2024–25 NZ domestic season

[thierry henry]

Neeshaw reminds me a bit of matthew wade. His overall numbers are pretty eh, but he's had some iconic moments under pressure. Streets won't forget that 30(10)* vs England in the UAE t20 WC semi, or his death bowling followed by super over batting to get NZ within inches of a WC in the 2019 final.

I honestly think it's not just that his numbers are eh but that he low key has always kinda sucked (omg wow look guys it's TH being negative). Ok that's harsh, but he was always this guy and was never our next great all-rounder. Like, he was a theoretically exciting combo of big hitting and pacey-ish bowling, but he's basically always been a pretty substandard bowler and an unreliable slogger (who has probably gotten worse and worse as a pure batsman the more he has focused his game on flat-footed T20 boshing).

But yeah...his brand of boshing lends itself to the occasional clutch knock if you bowl in his (admittedly wide) arc, and his licorice allsorts bowling is mostly quite bad but occasionally golden arm-y.

Sorry Jimmy.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Are you suggesting that Finn Allen is not very good???

Finn has his issues but I'm not a hater. I still have him in our best T20 side. But it's not a good sign to come back to NZ domestic and be struggling against Tickner.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I honestly think it's not just that his numbers are eh but that he low key has always kinda sucked (omg wow look guys it's TH being negative). Ok that's harsh, but he was always this guy and was never our next great all-rounder. Like, he was a theoretically exciting combo of big hitting and pacey-ish bowling, but he's basically always been a pretty substandard bowler and an unreliable slogger (who has probably gotten worse and worse as a pure batsman the more he has focused his game on flat-footed T20 boshing).

But yeah...his brand of boshing lends itself to the occasional clutch knock if you bowl in his (admittedly wide) arc, and his licorice allsorts bowling is mostly quite bad but occasionally golden arm-y.

Sorry Jimmy.

I'm gonna go and compare his returns to the Expected Runs in every ODI innings he'd played as a finisher. When your job is to come in and slog from ball one your numbers are basically guaranteed to suck if you're not an ATG.

 

[thierry henry]

I'm gonna go and compare his returns to the Expected Runs in every ODI innings he'd played as a finisher. When your job is to come in and slog from ball one your numbers are basically guaranteed to suck if you're not an ATG.

If you're purely there to slog and bowl quite badly, doesn't this sort of mean you're not that good? Like, really you either want a proper bowler who is also a good finisher, or a dodgy bowler who's also a proper batsman.

Even in the increasingly sabermetric-ed world of post T20 ODI cricket, and with me squinting as hard as possible and clenching vigorously in an attempt to accept niche (get it) boshing roles, I'm still saying that Neesham has occupied the role of a...not that good cricket playing guy.

 

[thierry henry]

Anyway whatever Neesh is a good guy why am I trying to assess his whole career all of a sudden, much love to the big dawg

 

[Bahnz]

Finn has his issues but I'm not a hater. I still have him in our best T20 side. But it's not a good sign to come back to NZ domestic and be struggling against Tickner.

It is very telling to see the discarded Neesh come back for a few domestic games and look like an international playing club cricket, while Allen just always stinks up the joint. Really sucks, he's hugely talented - not far behind Rachin. But as soon as he had that break-out super smash season in 2021 (where he admittedly looked a cut above the rest of the field, including the regular internationals) he seemed to stop trying to focus on the development of his game and just aim for maximum bosh with minimum effort.

 

[straw man]

Allen pretty much a single-use surprise attack that you can play just once before oppositions notice he's a threat and work out how to bowl to him. We played that card in the 2022 T20 world cup, got the win against Australia and now it's all used up.

Anything further from Allen would require him to learn stuff.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Anyway whatever Neesh is a good guy why am I trying to assess his whole career all of a sudden, much love to the big dawg

you've set me off, time to do a full scale analysis of this instead of finishing a work project I'm over budget on

 

[thundaboult]

Neeshaw reminds me a bit of matthew wade. His overall numbers are pretty eh, but he's had some iconic moments under pressure. Streets won't forget that 30(10)* vs England in the UAE t20 WC semi, or his death bowling followed by super over batting to get NZ within inches of a WC in the 2019 final.

i always try my best to remind everyone about how clutch neesh was as a player...as annoying as it may get....a shame he doesn't have a world cup to show for it but an unbelievable player under crippling levels of pressure, our best imo

 

[RMBolton]

Allen pretty much a single-use surprise attack that you can play just once before oppositions notice he's a threat and work out how to bowl to him. We played that card in the 2022 T20 world cup, got the win against Australia and now it's all used up.

Anything further from Allen would require him to learn stuff.

Ah, the glory days when he smacked Starc, crushed Cummins & harrowed Hazlewood.

In fairness, his one last summer was pretty good when he smoked Shaheen & wrecked Rauf. Small Uni Oval or not, that was pretty cool.

 

[SteveNZ]

I honestly think it's not just that his numbers are eh but that he low key has always kinda sucked (omg wow look guys it's TH being negative). Ok that's harsh, but he was always this guy and was never our next great all-rounder. Like, he was a theoretically exciting combo of big hitting and pacey-ish bowling, but he's basically always been a pretty substandard bowler and an unreliable slogger (who has probably gotten worse and worse as a pure batsman the more he has focused his game on flat-footed T20 boshing).

But yeah...his brand of boshing lends itself to the occasional clutch knock if you bowl in his (admittedly wide) arc, and his licorice allsorts bowling is mostly quite bad but occasionally golden arm-y.

Sorry Jimmy.

Apart from the always kinda sucked part (I wouldn't word it that way) I agree with every other word of this

 

[thundaboult]

Ah, the glory days when he smacked Starc, crushed Cummins & harrowed Hazlewood.

In fairness, his one last summer was pretty good when he smoked Shaheen & wrecked Rauf. Small Uni Oval or not, that was pretty cool.

Yeah Finn Allen is a monster. Along with Phillips he is one of the 2 we have who can make the best bowler of the oppo team **** their undies. I hope he runs into some psycho nutcase who forces him to learn and harness that talent. A man can hope...

 

[RMBolton]

Nicholls finally returns tomorrow! I've actually missed him.

 

[NZTailender]

The women's ones day final looked like a cracker ending

 

[Neil Young]

Nicholls finally returns tomorrow! I've actually missed him.

Is that you, Gary?

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah Finn Allen is a monster. Along with Phillips he is one of the 2 we have who can make the best bowler of the oppo team **** their undies. I hope he runs into some psycho nutcase who forces him to learn and harness that talent. A man can hope...

I can't see it...the coaches he has are exclusively in T20. They're not interested in throttling him to use his talent beyond that format.

 

[NZTailender]

Foulkes was looking good all over then got McKenzie with a beauty. That said, McKenzie is no number 3.

 

[straw man]

I like J McKenzie's bowling action and think he's some who could get a lot more out of it, a bit like Kristian Clarke. But Auckland are pushing him more as a batter now, for whatever reason.

 

[straw man]

Finn Allen today - look SEE what happens when I try a defensive shot

 

[Neil Young]

Finn Allen today - look SEE what happens when I try a defensive shot

It wasn't a defensive shot. It was barely even a shot.

I'm not a big believer in natural talent (read 'Peak' by someone Ericson), so Allen has to apply himself like everyone else has to. If not, he'll get the results his application deserves.