***Official*** New Zealand Domestic Season 2018/19

[nzfan]

Nzfan will be happy. I think he’s done a great job, restoring the Wellington side to a competitive team.

Pocknall was coach during the Ford Trophy win though, so seems like a good replacement.

Wish Edgar could return as NZ selector!

I have no problem with Edgar, he has done some good things surely.

The good things first:

1. Excellent signings of Hamish Bennett, Logan Van Beek, Jimmy Neesham and Devon Conway.
2. 4 years at the helm, two trophies isn't bad. Also Firebirds are now considered a team that is hard to beat so kudos to him.
3. Got few newbies into the team, the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Troy Johnson, Andrew Fetcher, Lauchie Johns, Alex Ridley. All home grown talent.

The bad things:

1. How did Rachin Ravindra not debut much earlier? Clearly Ravindra was good enough 2 years ago and he's got game 2 years late. Everyone in the NZ Cricket circuit including past players tell you this. How did he not get a t20 game ahead of the likes of Nofal, Woodcock, Johnson etc? That clearly shows he's slowed down the lad. Lads like Nathan Smith, Zac Gibson etc have been in the domestic circuit for over 2 years now. Clearly Ravindra was probably the best player since 2016 U19 World cup. Every tom, dick and harry knew this but for Edgar.

2. Jeetan Patel bowls like 70 overs for 2 wickets and not letting any other spinners a chance. Ravindra was as good if not better than Patel in the super smash and it was nearly at the end of the campaign he got a go. Clearly shows not having guts to tell your most experienced bowler you are no more the only thing and there is a youth cricketer probably as good as you or better. Point in case, in the last game Ravindra bowled about 8 overs to Patel's 40+ overs for probably 1 wicket.

3. How does it sound when your local team has no captain from the local side? Michael Bracewell is the captain in the 4 day format and Hamish Bennett in the white ball. How did they go ahead of other Wellington players such as Luke Woodcock, Steve Murdoch, Tom Blundell etc? That is very average from the coach. Clearly not showing enough respect to the local lads knowledge of cricket and experience. Don't tell me there hasn't been a single Wellington player not good enough to captain the team during Edgar's tenure.

4. What was the point in signing up 40 year old Marshall? He just slowed down the likes of Ravindra and others. He played for a year and half or more, earned some bucks and left mid way through. Last year he was elevated to captaincy if I'm correct for 4 day games as well for 1 game or something like that?

The likes of Ravindra, Jacob Bhula were all NZ Cricket picks. Had nothing to do with Edgar or the coaching staff or even Wellington cricket. I'm not happy to give credit to Wellington for their growth.

 

[Athlai]

TBF the Papps signing went so well I can see why they'd roll the dice on Marshall.

 

[jcas0167]

TBF the Papps signing went so well I can see why they'd roll the dice on Marshall.

And the Marshall signing paid off. Led the team to the Super Smash title.

Otago just look like a really poor first class side this season. A real opportunity for a couple of CD/ND fringe players to get both a deposit on a cheap house and get some more regular game time next season

Just looking at the ND A v CD A match, the likes of Katene Clarke, Thorn Parkes, Christian Leopard and Will Luddick could all make a big impact for Otago.

 

[Kippax]

Not as simple as just requesting players move down there though, apparently. Bevan Small would miss his Manawatu Turbos games too much, and Leopard ain't no snow leopard. Wouldn't be surprised if those Manawatu and Hawke's Bay kids were secretly keener to just get their chance to play Otago over a five-match series and then banish the loser to the Hawke Cup afterwards.

https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/otago-still-two-years-away-coggan

Recruitment is an area in which the association needs to put more energy. But Coggan said it was not as easy as just making a phone call.

''We need to work with New Zealand Cricket to ensure all the best players are playing ... and currently you could question whether that is the case,'' he said.

''We also have a responsibility to support our best home-grown players and you are seeing the likes of Nathan Smith show he has what it takes across all three formats.

''But we have to determine which players have a strong future. Where we possibly have gaps then we really have to work hard to find a way of recruiting the best players in New Zealand.''

Right now there seem to be quite a few gaps.

 

[jcas0167]

Looks like the Governor General's XI v NZ Maori Secondary Schools XI was an entertaining match. Good to see some of the Under 19 squad players getting runs. Ollie White with a century and Ruben Love unbeaten on 77 off 55 balls to almost get the Maori Schools team home.

 

[Immenso]

I wonder of the delayed toss in the test match will mean Henry and Young aren't released in time to play PS tomorrow?

 

[jcas0167]

Footage of the Governor General's XI match. Under 19 rep Ruben Love takes 25 off an over at 7.22min into the clip. https://youtu.be/3_7x2O8QCIw

Finn Allen playing for Auckland this round.

 

[Immenso]

3 consecutive ducks now for Ravindra.

 

[Athlai]

Remember when Kane got a bunch of ducks in a row? This is clearly a good omen.

#nostoppingthehype

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Matt McEwan looks so village, absurd how he takes so many poles. Frankly embarrassing

 

[jcas0167]

Nice unbeaten fifty for Fletcher. Good to see him carry on his good form into the Plunket Shield. Sodhi doing well for MD.

 

[Kippax]

Matt McEwan looks so village, absurd how he takes so many poles. Frankly embarrassing

Look buddy he may've had a rough tour of NSW with Auckland A this summer, but there's no reason McEwan couldn't bowl and succeed offshore. The Illawarra Gorillas would be the natural choice.

 

[Kippax]

I sort of figured all of the Otago Daily Times' articles, then my own jibe about Otago being banished to the Hawke Cup, might whip around to backlash me in this round.

Pocknall badly needs to get van Beek back in form somehow next season. I imagine Derbyshire are pretty chuffed they could've bought a dud right at the end of his purple patch, just when he's getting left out by his New Zealand domestic team. On the flipside of that, LvB's fitness is always a renowned thing you hear about, so maybe he's about to thrive on the workload he'll get in county play, come back to us quite good again.

 

[nzfan]

3 consecutive ducks now for Ravindra.

He gets out to some great shots doesn't he? That pull shot is from the coaching manual. You'd take that to teach kids how to hook/pull but Ravindra found the fielder.

I remember vaguely him getting out pulling exactly like this against India A and getting out. Dream shots but not the results he wanted.

Andrew Fletcher looking awesome, he looks like a proper long format player. Someone must have been doing some good coaching.

 

[Chubb]

Andrew Fletcher looking awesome, he looks like a proper long format player. Someone must have been doing some good coaching.

A few years ago when Deepak Joon was selected by Wellington I commented on an NZ Domestic Season thread that “a young Onslow opener is in good form and could do the job. Worse players have got first class games.” That was Andrew Fletcher. I feel vindicated.

 

[Immenso]

Sodhi is doing really well at domestic level these days.

He did also last year IIRC, and I was quite confident in him when he was called in as Astle injury replacement for England series final test. I think he then bowled 15 overs zilch for 75 in that test.

 

[Immenso]

Having had my early aduthood scarred by seeing NZ batsmen completely flummoxed by Shane Warne and Mushtaq Ahmed. It's been great to have 3 legspinners on the NZ domestic scene the last 5 years.

Nethula is fading out now though, back down to only 2. (although Rippon and Coburn add some left arm wrist spin to the scene)

 

[vandem]

Sodhi is doing really well at domestic level these days.

He did also last year IIRC, and I was quite confident in him when he was called in as Astle injury replacement for England series final test. I think he then bowled 15 overs zilch for 75 in that test.

Sodhi also making useful runs for ND this season. 201 runs @ 50 before this game (helped by a few not outs), now a 40+ run 9th wicket partnership with Kuggs to give ND an outside chance of a win.

 

[Immenso]

Ironic applause for Rachin scoring a run again. Boundaries compliation so far this innings is of catchable slashes through gully.

 

[Immenso]

CD are going to waltz home in this comp.