*Official* NZ Domestic Season

[anzac]

just a quick question for the locals re the domestic season & this poor early season weather & pitches.............

is there any merit in either starting the season later, or if the tail end is then affected by autumn weather should they look at possibly shortening the domestic comp?????

eg - drop the Home & Away format for the Championship & have it season about - Home one year Away the next, and then play a regional series to not only pad out the season, but to also add some bite to the player performances for selection????? IMO they should not shorten the Championship without this other comp (Nth v Sth etc).........as this would degrade the importance of the Championship, which is not my intent...

IMO the poor early season weather makes this part of the Champ season a lottery / farce & too bowler friendly, whereas starting the season later on better pitches and use the Championship as an appetiser for the 2nd comp series may help sort the men from the boys so to speak..........and may provide a better indication as to possible depth / talent.............

any thoughts???????

 

[Kent]

I can't really see any merit in moving or shortening the domestic season for the following reasons:

1) The NZ domestic season really needs to start before the international season, giving players a chance to prove their fitness/form. NZC will always see it as crucial the BCs are in action over the the Xmas/new year period to maximise revenue.

2) The Nov/Dec pitches at Lincoln, the Basin and McLean Park were superb surfaces.

3) April conditions may be OK in most regions, but NZC probably doesn't have enough cash to fund play for that long. Currently there's 8-9 FC games for each province a season (that's all NZC can afford), so there's no real point stretching the season out.

Like I said earlier in the thread, IMO it's time to give up this 'road show' approach to the domestic comps. In typically dry climates like central Otago and south Canty you may be able to get away with grounds putting on one big game a year, but in the likes of Taranaki, Taupo and Waikanae it's risky to say the least.

Napier has had sunny weather with temps in the mid-30s, yet McLean Park has been empty for the last four weeks. Putting aside the politics and the warm fuzzies of giving every town a turn, there's no cricketing sense in that whatsoever.

 

[Tim]

Sorry I forgot all about Sinclair...yeah I think he's shown sufficient improvement recently to stay in the side.

Kent, I agree...it's time to stop playing our domestic matches in pokey areas of NZ where the wickets are barely club standard.

 

[Will Scarlet]

Sorry I forgot all about Sinclair...yeah I think he's shown sufficient improvement recently to stay in the side.

Kent, I agree...it's time to stop playing our domestic matches in pokey areas of NZ where the wickets are barely club standard.

More domestic cricket should be played at central grounds, similar to the Pura Cup. They generally only play away from home for OD games, from memory.

Players would get used to playing consistently in better conditions, rather than playing all over the place on dodgy wickets.

 

[Kent]

Can anyone tell me the ND side for tomorrow's match against Wellington? Butler's obviously out, and I think I heard James Marshall is injured, in which case Watling might be opening again.

Incredibly it's forecast to be fine for the next four days, so I can pretty much pick the most convenient time to sneak down for a while.

Fleming and Watling (to put a style to the name) are probably the guys I'd most like to spend a bit of time watching. Unfortunately ever since I talked Ryder up, he's been woeful!

 

[Smudge]

Kent,

Just picked this up off the sports wires at work:

Northern Districts: Daniel Vettori (captain), BJ Watling, Llorne Howell, Matthew Hart, Daniel Flynn, Scott Styris, Hamish Marshall, Mark Orchard, Joseph Yovich, Peter McGlashan, Daryl Tuffey, Graeme Aldridge (one to be omitted)
Wellington: Matthew Bell (captain), Michael Parlane, Stephen Fleming, Luke Woodcock, Neal Parlane, Jesse Ryder, Stu Mills, James Franklin, Chris Nevin, Iain O'Brien, Ash Turner, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel (two to be omitted).

 

[Kent]

Thanks Voltman.

Bruce Martin must hate Vettori - he can't even be a provincial cricketer when 'Getty' is around it seems.

 

[Smudge]

Thanks Voltman.

Bruce Martin must hate Vettori - he can't even be a provincial cricketer when 'Getty' is around it seems.

I'm sure Otago would welcome him with open arms... plus he wouldn't have to live in the scungy Waikato...

 

[ND_fan]

Not disagreeing with you but I'd say Martin's still out with an ankle injury he picked up at training a bit over a week ago.

 

[bryce]

yeah martin's sitting this one out, not like ND need to bolster their bowling or play two spinners for that matter, also watling has been given a permament top order spot to play himself into first class cricket a few people on here will be pleased to hear.
funny we were talking about jeff wilson playing for NZ again last night aye tim

 

[bryce]

I'm sure Otago would welcome him with open arms... plus he wouldn't have to live in the scungy Waikato...

what are the perks in invercargill ?

 

[Smudge]

what are the perks in invercargill ?

Cheap living and cheap women.

 

[rogerramjet]

Voltman and Bryce, do either of you know why Te Ahu Davis is not playing for ND? Has he been sent away for titanium vertebrae surgery aswell??

 

[Smudge]

Voltman and Bryce, do either of you know why Te Ahu Davis is not playing for ND? Has he been sent away for titanium vertebrae surgery aswell??

Wouldn't have a clue - although any bionic strengthening would be much appreciated.

 

[rogerramjet]

Maybe they could attach some bungy while they're at it.

 

[bryce]

Voltman and Bryce, do either of you know why Te Ahu Davis is not playing for ND? Has he been sent away for titanium vertebrae surgery aswell??

nope, he was actually bowling a bit of spin at my clubs training yesterday, he also took alot of wickets at the 'A' tournament recently and scored two fifties aswell, he hasn't been playing because of the bowling depth in ND with the black caps back, except him to play when the national players are called upon for the world XI series

 

[bryce]

Cheap living and cheap women.

see you soon

 

[Smudge]

see you soon

We don't take just anyone down here - you'll have to pass the inbreeding test.

 

[bryce]

We don't take just anyone down here - you'll have to pass the inbreeding test.

no problems

 

[anzac]

Kent,

Good points and I agree re the travelling roadshow - circus is the word I'd use....

if NZCC is so strapped for cash & need the BC's to be on show then perhaps they could start the season with some sort of alternative series & play it down South were the pitches are supposedly better at that time of year???

IMO the current format for the Championship is a disgrace re these early season pitches, and does not do any good for NZL cricket.............let alone 'fringe' player development - no wonder we can't develop genuine top order batsmen, seam or spin bowlers.................