*Official* Pakistan in New Zealand

[jcas0167]

Yeah, they had some quirky players then who became fan favourites. Tufnell and Jack Russell come to mind. Tufnell's running outfield catch to get Slater was another one where it was great because it was so unexpected.

 

[thierry henry]

Saw a graphic come up yesterday (early in the innings when I wouldn't have thought there had been many slower balls?) which said the average speeds were something like:

O'Rourke 132
Sears 136
Duffy 140

Interesting for a few reasons

- WOR's speeds seem to be really random, I recall when he debuted in ODIs last summer he was sometimes low 130s throughout an over or a spell, other times he can be high 140s
- Sears is quick-ish but I'm not sure I've ever seen evidence of him being really quick
- I feel sorry for Duffy, being pigeonholed as both a like-for-like outswing replacement bowler and as a back-up generally (hence him getting repeatedly shunted down the pecking order when injury struck during the CT). On current form he's one of our most reliable white ball bowlers, and he's pretty much as quick and bouncy as anyone too

 

[NZTailender]

Saw a graphic come up yesterday (early in the innings when I wouldn't have thought there had been many slower balls?) which said the average speeds were something like:

O'Rourke 132
Sears 136
Duffy 140

Interesting for a few reasons

- WOR's speeds seem to be really random, I recall when he debuted in ODIs last summer he was sometimes low 130s throughout an over or a spell, other times he can be high 140s
- Sears is quick-ish but I'm not sure I've ever seen evidence of him being really quick
- I feel sorry for Duffy, being pigeonholed as both a like-for-like outswing replacement bowler and as a back-up generally (hence him getting repeatedly shunted down the pecking order when injury struck during the CT). On current form he's one of our most reliable white ball bowlers, and he's pretty much as quick and bouncy as anyone too

Duffy just equaled the highest wickets taken in T20I series for an NZ bowler: https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/e...m=5;template=results;type=bowling;view=series

Actually it's up there for anyone in the world from a real cricketing country (man that Mongolian tour of Japan probably was a cracker): https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/e...ts;tournament_type=2;type=bowling;view=series

I mean, truly he's equal with Sodhi, as Boult took 2 more matches for his 13 wickets. I'm one of the first to vocally not give a toss about T20Is in general, but this is some truly good form and he deserves better wrt the ODI side, and possibly even tests.

 

[thierry henry]

Part of me definitely thinks that Duffy is a JAM-man and when it comes to the big tournaments and the first string line-ups, he'll struggle.

However another part of me watches him bowling alongside the likes of O'Rourke or Sears or even Jamieson, or compared to Smith, and it's almost like out of that lot Duffy is the canny elder statesman with the well-honed white ball game. It feels a bit weird that e.g. he might be behind O'Rourke in the pecking order when comparatively O'Rourke seems like a guy who doesn't quite know what he's doing yet. As for Smith, I think Duffy is just an obviously better white ball bowler.

tl;dr Duffy is Old Man River

 

[Athlai]

He wishes

 

[Bahnz]

Saw a graphic come up yesterday (early in the innings when I wouldn't have thought there had been many slower balls?) which said the average speeds were something like:

O'Rourke 132
Sears 136
Duffy 140

Interesting for a few reasons

- WOR's speeds seem to be really random, I recall when he debuted in ODIs last summer he was sometimes low 130s throughout an over or a spell, other times he can be high 140s
- Sears is quick-ish but I'm not sure I've ever seen evidence of him being really quick
- I feel sorry for Duffy, being pigeonholed as both a like-for-like outswing replacement bowler and as a back-up generally (hence him getting repeatedly shunted down the pecking order when injury struck during the CT). On current form he's one of our most reliable white ball bowlers, and he's pretty much as quick and bouncy as anyone too

I've seen Sears clock 148, but yeah he's more generally in the 135 - 142 range. The injuries he's had during this season seem to curtailed that quite noticeably. Highest pace I've seen from him this season I think is about 140.

 

[anonymouskefe]

Mariu and Nicholls added to odi squad

 

[ashley bach]

Nicholls added to odi squad

 

[Bahnz]

Mariu doesn't really have any white ball pedigree and his form has been tailing off since he had an extended break during the super smash. Feel for Tom Bruce, would've been a logical player to slot in the middle-order with Latham out.

 

[thierry henry]

Feel like at this point Nicholls is not so much a batsman as he is a symbol of our enduring hatred for aggressive, prolific domestic number 5 batsmen. His evil visage has already warded off Munro and has almost finished off Bruce.

 

[ataraxia]

Hopefully the last we ever see of Stead's remarkable Canterbury bias, but to play devil's advocate, Nicholls does have the stand-out career Ford Trophy record, averaging 48. IMO, still a bad selection over Bruce, Schmulian, or Dale Phillips probably stemming from WoOoOoOoO experience WoOoOoOoO.

 

[Immenso]

Nicholls losing his test place and having to play way more domestic cricket for Canterbury. Has highlighted to me how ****ing good he actually is. Looks really dominant.

I've been in the 'move him on' camp. Still am, but it does reveal the gulf between Nicholls-class v Random-upcoming-domestix class.

Good player.

 

[Immenso]

Kelly's chances of ending season as top Plunket Shield run scorer had nosedived. But now perked up again with Mariu also to miss the final round

 

[_Ed_]

So what does a best T20 11 look like for the Kiwis heading into the 2026 WC? I'm imagining something along the lines of:

Seifert (wk)
Finn
Rachin
Kane
Phillips
Neesham
Bracewell
Santner
Henry
Ferguson
O'Rourke

Seifert's in the form of his life with the bat and playing incredibly well. I have to admit I was wrong to write him off as an international player. I still really don't like his glovework though, so I'd rather have someone else behind the stumps if possible.

 

[James]

Seifert's in the form of his life with the bat and playing incredibly well. I have to admit I was wrong to write him off as an international player. I still really don't like his glovework though, so I'd rather have someone else behind the stumps if possible.

Yeah, hope he can keep it going until at least the World Cup.

Others suggested Conway over Neesham, so maybe Conway takes the gloves, but not sure how you'd fit Conway into that batting lineup.

 

[jcas0167]

I would rate Seifert and Allen's keeping over Conway's. Both did a reasonable job in the BBL as far as I could tell.

 

[Zinzan]

So what does a best T20 11 look like for the Kiwis heading into the 2026 WC? I'm imagining something along the lines of:

Seifert (wk)
Finn
Rachin
Kane
Phillips
Neesham
Bracewell
Santner
Henry
Ferguson
O'Rourke

For me;

Seifert +
Allen
Ravindra
Conway/Jacobs
Chapman
Phillips
Bracewell
Santner
Henry
Ferguson
O'Rourke/Sears/Duffy (form dependent)

Only argument is Rachin to open with Seifert at 3 for the right/left combo, but I'd be tempted to stick with Seifert/Allen regardless from what we've seen in the last 5 games.

Agree with those who would like KW to move on from T20s, should have happened after the 2021 WC following that final & I'd probably still include Mitchell as my 15th man in the squad, but he's looking more and more out of sorts & is too slow a starter in T20s for mine.

 

[thierry henry]

For more information, check payoneer.com

 

[NZTailender]

Mariu doesn't really have any white ball pedigree and his form has been tailing off since he had an extended break during the super smash. Feel for Tom Bruce, would've been a logical player to slot in the middle-order with Latham out.

It feels very much like the old school "this guy is a potential test player, let's get a look at how he handles international pressure in a ODI" that you'd see from teams, especially Australia, in the 90s and early 2000s.

They may be thinking about taking him to Zimbabwe

 

[NZTailender]

Mariu and Nicholls added to odi squad

I got a scoop photo of Stead this morning