*Official* New Zealand Domestic Cricket Season 2012/2013

[straw man]

Gets a decent number of revs on the ball and it was a very nice delivery to get the wicket today. Looked pretty vulnerable when attacked though - floating the ball up with not much side-spin to worry the batsman.

This match looks close - India A 5th wicket down with 69 needed from 75.

[Kippax]

Not sure the game will actually see a standard finish, be very close on the DL too.

[straw man]

nockdemover! Nice ball from McKay to bowl Kumar and India A need 13 from 20 with 2 wickets in hand.

McKay didn't bowl particularly well earlier but has been decent in his latter five-ish overs. McClenaghan won't be happy with his 9th over giving away 16 and ruining what would have been good figures.

nockdemoveragain! One wicket remaining.

It does look dark on the video tbh

[straw man]

going off with only 2 overs to go and 10 runs needed - a bit strange

[straw man]

Didn't realise there was another one-dayer today.

Didn't see it but Flynn, Broom and De Boorder look to have perfected the art of the 50-and-out while Wagner took 4 wickets and Nethula 3. Was pretty impressed with Wagner's accuracy from what I saw of this series - has not been a very good limited overs bowler but perhaps that will change this season.

[Kippax]

Newest recruit of the Wagner WAC club, Unmukt keen on club captaincy in fact.
Unmukt vs. Wagner - YouTube

[benchmark00]

Originally Posted by Kippax

Newest recruit of the Wagner WAC club, Unmukt keen on club captaincy in fact.
Unmukt vs. Wagner - YouTube

Great footage.

Unmukt looks a serious player.

[Immenso]

The 'A' 'test' has started.

That's a fairly uninspiring NZ 'A' team IMO. The only players that I am 'excited' about how they will perform in this elevated standard are Wagner, Nethula, Latham, and I suppose Wells and Broom.

The rest are provincial journeymen. Although I don't begrudge them their opportnities as they have earned them.

But I would be more interested in Murdoch, Rutherford, McClenaghan, and D de Boorder playing. I also would hope Astle gets an opportunity. Apart from de Boorder they are guys who have 'broken through' in their second attempt at FC cricket after struggling as youngsters, or denied opportunities.

Unfortunately I can't think of too many young guns who have missed out, They are all either still way of the pace, not guns at all, already in the Blackcaps, or still too young. But perhaps B Small or B Wheeler if not injured? It would have been an excellent place for Milne to be playing rather than wasting his time in Sri Lanka.

[Immenso]

My post about the ‘journeyman-ness’ of the NZ A team has got me thinking about the young or promising guys I’m interested in this season. Plus some similar posts by others a few pages ago.

On the seam or bowling front. I’m still very interested in the CD bowlers Milne, Small, Wheeler. I really like what I saw of Small last season on the video-player. I’m probably most interested in Matt Henry though, I really hope his surgery is a success. Plus Jacob Duffy looks extremely promising.

McClenaghan had a breakthrough at the end of last season, I will be interested to see if that is the new normal, or just a purple patch. He was getting some really good shape.

Players I usually follow the last few years Southee, Boult, Bracewell, Wagner have graduated and are now likely to be away for almost the entire season.

Bennett may be back, will be interested in the big fellas progress. I will also be interest in Kuggeleijn’s progress. I reckon he needs to add more to his armoury at this level, will be interested to see what sort of help he got over the off season.

I’m no spin bowling expert. But I am interested in the two leggies as per usual (Nethula and Astle). Plus I am now extremely interested in Sodhi now that he has moved to ND and should see plenty of game time. Unfortunately not much going on with the finger spinners. Beard really needs to make some progress. Joe Walker was ripping it up in Hawke Cup but then got nothing when elevated to Plunket Shield and eventually didn’t even make the U19 world cup squad. But if he gets an opportunity I will be interested.

[straw man]

Originally Posted by Immenso

The 'A' 'test' has started.

That's a fairly uninspiring NZ 'A' team IMO.

Agree - don't see much point in giving a game to Arnel and Woodcock (are we calling him a batsman these days?). Worker and Brownlie deserve to be there though.

Young over De Boorder and Wells over CDG must tell us something about where NZ selectors rate those players.

[Immenso]

Fairly woeful bowling performance in the first hour from the NZ A seamers on a green September wicket.

[straw man]

Wells bowling quite nicely. Just bowled a nice climbing outswinger, edged straight to first slip and put down. Looked pretty unimpressed!

[SteveNZ]

Originally Posted by straw man

Agree - don't see much point in giving a game to Arnel and Woodcock (are we calling him a batsman these days?). Worker and Brownlie deserve to be there though.

Young over De Boorder and Wells over CDG must tell us something about where NZ selectors rate those players.

CDG is in South Africa with the Aces, so not really much doing there. Although Wells was 12th man v Zimbabwe last season and is a better bowler than Colin, whilst being a better fit for Test cricket in the middle order currently as well. So he'd probably get the nod anyway.

Hesson rates Young very highly and if he was coach 12 months ago, Reece would still be there. Derek unlucky though.

[Kippax]

Notice Nethula's been back in the workshop a bit action-wise.
Nethula, 2008/2009 - 2011/12 - 2012/13 - YouTube

[Kippax]

Originally Posted by Immenso

My post about the ‘journeyman-ness’ of the NZ A team has got me thinking about the young or promising guys I’m interested in this season. Plus some similar posts by others a few pages ago.

Sodhi's struck an ideal season to be a rookie tbh. We can look at it a bit like an ITM Cup rugby season rather than Super 15. For every spell he risks getting some treatment from a Ryder he'll get ten spells of really hapless domestix who play back to quicker balls and generally have no idea.

Duffy seemed like he hadn't really progressed in the four months between the Quad Series and the U19 World Cup like some of the other team's seamers had, was stuck in Southland mind you. Iain O'Brien sent me a tweet saying he loved Duffy, really wanted to work with him.

Possible Will Young might find some lusty 'just go' T20 to be to his liking. Quite powerful square which should help at CD's home venues. Have him pegged as an all too modern NZ talent though as his WC scores suggested.

5 NZ U19 v S Africa U19 Townsville 25 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 867
5 NZ U19 v India U19 Townsville 23 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 860
8 NZ U19 v W Indies U19 Townsville 20 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 852
18 NZ U19 v Pakistan U19 Buderim 16 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 843
3 NZ U19 v Afghan U19 Buderim 14 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 833
115 NZ U19 v Scot U19 Buderim 12 Aug 2012 Youth ODI # 828
97 NZ U19 v Nepal U19 Buderim 8 Aug 2012 Other OD
0 NZ U19 v S Africa U19 Brisbane 7 Aug 2012 Other OD