*Official* New Zealand domestic season 2022/23

[CricAddict]

I just read through the whole thread. Feeling sad on how it ended.

 

[SteveNZ]

Sounds like he could see where you were coming from and didn’t take it personally or anything. Wanted to catch up for a beer, can’t beat that!

I want to see all the deleted posts in that thread that are mentioned though! Seems like it was absolute chaos haha

True testament to the guy that he did try to see where I was coming from, which honestly I can't get my head around where that was. It's painful to read.

I almost got to a beer with him, our club side was due to play his the week after, but I think from memory he pulled a hamstring playing Parnell and Lochie Ferguson and that was it.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

That reminds me, I was reading this very good article about the comeback a few weeks ago. Might be fresh in the mind if people saw it at the time, don’t think I did though: https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/21/...sons-career-changing-clash-with-martin-crowe/

 

[Ghost]

At the risk of a jinx Chad Bowes in with a great shot at a 100 before lunch. Currently 90 of 63.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yep it was Martin Crowe with user name Hogan - he joined to discuss his return to playing club cricket again at 48.

Here's the thread.

Many of the posters doubted it was him and weren't very welcoming.

SteveNZ:

"As I said before, that's not a personal contribution to club cricket. He didn't go out to score Test centuries so little Johnny would wander down to the park and sign up. He did for personal gain be it money, fame etc and for team a distant second I would suggest. Throwing John Wright under a bus re his tactics in the 92 semi and saying we would've won if he stayed fit is a perfect summation of Martin Crowe's ego.

Trust me, Martin Crowe is not getting within a mile of the Auckland side. And again, if he wants to be in a hurry so he can get 1-2 FC tons - he is being completely self-serving. He's not above club cricket. He's not even above 2nd grade, on his results so far.

And I argue he's drawing negative attention for the game. What have we seen in the media so far? A 49 year old's self-confessed mid-life crisis, poor standard of pitches, over-appealing and murmurs of being above the normal process of being selected for sides. Ask people involved in the running of Papatoetoe if they're happy with the coverage their club has gained out of Crowe 'gracing' their ground. They are far from it.

And he's gained far more column inches than the first week of the Plunket Shield, where there were several performances from players who actually have futures in the game (at levels other than golden oldies). How about this one - there was a young talent in the Auckland Gillette Cup final today who took four wickets and scored runs, is a member of the Blues rugby development squad and is being head-hunted by a few NRL clubs. Yet a has-been is the news.

If he came back to the game for the right reasons, great. I was actually welcoming of it when I initially heard. But not now."

James (site owner), closed the thread and had this to say:

"Given the way a small minority of members singularly failed to give Martin the welcome and respect he deserved I'm closing this thread now he has had the last word.

This is not a bar on discussing the man who I would say is the finest batsmen New Zealand has produced, but it is a lesson for those who need it not to jump to conclusions that involve insulting new members.

If you want to continue discussing Martin's return to club cricket, then please open a new thread."

Happy enough with my contributions to that in hindsight. Wish he could've stuck around (in more ways than one). RIP.

 

[SteveNZ]

Happy enough with my contributions to that in hindsight. Wish he could've stuck around (in more ways than one). RIP.

Yeah, you were measured, a man of poise and class since way back. Jeepers, I had something up my arse. I like to think I'd handle that a hell of a lot different with more maturity now. I don't think I understood people who think a bit differently or see the world differently like I would now

I actually saw him about 2 days before he passed away, he was staying at Grant Fox's beach house. God, it was affronting to see someone who was a hero when you grew up, looking the way he did. We don't have too many people in NZ sport, let alone cricket who were as brave and bold in the way they thought and acted, with his commentary, coaching, Max Cricket, Friday night cricket, his role at SKY etc.

 

[straw man]

I just read through the whole thread. Feeling sad on how it ended.

Yes it was sad, a lost opportunity with Crowe passing away a few years later. Such a loss. In hindsight it was a great experiment from him to go try play premier and then FC cricket again at his age - see how extreme class copes with dulled reflexes and age. I know others like Graham Gooch played into their 40s but Crowe had had significant time away from the game in between too. A shame it was the more mundane problem of injuries that derailed him.

That was a great read on Ferguson bowling to him one of his first matches back btw.

 

[straw man]

I see the late-season Plunket Shield runfest is in full swing now.

 

[ataraxia]

At the risk of a jinx Chad Bowes in with a great shot at a 100 before lunch. Currently 90 of 63.

Been pretty manic this season, and this Otago attack even sans Rae rates high on the smackable scale, as does Uni Oval. Puts Canterbury in an excellent position – 118 (82).

Already the 6th 100 of the round.

 

[straw man]

Good to see quite a few fringe/whiteball NZ players turning out in the Plunket Shield here rather than off playing in some random T20 tournament. Ferguson the main one ????????. But also Santner in great form with the bat, Seifert, G Phillips, Sodhi. CDG too.

Other than Boult, the other notable omission is Neesham. I just checked and he's playing in the PSL which ends in a week or two depending on whether his team makes the finals. Hope he's back to NZ after that and not planning to go full mercenary now.

 

[_Ed_]

Don't forget that Mitchell McClenaghan also made a brief and memorable CW cameo.

 

[Flem274*]

CdG batting #8 and still performing like a test cricketer with bat and ball is such bullshit haha we have a huge hole at #7 why did you retire after your best ever performances?

 

[straw man]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKIEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[ataraxia]

Bit of a shame to come out in your first game to face him lol

 

[straw man]

There goes Rachin, getting out to the non-NZ-level handy domestic seam up bowler in exactly the way @nzfan complains of.

 

[straw man]

I was admiring before how uninspiring Wellington's bowling attack was. Did not feel the slightest bit sorry for them that Auckland took them for 500 runs and kinda assumed their batting was their strong suit this round. Nope, the young allrounder Abbas is at 5 followed by N Smith apparently playing as a specialist batsman at 6 and new wicketkeeper McLaughlan at 7.

So I guess Smith's injured again.

 

[Bahnz]

Oof, this is looking like an absolute pantsing for Wellington. Auckland running up 500 for 1 non-declaration wicket and Wellington now 50/4 in reply.

 

[Athlai]

This all benefits Athlai

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Oof, this is looking like an absolute pantsing for Wellington. Auckland running up 500 for 1 non-declaration wicket and Wellington now 50/4 in reply.

All fine. We've got (checks notes) Jakub Bhula cashing in with a 50 for Wellington A.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Glenn Phillips has only taken 1 wicket, but has been economical. I wonder if control has improved:

Phillips 1/65 off 28 overs at Uni Oval in a score of 387/7. Surprisingly Foxcroft hasn't bowled.