**Official** New Zealand Domestic Season 2013/2014

[Hurricane]

I would just generally be embarrassed cos he looks so unco

I've never forgiven him for breaking down in a test match on us that we might have won. He is a walking injury and I will be surprised if he makes it through the PS season without missing a game. He is too injury prone to be trusted in a test match team.

His action is also atrocious and looks like a broken down horse. (only putting that smilie there so I don't get mitch m'd)

 

[hendrix]

His remodeled action isn't quite as unco. Still ungainly, but not as bad as it was.

 

[Kippax]

I can't remember where I read/heard it today for the life of me but I saw some great Papps fanboyism from a Wellingtonian. He has a case for being both the most overrated and underrated batsman in the country right now, and it depends whether you're in Wellington/Canterbury or somewhere else.

Yeah Papps > Nicol, Redmond and Fulton. X-rays on a finger after catching Tastle.

While Wellington are delighted to have Gillespie back, they're miffed by how much cricket Michael Papps is playing for them. They believe he should have gone on New Zealand's limited overs trip to Sri Lanka ahead of Rob Nicol and is a far better all-round batsman than test top-order players Peter Fulton and Aaron Redmond.

One of the knocks on Papps is his mobility in the field, but Wellington counter by saying the 34-year-old has the best hands in their team, whether it be catching in the cordon or his ground fielding in the circle.

It's certainly difficult to argue with Papps' runs or the manner in which he has made them lately. He scored just shy of 1700 across all competitions last summer and this season is second in the Twenty20 aggregates, with 155 runs at an average of 51.66 and sixth for the Plunket Shield (227 runs at 75.66).

He heads an experienced and proven Firebirds batting lineup, coming into the start of today's clash. Between himself and James Franklin, Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi are players who can churn out big runs, while Stephen Murdoch is in career-best form.

Wellington's issue will be taking 20 wickets in this match and they know it.

 

[Prince EWS]

I can't remember where I read/heard it today for the life of me but I saw some great Papps fanboyism from a Wellingtonian.

Are you calling me a Wellingtonian? Them's fighting words.

 

[Flem274*]

Are you calling me a Wellingtonian? Them's fighting words.

Don't worry, I'm not calling you a Wellingtonian.

I'm calling you a Cantabrian.

 

[Immenso]

If the new blackcaps.co.nz website is designed for tablets, then I'm Dolly Parton reincarnated as a cricket fan.

The page crashes my iPad every time it tries to load the homepage. Their testing is as good as their selection of openers for the 'A' tour.

P.s. if any of your testers are reading. I can only load it if I open a new tab with no web page loaded, and then select blackcaps from my favorites. If I try to select while another page is loaded in that tab - It 'crashes' safari, and when I reopen safari the previous page is still loaded on that tab despite getting 90% through loading .....

 

[hendrix]

works much better on my phone than the previous one though. I'm sure the bugs will be ironed out relatively quickly. Even microsoft CBF with beta testing these days.

 

[straw man]

Enjoyed watching B Cachopa bowled by McKay (gee, how late on that was he) and Pollard bowled by Bennett who, tbf, looked fairly threatening from what I saw.

 

[Flem274*]

If you click on Nicol's name on the scorecard the graphic says his playing role is as a bowling allrounder.

 

[straw man]

Might explain why he just bagged a pair then

 

[Immenso]

Latham's runs looking good in context. Also, congratulations to Bennett on passing 100 FC wickets.

 

[hendrix]

Latham run out for another score in trying conditions. Brownlie if that was you're fault…you're in my bad books son.

 

[NZTailender]

Bennett

 

[Bahnz]

I know we're all busy reaching for the tissues over Sodhi's final spell, but Tastle bowled a ripper of a googly himself to clean up Gillespie. McKay also looking quite good, almost like a left arm Chris Martin.

Oh and hendrix, you can rest assured that Latham was entirely at fault for his run out.

 

[Immenso]

Those concerned about Latham's off side play should check out his off-driving in both these innings, excellent. (Well, the boundaries are)

 

[Immenso]

BTW. Blackcaps.co.nz working ok now on my iPad, it motivated me to update the iOS, was hanging on grimly to 6.whatever....and is much better ......

 

[Kippax]

.

Yeah Hay in the vault is the thing I'm most excited about this season.

 

[straw man]

Graeme Aldridge eases back into the ND team and immediately takes wickets against Otago. Shock of the day - Kuggs only concedes 10 runs from 7 overs.

 

[Mike5181]

Bartlett not playing is annoying.

Good to see I've clicked on the ND/Otago game with Ryder just starting his innings though.

 

[hendrix]

3rd seamer watch:

Kuggs - picking up wickets and keeping it tight. Interesting development. Can bat too.
Milne - hasn't done anything yet
Bennett - looking superb and getting wickets
Gillespie - par. Hasn't been booming, but hasn't been "booming" either.
Neesham - He's really not far off being a genuine 3rd seamer. Much closer to a Cairns/Flintoff role than Anderson, certainly. But would be batting 8. Which would be nice.