**Official** New Zealand Domestic Season 2013/2014

[Kippax]

Canty go for Keen - sport - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Canty go for Keen
MATT RICHENS
Last updated 05:00 10/08/2013

Canterbury Cricket has plugged a hole in its batting stocks with an Australian boasting Big Bash league experience.

Simon Keen was yesterday named as the association's 14th contracted player. The 25-year-old batting all-rounder is Australian-born, but travels on a New Zealand passport, making him available for the Black Caps.

That's a long way off; the former Australian under-19 player is yet to play a first-class match.

He's played one domestic one-day game and one Twenty20 game for New South Wales and five Big Bash league matches for the Sydney Thunder.

Keen has been seen playing by a number of Canterbury cricket figures, including network coach Paul Wiseman, while Wizards head coach and high performance director Gary Stead has only seen film of him.

"When you look at our contracted players, we've essentially got three top order bats contracted to New Zealand and chances are we're going to lose two of them at least when the Black Caps are playing tests," Stead said.

That could affect six of Canterbury's 10 Plunket Shield matches.

Had Stead opted to offer the 14th contract to a local, the leading candidates would have been Willie Lonsdale, Tim Johnston, all-rounders Cole McConchie and Ben McCord, or bowler Ed Nuttall.

But none is regarded as an out and out batsman - McConchie is now valued as much for his off-spin as his batting - and Stead needed to strengthen the top and middle order.

"We want to see how he shapes up, there's no guarantees he'll play," Stead said of Keen.

It is understood Canterbury Cricket offered Keen a contract two years ago but he turned it down because he wasn't ready to move to New Zealand.

Stead said Keen could bat anywhere although he would likely feature in the middle order in the longer form of the game and could fill a fourth seamer's role.

 

[Flem274*]

This is starting to take the piss.

At least if he ever makes the test team and scores a ton it will show he's the third best batsman from Australia after Clarke and Brownlie.

 

[Flem274*]

Looking at the contracts in another light, imported players are bolded...

Auckland Aces

Added:
Robert O’Donnell

Complete list:
Dean Bartlett
Michael Bates
Craig Cachopa
Lockie Ferguson
Tipene Friday
Colin de Grandhomme
Donovan Grobbelaar
Gareth Hopkins?
Anaru Kitchen
Tim McIntosh
Robert O’Donnell
Matt Quinn
Jeet Raval
Bhupinder Singh


Canterbury Wizards

Added:
Simon Keen

Complete list:
Todd Astle
Hamish Bennett
Brad Cachopa
Andrew Ellis
Matthew Henry
Roneel Hira
Simon Keen
Ryan McCone
Matthew McEwan
Henry Nicholls
Rob Nicol
Shanan Stewart
Logan van Beek
George Worker

The Devon Hotel Central Stags

Added:
Ajaz Patel

Complete list:
Carl Cachopa
Greg Hay
Jamie How
Adam Milne
Andrew Mathieson
Tarun Nethula
Kieran Noema-Barnett
Ajaz Patel
Dean Robinson
Bevan Small
Ben Smith
Kruger van Wyk
Ben Wheeler
William Young


SKYCITY Northern Knights

Added:
James Baker
Tony Goodin
Scott Styris

Complete list:
Graeme Aldridge
James Baker
Jono Boult
Anton Devcich
Cameron Fletcher
Daniel Flynn
Tony Goodin
Jono Hickey
Scott Kuggeleijn
Daryl Mitchell
Ish Sodhi
Scott Styris
Anurag Verma
Brad Wilson

Otago Volts

Added:
Blair Soper

Complete list:
Nick Beard
Michael Bracewell
Neil Broom?
Ian Butler
Mark Craig
Derek De Boorder
Jacob Duffy
James McMillan
James Neesham
Aaron Redmond
Iain Robertson
Jesse Ryder
Blair Soper
Sam Wells

Wellington Firebirds

Added:
Iain McPeake

Complete list:
Brent Arnel
Josh Brodie
James Franklin
Mark Gillespie
Andy McKay
Iain McPeake
Stephen Murdoch
Michael Papps
Jeetan Patel
Michael Pollard
Luke Ronchi
Ili Tugaga
Henry Walsh
Luke Woodcock

ND and Auckland annoyingly good at bringing through their own.

 

[Kippax]

Hurricanes v Thunder - Debutant Simon Keen chats after the game - YouTube

 

[Kippax]

Hey hey, if you're going to say Ronchi and Keen, say CdG and Grobbelaar to be consistent. Ajaz Patel also an import for you from Auckland. Craig from SteveNZ's club in Auck. Redmond started as a Canty legspinner.

 

[Flem274*]

Forgot CdG. Didn't know whether Grobbelaar was an import or just had heritage.

 

[Kippax]

Fletcher was Auckland U19.

 

[Kippax]

The Home of CricketArchive

Yeah there's Grobbelaar at 22, still in SA.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I just made the mistake of reading the 2007 domestic season thread. We were all exaggerated versions of ourselves back then. Blakey was snarkier, Heef was more eccentric, Bahnz was on suicide watch and hey anyone else remember natman20? Whatever happened to him?

We don't have personalities anymore.

Lol @ you advocating Geoff Barnett to open for NZ...

And I wasn't more eccentric - just more energetic.

 

[Kippax]

Wellington Firebirds

Added:
Iain McPeake

Complete list:
Brent Arnel
Josh Brodie
James Franklin
Mark Gillespie
Andy McKay
Iain McPeake
Stephen Murdoch
Michael Papps
Jeetan Patel
Michael Pollard
Luke Ronchi
Ili Tugaga
Henry Walsh
Luke Woodcock

Impressively homegrown. It's just a question of one, two or all three spoons sadly.

 

[Kippax]

Looks like Chris Cairns is back from Canberra and starting an Auckland academy (I believe he and his wife were in Canberra for the best treatment of his deaf daughter) -
https://www.facebook.com/cairnscricket

He can certainly come in for McMillan on a Friday night HRV roster if he likes.

 

[brockley]

Cairns not at Fox then?

 

[Kippax]

Guess not, unless he does an Andrew Voss in reverse.

Hard for me to actually see Cairns mucking down with Smithy, Macca, Doully and Laura at NZ domestic games itbt. Would be a massive departure from the Dubai diamond dealing and black tie regatta pretence that's characterised his post-playing days so far.

 

[Kippax]

Haha, madness. Who knew this thread is about four months ahead of the game. We'll be using Dukes in no time.

Ahhh, there it is...

 

[hendrix]

dunno what the payout for the Lalit Modi case was but I hope it funds a fair few of those black tie regattas tbh

 

[Kippax]

Well actually, no.

Pricey regatta sank Cairns' events company

 

[hendrix]

oh jesus...expecting 12-1400 "fashion conscious" to enjoy a Pimm's by the lake...in Canberra

 

[jcas0167]

Looks like Chris Cairns is back from Canberra and starting an Auckland academy (I believe he and his wife were in Canberra for the best treatment of his deaf daughter) -
https://www.facebook.com/cairnscricket

He can certainly come in for McMillan on a Friday night HRV roster if he likes.

That would be excellent, his commentary was quite good when he had a go around 2006? Also, NZC could do worse than get him to mentor some of the young all-rounders like Anderson & Neesham.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more jubiliation here about Robert O'Donnell getting a contract with Auckland. I recall there was a lot of talk about this guy here over summer, especially when he didn't play in the A or under 19 tournament?

Actually, the extra contracts generally seem to have gone to quite promising players. Hopefully Keen follows in Brownlie's tracks. Anyone who can make the Australian under 19's can't be too shabby.

Shame about Simon Hickey playing rugby for Auckland in ITM Cup. Sounds like he could be quite a good cricketer, but will probably be snapped up as the Blues missed Barrett.

 

[Kippax]

Yeah Immenso was hot about that with O'Donnell. Turned out he was on an OE in the UK for a year.

Kippax also found out about the Hong Kong U19 kid Mark Chapman at the same time; recovering from a serious knee injury.

http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/news/blackcaps-heading-to-holiday-destinations/10905/article.aspx

1st ANZ Test Tues 3 - Sat 7 December University Oval Dunedin
2nd ANZ Test Wed 11 - Sun 15 December Basin Reserve Wellington
3rd ANZ Test Thu 19 - Mon 23 December Seddon Park Hamilton
1st ANZ ODI Thu 26 December Eden Park Auckland
2nd ANZ ODI Sun 29 December McLean Park Napier
3rd ANZ ODI Wed 1 January Events Centre Queenstown
4th ANZ ODI Sat 4 January Saxton Oval Nelson
5th ANZ ODI Wed 8 January Seddon Park Hamilton
1st ANZ T20 Sat 11 January Eden Park Auckland
2nd ANZ T20 Wed 15 January Westpac Stadium Wellington

White is still awaiting details of the Indian tour planned for late January and February 2014.

“I have to admit discussions with the Board of Cricket Control for India have taken longer than we hoped but we should be able to announce the tour schedule in the next few weeks”.

 

[Kippax]

Bruce Edgar to be New Zealand Cricket Selection... | Stuff.co.nz

Bruce Edgar is set to be unveiled as New Zealand Cricket national selection manager this week.

Sir Richard Hadlee led the appointment panel to replace controversial Australian Kim Littlejohn, who was shown the door at the end of his contract.

While New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White was reluctant to confirm specifics yesterday, the Sunday Star-Times understands Edgar has got the job.