***Official*** New Zealand Domestic Season 2017/18

[Kippax]

The morning game:

 

[nzfan]

Ravindra is going okay in the Firebirds trials at Kelburn Park today, in his clearly least-favoured format. Relatively expensive with the ball (ER 9), but employed a slap through midwicket and a few deflections through third man to generate a T20 strike-rate.

How do you get to see this? Are you subscribed? I only get to see the team scores.

Ravindra has very good strike rate for someone I thought is a purist batter. He's smoked few sixes. Bowling looks a bit dodgy in the first game, 7 extras but he's only gone for 1 four in his 3 over spell.

Matt Taylor warmed up nicely by the looks of it. Chander Ravi, that's a name I haven't seen for a while.

How's Andrew fletcher? Never seen him bat. He was the top scorer for wellington A side last year.

 

[Kippax]

How do you get to see this? Are you subscribed? I only get to see the team scores.

Yeah I went ahead and joined as a fan for US$1.99 a month, despite CricHQ's obviously shaky future. Put in 1monthfree as the coupon code.

Fletcher's never really batted in a style that appeals to my eye, but he's certainly done enough for Onslow and Wgtn A to be rewarded with a few caps for the Firebirds at some stage.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

Otago just not up to it, coach says

``I thought our bowlers brought us back into the game brilliantly [on Thursday] which was a huge positive.

``But our top order continues to struggle against pace and a ball that, let's be fair, was moving laterally off the seam. We just weren't up to it.''

While the Volts faced some challenging batting conditions against a bowler in career-best form, Walter expected more from his batting line-up and is not sure what his next move is.

``We are talking about guys who are highly experienced and you would expect that they would be able to draw on that experience and be able to come up with a plan - and they just haven't.

``At the end of the day, it is always a tricky one to understand what is the next step. What do you do with a unit like that who have a lot of caps under the belt?''

The reality is Walter could tinker with the order but the best players available were all in the team. He has little choice but to hope the players rediscover their touch.

 

[Kippax]

I'll be quite interested to see if Otago's senior players adopt any sort of "keep your hate speech off our campus!" approach with Rob Walter.

Any Trigglypuff pushback on Walter will probably only inspire Doull to tell us Neesham's dismissals are softer than a fluffy toy's, for like the 20th time.

http://citizen.co.za/sport/south-africa-sport/sa-cricket-sport/1192745/rob-walter-leaving-sa/

Walter has won four trophies in his three-year term with the Titans, including both the Sunfoil Series and RamSlam T20 Challenge crowns last season, and, with Russell Domingo’s position as national coach under threat, was one of the favourites to succeed him along with Highveld Lions mentor Geoff Toyana.

 

[NZTailender]

I mean I know Neesham is some kind of BC 'talent' to be given preference and development or whatever but if I was Anaru Kitchen batting 7 behind Neesham (and de Boorder) I'd be pretty ****ing livid.

 

[Blain]

Especially considering Kitchen's form last season.

NZ media are pushing LVB as a "all rounder" bolter this season. 5 years of being bog average, 3 good bowling games and suddenly he's an all rounder. He's clearly behind Boult, Wagner, Southee, Fergo, Henry, Nutell, Bennett, Kuggs, Milne, Wheeler, Rance and Jamieson. Can't see it happening.

I remember when Broom first made the Blackcaps his bowling was mentioned in the media, with him being able to bowl a few in the middle of innings lol..

Batting all rounders are hard to find in NZ ATM.

 

[Kippax]

Yeah I somewhat agree, but I think there is a unique chance with van Beek that he quickly puts his useless seasons as a wannabe bounce bowler on slow South Island clays behind him.

I think I've got to remain open to that, just on how capable of nicking out an international batsman some of these overs look to the eye -

 

[Kippax]

Unfortunately Coburn's not here in Wellington for tomorrow's match. He's playing for Canty A.

 

[jcas0167]

I'd wait couple more weeks before jumping on the bandwagon. North city at best can't even be considered good enough 3rd xi. I'd discount any runs against Naenae and North city. I'm not sure why those two teams are in the fray. Doesn't make any sense, they struggle to put a team on the park.

Speaking to someone from that squad they were apparently v impressed with Conway's performance on a relatively green Kelburn wicket.

 

[Kippax]

News that Ferguson will be rested by Auckland.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...-as-canterbury-try-to-stop-wellingtons-charge

Northern Districts (from): Daniel Flynn (c), James Baker, Trent Boult, Anton Devcich, Scott Kuggeleijn, Bharat Popli, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson

Auckland (from): Michael Guptill-Bunce (c),Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Danru Ferns, Martin Guptill, Ben Horne, Ben Lister, Matt McEwan, Colin Munro, Robbie O'Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Jeet Raval

Wellington (from): Michael Bracewell (c), Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Fraser Colson, Ian McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Ollie Newton, Jeetan Patel, Michael Papps, Matt Taylor, Logan van Beek, Luke Woodcock

Canterbury (from): Andrew Ellis (c), Chad Bowes, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ken McClure, Cole McConchie, Todd Astle, Cam Fletcher, Tim Johnston, Matt Henry, Henry Shipley, Will Williams

Otago (from): Rob Nicol (c), Matt Bacon, Neil Broom, Mark Craig, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Anaru Kitchen, Jimmy Neesham, Michael Rae, Hamish Rutherford, Brad Wilson, Neil Wagner

Central Districts (from): Will Young (c), Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay, Adam Milne, Ajaz Patel, Navin Patel, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner, Ryan Watson, George Worker

 

[Blain]

Really looking forward to this round. It's a shame the Test squad has already been announced, everyone should be fighting for their spots.

That Knights batting line up.. Seems like they are banking on rolling Auckland twice, which they probably should.

 

[vandem]

A marked difference in attacks in Hamilton:

Southee - Boult - Kuggeleijn - Baker - Sodhi - Santner

vs

Lister - de Grandhomme - McEwan - Ferns - Munro - Chapman


Was interested to see how much first class cricket Southee and Boult have played for ND recently. Looked back 5 seasons, they have played in 8 games for ND, for 7 wins and a draw (Wgtn in a high scoring game in Hamilton). Southee 7 games, 44 wickets @ 16, Boult (more injuries) 5 games, 20 wickets @ 18.

I think Guptill-Bunce would have got a few high fives for winning the toss this morning.

 

[Bahnz]

News that Ferguson will be rested by Auckland.

That's good, it was a nervous moment when I checked on the Auckland v Northern scorecard and saw that he wasn't playing.

 

[Blain]

Would be a bit pissed if I was Popli, I can't see the need for Baker in this match.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Well van Beek has got rid of Latham early ... he’s the sort of guy I’d give a go in NZ A ... in good form and could be useful for NZ this season if he keeps it up. Although the NZ A side actually looks pretty good, so I’m not sure where he’d slot in. I was expecting there to be a Broom-like bowling or all round selection in there that I could complain about haha.

CDG, Southee and Henry in the test side are the ones I’d question, if anything.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Hasn’t Van Beek thrown his lot in with the Dutch?

 

[The Hutt Rec]

It says here, at least, that he still has Blackcaps aspirations: https://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...w-recruit-logan-van-beek-lifts-to-new-heights

He’s got rid of Nicholls now, too.

He’s officially replaced Woodcock as this year’s wildcard Wellington test prospect.

 

[Bahnz]

Hasn’t Van Beek thrown his lot in with the Dutch?

Yeah, ICC rules say it's fine for people to play for associate nations without it impact on their ability to transition immediately into a full member side. That's why you used to see Dirk Nannes playing for the Netherlands too (not to mention Morgan's rapid transition from Ireland to England).