*Official* New Zealand Domestic Cricket Season 2012/2013

[Kippax]

Cricket | Michael Papps backs New Zealand selectors... | Stuff.co.nz

Guptill is currently sidelined due to thumb surgery and won't be considered till the May tests against England, at the earliest. Jesse Ryder's availability for the Champions Trophy is unknown and will be discussed at the end of the season.

"I'm pretty pleased with most of the other aspects of the [ODI] game but the top order, we haven't quite nailed that yet," Hesson said.

Hesson, who is chief selector, needs to name a 30-man squad about six weeks before the Champions Trophy, which starts for New Zealand on June 9 against Sri Lanka in Cardiff. Three ODIs against England precede the tournament.

Anyone can take me on at this Hesson 30 btw. Not sure about CdG's place in the frame these days, I've ended up deciding he's just too dopey and laxed out to ever really be a Hesscum player ahead of Anderson or Neesham.

Guptill - Watling - Williamson - Taylor - McCullum - Elliott - Franklin - Ronchi - Munro - Anderson - Latham - Rutherford - Nicol - Papps - Fulton

Notables not in the 30: Ryder, Kitchen, CdG, Broom, How, Devcich.

Southee - Boult - Mills - Mitch - NcCullum - Milne - Vettori - Henry - Ellis - Hira - Bracewell - Neesham - Butler - Bennett - Wagner

Notables not in the 30: Wheeler, Nethula, Bates, Martin, McKay, Jeets, Beard, Kuggs, Duffman.

[Howsie]

This isn't the worst compilation though for a guy in his rookie season, and I think Howsie's right that he should've never been missing out on FC experience to ****ing Hiini.
"At a Glance" | Andrew Mathieson - YouTube

Hmmmm, if that isn't pushing 140+ I'm worried for 95 percent of the domestic bowlers running around.

Six rounds in and we finally have someone score 100, probably the lowest score we've made all season mind Happy to see Hickey in the runs since he's come in, quality bat, likewise Clarke. You wouldn't be able to upload some highlights of Jono Hickey would you Kippax?

Liking Neesham up the order too.

[Kippax]

Jono Hickey, First Week for ND - YouTube

[straw man]

So CD got utterly SMASSHHED by those limited-overs specialists from Auckland - but I see Small didn't bat for CD. Don't tell me that's another injury.

And I thought we were doing well to have all three of Small, Wheeler and Henry on the park at the same time

[Blain]

Hmmmm, if that isn't pushing 140+ I'm worried for 95 percent of the domestic bowlers running around.

Six rounds in and we finally have someone score 100, probably the lowest score we've made all season mind Happy to see Hickey in the runs since he's come in, quality bat, likewise Clarke. You wouldn't be able to upload some highlights of Jono Hickey would you Kippax?

Liking Neesham up the order too.

Look at that video, then watch Bennetts come back video (Great work Kippax, as always). Bennett is around that 140kph mark, and he looks a notch quicker than Mathieson. The thing with him is his height, he's a tall unit. So he gets that extra lift off the pitch. I dont thinks he's a fast bowler, just a Fast Medium with that extra bit of bounce. Still a good talent, young and stills looks like he needs to fill out a little.

[Kippax]

Yeah, also we now know Munro tends to be late on his slog pulls at 140kph, whereas he went to town on Mathieson three times today on a pretty quick pitch.

Welcome Home Chops - YouTube

[ch00baka]

Can anyone explain why Nathan McCullum is batting at 5 for Otago, while Iain Robertson is batting 8 and doesn't get a bowl?

[Kippax]

Can anyone explain why Nathan McCullum is batting at 5 for Otago, while Iain Robertson is batting 8 and doesn't get a bowl?

Not seen as a strike-rotating middle overs guy I don't think Robertson, just used to take a lusty swing from the second powerplay on.

Ironically, a few ND bats would now be smart to head to Dunedin in pursuit of a contract, Otago seem that light on batting depth.

[Immenso]

I have just watched Henry and Bennett video from today's game v Wellington. Both bowled a great first over each, before it went downhill. Papps took to Bennett while Elliot took to Henry. Boy, Elliot looked in good touch one he started hitting boundaries.

[Smudge]

I have never actually seen Burtt bowl. Has anyone?

No, but I saw him a fair bit of him at the bar at Lone Star Petone. Let's just say Leighton Burtt is a big fan of Leighton Burtt.

[BeeGee]

Vettori

Is Vettori available for ODIs again? When did that happen?

[Kippax]

No we don't know. A high profile shorter forms comp is something he should be keen on though, after being out for as long as he has. He'll be playing a Ford Trophy game during this test.

[Kippax]

.

Vettori said he has been in regular contact with Black Caps coach Mike Hesson and was keeping an open mind about his availability for the different formats should he make his way back.

‘‘But if the Achilles doesn’t come right, then maybe I’ll have some harder decisions to make.’’

The 34-year-old had last month targeted Northern’s Ford Trophy match against the Auckland Aces at Eden Park’s Outer Oval on Sunday as a possible return to domestic cricket, but said that may yet be pushing things a little and an appearance against the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve next Wednesday may be more realistic.

Vettori admitted part of his readjusted goals during his layoff was to be back in the national side for their tour of England starting in May, but was still wary of looking too far ahead.
‘‘I’ve already had to change a few expectations along the way,’’ he said, after taking longer than hoped to overcome the Achilles problem in his left leg, while he also had to overcome a hernia.

‘‘The hernia basically cured itself after the operation, but the leg has been a bit harder.’’

I saw a specialist in Melbourne in December and she gave me a three-month programme that has worked pretty well.

‘‘Now I just need to get back out on the park and see how it stands up.’’

[Kippax]

Sinclair axed.

Sinclair missing from Stags equation | Hawke's Bay Today

Doug Bracewell is back and so is Adam Milne but that's hardly the story for tomorrow's domestic cricket match.

It's more a case of who isn't in the mix of outgoing coach Alan Hunt for the round-seven Ford Trophy match at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, that makes you go mmm.

Wait for it ... Mathew Sinclair.

Go through the Devon Hotel Central Districts Stags line-up and at the familiar No4 position crops up the name William Young.

Co-selectors Hunt, Gary Cunningham and Craig Ross have dropped Mr Reliable from the defending champions' team to play the Wellington Firebirds in a last-ditch attempt to keep their hopes alive to make the top-four play-offs.

"Mathew's form is not as good as we hoped of a player of his stature," says Hunt of the 37-year-old who has 36 first-class centuries to his credit for the 2012-13 Plunket Shield champions.

CD Stags: Jamie How, Jeet Raval, Carl Cachopa, William Young, Ben Smith, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Kruger van Wyk (wk), Doug Bracewell, Tarun Nethula, Adam Milne, Andrew Mathieson, Ajaz Patel.

[Immenso]

Does anybody know who, if any, NZers have county contracts this winter?

Is Williamson still contracted to Gloucester?
If so, would he gets games in before the NZ tour, or have they contracted another overseas player for the first half of the season as a replacement?

I read, on Stuff, that McClenaghan was looking for a county contract.
I assume Guptill finished at Derby, hence on the IPL list.

Oram has signed for Worcester, assume T20 only.

It would be nice to get some players over there before the tour, have looked up itineraries, and there would be 3 rounds of county games before BZ first tour match.