*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[RossTaylorsBox]

Yeah such a good nick.

 

[Moss]

The current Blackcaps need to get Allott, Larsen, Twose and Cairns in to instruct them on how to not totally mentally disintegrate when playing Australia.

There's a live flashback of game three of the tri-series in Australia 1997/98 going on now courtesy cricket.com.au, and while NZ were somewhat clearly outgunned then (the gap has surely reduced considerably in the last decade, despite what the head-to-head results would suggest), you get the feeling that lot really enjoyed playing Australia. The present class need to learn to lighten up a bit you feel.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

We did beat them in the final match of that series before the Aus v South Africa finals ... great ton from Fleming IIRC.

 

[_Ed_]

Now there's a NZ-Sri Lanka ODI from 2001. What a formidable opening pair - Spearman and Parore!

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Happy to see this South Africa NZ ODI at Carisbrook in 2004 being replayed ... the only ODI I attended in my uni days in Dunedin, since it was the last international played at Carisbrook.

 

[_Ed_]

Man, Vettori's ODI record was quite ordinary at this stage - 129 games, 114 wickets @ 37.

 

[_Ed_]

Papps looked so good in ODIs before Brett Lee maimed him.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Still feel it was a bit harsh he was discarded from ODIs never to play again after that ... he did average 50 after all!

Even if that average was bolstered by the Lee retired hurt ...

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Michael Papps' international career:

8 tests, 7 vs South Africa
6 ODIs, 5 vs South Africa

 

[_Ed_]

I liked that the Dunedin game ended with a good old "HOLY COW!" from Martin Crowe in the comm box.

 

[SteveNZ]

So with our borders likely to be closed for a significant period of time (as the PM said yesterday), I think we can start to get our head around the fact there won't be any touring teams this summer. Supposed to have WI, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh during that time. Unless there's some measure by which we can ensure those people coming into our country are virus-free and safe? The World T20 obviously comes into question as well, although the country it's held in doesn't seem too worried by all that is going on.

So there's a chance there might be a domestic feast for us next summer. Black Caps playing in all three domestic formats, a North South competition potentially, not going to be a huge money spinner but a lot of us on here would get pretty excited about. Great chance to see a guy like Sears bowl to Kane, Rachin open up against Trent and Southee etc.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

So with our borders likely to be closed for a significant period of time (as the PM said yesterday), I think we can start to get our head around the fact there won't be any touring teams this summer. Supposed to have WI, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh during that time. Unless there's some measure by which we can ensure those people coming into our country are virus-free and safe? The World T20 obviously comes into question as well, although the country it's held in doesn't seem too worried by all that is going on.

So there's a chance there might be a domestic feast for us next summer. Black Caps playing in all three domestic formats, a North South competition potentially, not going to be a huge money spinner but a lot of us on here would get pretty excited about. Great chance to see a guy like Sears bowl to Kane, Rachin open up against Trent and Southee etc.

The domestic cricket sounds quite good when you put it like that, with all the Blackcaps involved. I've got 12 months credit for flights and accommodation in Dunedin for the t20 vs Australia I was meant to go to with a mate ... now looking at that becoming a visit to attend a super smash game! lol

Test Championship is in disarray ... just when we were starting to look good.

 

[Flem274*]

if australia can't make the final mathematically they should just give us the trophy.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Trophy to be decided on an average boundaries per match calculation.

 

[Flem274*]

i think we'll get some behind closed doors internationals, but if it's all done and dusted, we'll probably see a lot of player movement domestically with 15 black cap regular squad players returning for a full provincial summer.

i can't see scott kugglejuggle sitting patiently behind boult/southee/wagner for example. he's not known for taking rejection well.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Conway cleared for tour of Bang (if it goes ahead).

 

[Flametree]

The test part of the tour should go ahead as no-one watches test cricket in Bangladesh so social distancing for the crowd shouldn't be a problem..... keeping the close in fielders 2m apart will be harder....

I was going to ask how Conway fits into the side - feels like he should walk into the team in short formats, but not sure if he gets in ahead of Blundell or Nicholls in tests. Was going to ask how he goes against spin vs pace, but I seriously doubt we'll be playing international cricket by August, so he'll probably have to prove his form in provincial cricket to get in.

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah, he's going to have another domestic season to prove this summer wasn't a fluke.

Sobering to think there was supposed to be a T20 two nights ago but international cricket, or cricket in general, feels a very distant memory.

 

[SteveNZ]

Spare a thought for Will Young...he was supposed to debut against Bangladesh last year but the mosque shootings put paid to that. He then puts his hand up again in the WC warm-ups against Australia, only to blow his shoulder out. Was very likely going to Bangladesh again to tour in August (although touch and go with Conway) but that's now very likely off...and the chances of us playing any international cricket in the next 12 months isn't great.

He's potentially going to have 2 years of potential international cricket wiped out by a combination of a mass shooting, an injury and a pandemic. Thankfully he's only 27 and a half but that's a significant period of time for someone to lose, and realistically a big chunk of time that's been stripped out of his development.

 

[Kippax]

I was going to ask how Conway fits into the side - feels like he should walk into the team in short formats, but not sure if he gets in ahead of Blundell or Nicholls in tests. Was going to ask how he goes against spin vs pace, but I seriously doubt we'll be playing international cricket by August, so he'll probably have to prove his form in provincial cricket to get in.

I did watch Conway's 94 from three weeks ago. A game with a Glenn Phillips 4/70 and a Michael Bracewell 5/43, so about as spin-friendly as the Shield cricket here ever gets.

I'd say he currently lacks a nicely assertive and dancing front foot and a powerful top arm to knock spinners down the ground for easy singles. I certainly didn't get the impression he could milk Delport and Phillips at three an over on a pitch like that one and make the bowlers feel utterly out of their league and out of the hunt.