side atm, I think there’s still a pretty cavernous drop off from the test regulars and hopefuls down to the rest of the pack.

having said that we don’t really want pitches that turn spinners into also rans for all but a couple games a season. Thank god McLane Park is still around to make life that little bit harder for the Williams and McEwans of the world.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Ahh the "150kph bowler" is back

Looks like he bowled alright tbf, at least from the highlights available, got a couple of poles

 

[Flem274*]

Ahh the "150kph bowler" is back

Looks like he bowled alright tbf, at least from the highlights available, got a couple of poles

Haha injury has ruined Gibson's career to be fair to Howsie, but yeah he never got close to 150kph. Was well set to become one of those tall, strong, heavy ball 135-140kph bowlers who look faster than they are because NZ domestic batsmen hate those guys.

Good to see him back though. By all club accounts a really good dude so I hope he can salvage something from his career.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah, as rough as the wickets look, I think it’s kinda telling that the likes of Latham, Nicholls and Conway seldom seem to have much difficulty in making runs on them. As great as the squad depth of the NZ side atm, I think there’s still a pretty cavernous drop off from the test regulars and hopefuls down to the rest of the pack.

Hmm those are developed players though. I expect test regulars and their immediate reserves to score runs.

It's the batsmen still developing I am concerned for. It's well proven by old NZ FC, West Indies, County Cricket and Australia 2011-2015ish that green decks and/or balls that do all the work for you create the worst batsmen.

There aren't many regular domestic players of selection age below Conway and Young who average 35-40. Chapman averages 41 thanks to being a big improver with NZ A, then there's Ravindra, Phillips, Rutherford...running out of names. There is a lot of all or nothing, while Will Williams and Fraser Sheat are just as valuable as Lockie Ferguson and Jacob Duffy.

I'm all for a medium pacer cracking test level, but I'm deeply suspicious of the Shield's direction since 2018-19.

 

[Bahnz]

Fair point tbh. How would 20 year old Latham have gone on these decks? I’m guessing he wouldn’t have been hitting double-tons for fun like he was in 2013/14.