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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

Flem274*

123/5
Tbf if Ravindra can deliver on his ability and be a good opener + reasonable spin bowler, our team balance will be stupidly good for SENA.

Not that it will help the mental block, but it would be good to go to Aussie without already being a bowler down. Spin doesn't work in Aus? Don't bowl our opening batsman then. EZ.
 

Zinzan

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Tbf if Ravindra can deliver on his ability and be a good opener + reasonable spin bowler, our team balance will be stupidly good for SENA.

Not that it will help the mental block, but it would be good to go to Aussie without already being a bowler down. Spin doesn't work in Aus? Don't bowl our opening batsman then. EZ.
Am I the only one who feels Ravindra is still some distance from looking like a Test-class opener? He's got to nail his position with the bat before we look at his more than useful other skill-set.
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Am I the only one who feels Ravindra is still some distance from looking like a Test-class opener? He's got to nail his position with the bat before we look at his more than useful other skill-set.
Agreed. If he is to play Tests it should be the Williamson route of lower order until there's an opening at the top. I think Kane batted 5/6 for 2-3 years (and averaged a pretty measly 32ish) until he moved up to 3, and then wasn't another year or two until he hit god mode. So far he's batted 7 or 8, mostly with the tail, so a run at 5/6 with Blundell behind him would be better than opening or playing the role he was chosen for in India and vs Bangladesh imo.

Throwing him into opening and expecting him to bowl is a waste of his time and the teams time. And so far he isn't really demanding selection over other guys floating around. He has age on his side, though. Of all the bats under 25 he's had probably the best figures of the last couple of seasons, alongside Dale Phillips iirc, and maybe Chu.
 
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Flem274*

123/5
Am I the only one who feels Ravindra is still some distance from looking like a Test-class opener? He's got to nail his position with the bat before we look at his more than useful other skill-set.
For sure, he looked pretty mud last time we picked him.

Averaging 38 opening in the PS as a 23 year old is promising though. It's probably one of the more ruthless competitions to open in with the duke style kookaburra on early season decks. He dined out in County when he got a crack which is reassuring for him long term.
 

Zinzan

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Agreed. If he is to play Tests it should be the Williamson route of lower order until there's an opening at the top. I think Kane batted 5/6 for 2-3 years (and averaged a pretty measly 32ish) until he moved up to 3
Yes but the problem there is we're already spoiled for choice with options batting from 4-6 with the likes of Mitchell, Young, Phillips and Blundell (if we want to bat him 6 for more bowlers).
 

Flem274*

123/5
there's a bloke at 7 who was a bit fortunate to get a crack out of nowhere ahead of the two better players of the same role results and age wise.

maybe if he performs like initially expected there could be a gap for blundell and mitchell to slide down one spot.
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Yes but the problem there is we're already spoiled for choice with options batting from 4-6 with the likes of Mitchell, Young, Phillips and Blundell (if we want to bat him 6 for more bowlers).
This is true. I've edited my post since you've replied. He really only gets in as a 'project player' with a look to the future much in the same way Kane was selected. Though Kane actually scored runs at a young age, and there weren't many rival batsmen knocking around in those dark days either.

Don't get some posters aversion here to Phillips in the test side. Dude seems like a bit of a focused nut. Given a chance in the lower order he would probably get stuck in and do what needs doing.
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
Who is the next test opener in line for NZ anyway? Is it that lad who played for NZ-A vs india-A and made runs in the top 3 or rachin? Rachin has a pure fc batting average of near 40 mostly opening and made a double opening the batting in england in county (albeit on a road). Can't be that bad of a call just as a pure opener.
 

Ghost

U19 12th Man
Clearly we’ll be losing a number of our ATGs over the next couple of years and I think the Indian series have highlighted our depth isn’t strong without them. With that in mind I thought I’d have a look through and see if I could come up with a NZ Under 25 side. Here’s what I came up with.

Ravindra
Allen
Foxcroft
Heaphy
Abbas
Smith
Chu
KDC Clarke
Ashok/Pringle
Sears
Fisher
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Clearly we’ll be losing a number of our ATGs over the next couple of years and I think the Indian series have highlighted our depth isn’t strong without them. With that in mind I thought I’d have a look through and see if I could come up with a NZ Under 25 side. Here’s what I came up with.

Ravindra
Allen
Foxcroft
Heaphy
Abbas
Smith
Chu
KDC Clarke
Ashok/Pringle
Sears
Fisher
Good list. Just watching him play a couple of cameos in the Super Smash I can see why Will Clark is also highly rated. He played two first class games last season mainly as a bowler, but his batting looks really promising.

 

Ghost

U19 12th Man
Good list. Just watching him play a couple of cameos in the Super Smash I can see why Will Clark is also highly rated. He played two first class games last season mainly as a bowler, but his batting looks really promising.

I haven’t seen much of him but from scorecards at different levels he seems to bat anywhere from 1-9 and sometimes doesn’t bowl at all. Seems to have a very similar skill set to Zac Foulkes
 

Moss

International Captain
This summer definitely feels like a fork-in-the-road when it comes to the test side. For the England tests, I'm mostly okay if NZ go with the formula and play 4 seamers plus Macewell as the spinning allrounder (though Sodhi can be conisdered as well). Ajaz on current form will probably come off second best against England's big hitting approach. Young to replace Nicholls at 4 hopefully. Jaimeson's return will be quite critical given Wagner is almost done and Henry rarely takes enough wickets.

For the Sri Lanka series, at the risk of underestimating them would really like it if NZ used the tests to make some serious decisions about the future approach, including playing a specialist spinner, and possibly giving Phillips more test experience.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Yep, June is the 2023 WTC final and whilst that seems a bit arbitrary given every Test matters, it's worth looking at beyond the England series as a time we need to have more than one eye to the future. Those <25 year olds are going to need exposure, whether it's in Test squads, county cricket as an OS, etc.

My real fear is with the seamers. Fisher and Sears are giving me Adam Milne vibes in regards to their fitness, KJ has his issues, then it's who steps up from the likes of Shipley, N.Smith etc. The batting I think we're OK for a while, especially with Young/Ravindra to come back in. The ever-present spinner issue obviously becomes a focus, too.
 

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Pleased Sodhi is there is in squad and thrillee Jamieson is back, but very disappointed Phillips missed out. Nicholls just has a very good record at home I guess. Tickner, hmmm.
 

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