***Official New Zealand Domestic Season 2021/22***

[straw man]

Odds on this Bay Oval ends today, day 2. I can't even write this post without more wickets falling, ND 17/4 now and they will probably still win.

Just 2 wickets shy of the two-dayer. Though Canterbury still with a slim chance of burgling the match.

 

[Howsie]

I really don’t rate that ND playing XI, just badly balanced for one but I don’t know if the “best” players are getting a chance, especially some younger batsman.

On a pitch like this, never in a million years should de Grandhomme and Kuggs be playing at five and six.

Cooper, Carter and Raval (for now) pick themselves. Popli is probably done as a first class player and Bocock is a 30 year old that has never really cut it at this level. There is plenty of young talent with the bat that deserve a chance, just feels like they won’t get that.

 

[Kippax]

Yes, Aldridge already seems about as wildly exciting as a domestic coach as he was as a domestic medium-pacer.

 

[Immenso]

I really don’t rate that ND playing XI, just badly balanced for one but I don’t know if the “best” players are getting a chance, especially some younger batsman.

On a pitch like this, never in a million years should de Grandhomme and Kuggs be playing at five and six.

Cooper, Carter and Raval (for now) pick themselves. Popli is probably done as a first class player and Bocock is a 30 year old that has never really cut it at this level. There is plenty of young talent with the bat that deserve a chance, just feels like they won’t get that.

I feel in recent years, the coaches don't go outside their contracted players. I'm not suggesting they should in round 1, but they don't even in round 8 when they are out of contention.

But in this case ND are unbalanced away from enough specialist batsmen but only missing in theory Williamson, Seiffert.
Katene Clarke is in the squad but not in the 11.

Only selecting 4 specialist batsmen is actually depressingly common across many of the teams over the years. Partly because after 10 years on the circuit the wicket keepers start to become the best middle order batsmen on their teams. See Cleaver, Blundell and Fletcher now, and guys like Hopkins and Van Wyk a decade ago.

Who are the good young ND batsmen missing out? Is it Lellman and White that us outside of ND would have heard of from U19s? Or are there other players?

 

[Kippax]

Hendrie and Varcoe in these stats below would be more late 20s in age.

 

[Kippax]

I knew Cam Fletcher would fight really hard this morning. Shame it can't be watched.

 

[Immenso]

In looking up to see who is in the ND contracted squad. I read this ND news article on Devich retiring.

Anton Devcich made his debut for Northern Districts (ND) aged 19 in a first-class game against Otago at Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne in January 2005. He was one of four 19-year-old debutants in that team, the others being Brad Wilson, Daniel Flynn, and Te Ahu Davis. Another 19-year-old, BJ Watling had made his debut a few weeks earlier. Batting at No.9, Anton was stranded on 94 not out when the last wicket fell in the first innings. The 9th wicket partnership of 96 between Anton and now ND coach Graeme Aldridge (29) was a major factor in a stunning ND victory.

Just aren't getting this anymore. I think the only teenagers to play FC cricket in last 5 years are Ravindra, Allen and N Smith. (plus the more random Llew Johnson playing T20 at 18).
Edit. plus Joey Field scraped in before his 20th birthday last season.

I don't want a comp full of kids. But ....

 

[Kippax]

Is just becoming the sport favoured by the highly educated Sears, Hartshorn, or Frankie Mackay.

 

[nzfan]

I really don’t rate that ND playing XI, just badly balanced for one but I don’t know if the “best” players are getting a chance, especially some younger batsman.

On a pitch like this, never in a million years should de Grandhomme and Kuggs be playing at five and six.

Cooper, Carter and Raval (for now) pick themselves. Popli is probably done as a first class player and Bocock is a 30 year old that has never really cut it at this level. There is plenty of young talent with the bat that deserve a chance, just feels like they won’t get that.

Popli was unbelievable few years ago, was scoring runs for fun. Not sure what happened, perhaps the change in ball in domestic and decks getting hard for batting probably contributed to his low scores over the last couple of years. I thought he will go on to become real good.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, Fletcher really making a name for himself this season as a man for a crisis. Blundell best hit the ground running in tests.

 

[nzfan]

Wellington has gone for a lot of younger ones this year. Sears may have debuted at 20. Luke Georgeson debuted at similar age, James Harshorn is also quite young and debuted a year ago. Nick Greenwood is like 22. We have a lot of influx of youngish players although not teenagers. From memory only Nathan Smith and Ravindra were the only two to appear every game if they were fit for the provinces. Although Finn debuted at 17 in a super smash semi finals he was in and out of the side till he made the switch.

 

[nzfan]

What a win for Canterbury... 74 runs unbroken partnership for the 9th wicket. That's some hard earned win, they look down and out. I guess they have come closer to sealing the plunkett shield again this year with that win. One or two more win they will be the winner before the last couple of rounds.

 

[vandem]

Well done Canty. I assume the ball was still nipping about for the seamers, but a couple overs of spin to the #10 could have been an option.

 

[nzfan]

Meanwhile Firebirds are already 1 down trailing by 120 runs. Jakob Bhula looks a good player, not sure why he has not been able to score much. He got an absolute peach from Tickener in the first dig and one he shouldered to nipped back a long way. It's tough being an opener in Wellington. Should have batted him in the middle order ideally.

 

[straw man]

That's impressive from Canterbury and Fletcher.

 

[NZTailender]

Williams did a good job too, clearly the NZT fantasy team pick doing wonders this round

 

[straw man]

Only selecting 4 specialist batsmen is actually depressingly common across many of the teams over the years. Partly because after 10 years on the circuit the wicket keepers start to become the best middle order batsmen on their teams. See Cleaver, Blundell and Fletcher now, and guys like Hopkins and Van Wyk a decade ago.

Who are the good young ND batsmen missing out? Is it Lellman and White that us outside of ND would have heard of from U19s? Or are there other players?

It seems more of a back-to-the-future thing to me - in the bad old days of 2007ish when I joined this website, several sides would pick just four real batsmen and try stacking the middle order with the wicketkeeper and bowlers they thought now qualified as all-rounders. IIRC ND and Auckland were the worst offenders. Why they thought they needed 5 bowlers plus 2 part-timers is not clear to me, probably thought there were no other batting options that would contribute immediately, but that thinking itself is self perpetuating. Of course that time period was also when green seaming pitches were everywhere.

Glanced back at some old scorecards, all-rounders like K Mills, M Orchard, J Yovich, N McCullum, Devcich, M Hart often batted at 6 or even higher. Some of this is genuine improvement of bowlers' batting skills, but some of it was surely robbing younger batters of a chance, to fit in more bowlers for what reason?

Is it related to the return of very green pitches that teams like ND are once again picking woefully unbalanced XIs? Feels like it might be.

 

[Flem274*]

It feels like its 2002 all over again and it needs to be rectified.

 

[Binkley]

Greenwood’s runout was an interesting one. Played the ball back to the bowler and held his pose. Wheeler noticed he was out of his crease and threw down the stumps. Disappointing end to a promising innings.

 

[nzfan]

That's some way to get out. Was looking quite good.

Georgeson and then Finn Allen goes too.

Hope playing too much of this format doesn't affect Finn's white ball cricket style. Can't believe I'd be saying this. Usually it's the other way round. He's just not able to crack the 4 day format batting yet. He's already played like 16 first class games.