*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[straw man]

Nicholls is far more comparable to Craig McMillan rather than Astle (who was qualitatively better imo), as test batters whose averages look good on the face of it but don't bear up to scrutiny. In fact their test records are remarkable similar:
Nicholls
58 tests, 3161 runs at 39.0
McMillan
55 tests, 3116 runs at 38.5

@jcas0167 - yeah I remember Nicholls was very good on that 2019 UAE tour, and basically never overseas after that. I've posted before that Australia bowling short and quick at the body exposed him in the subsequent tour, and he never really recovered from that (apart from at Hagley Oval apparently).

 

[straw man]

Yeah I'm pleased to see NZC finally pick both Hay and Chu in the NZ A side rather than just Hay - they should've been doing this for the last few A series. Hay has been ok without excelling in his chances so far, it has to help to have Chu in the mix too. Especially when different formats of cricket and different relative strengths at those formats... exist.

 

[NZTailender]

Playing Hay in formats he's bad at won't be good for his potential Test development IMO. Chu probably makes more sense than Cleaver though.

Broken record time but would rather Hay play 4 day vs Sri Lanka A than a white ball vs Bangladesh. Latham's got a hold on the keeper position for a short while yet and Chu is our white ball gloveman for the future IMO.

 

[NZTailender]

Broken record time but would rather Hay play 4 day vs Sri Lanka A than a white ball vs Bangladesh. Latham's got a hold on the keeper position for a short while yet and Chu is our white ball gloveman for the future IMO.

and with a ODI WC next year we then have options to go to in Cleaver and Fletcher if Latham is dropped (lol) and Chu, Hay aren't deemed up to the task yet.

 

[Prince EWS]

Broken record time but would rather Hay play 4 day vs Sri Lanka A than a white ball vs Bangladesh. Latham's got a hold on the keeper position for a short while yet and Chu is our white ball gloveman for the future IMO.

Yeah even just generally I'd sooner play Chu or even Cleaver in white ball internationals than Hay right now but this is especially true when there's a red ball A tour at the same time.

 

[ataraxia]

and with a ODI WC next year we then have options to go to in Cleaver and Fletcher if Latham is dropped (lol) and Chu, Hay aren't deemed up to the task yet.

Presumably next in line in ODIs is Seifert. Which I would hate if not for his suddenly becoming good.

 

[ataraxia]

I didn't realise Cleaver was selected in the ODI squad (in a bench role). That's a bit dire. I wish we'd actually select people who evince an ability to average over 25 in the Ford Trophy. (Cleaver in the last three FT seasons: 31 matches, 601 @ 21.46; Fletcher (still injured?) in the last three FT seasons: 34 matches, 946 @ 43.00)

 

[Kippax]

Fletcher's batting style offends everyone. Some countries will still promote a guy with a fugly style if he has the internal character to get a good job done fugly, but NZ perhaps not anymore. They like a sweet 'rating well in India' look.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Presumably next in line in ODIs is Seifert. Which I would hate if not for his suddenly becoming good.

Tbf a side something like this for the 2027 WC in SA could be handy:

Conway/Robinson (Allen as xfactor bolter??)
Ravindra
Williamson
Mitchell
Phillips
Keeper (Seifert/Chu/Hay/Latham)
Seam allrounder & finisher??? - might be 8 below Santner (Smith/Abbas/Clarkson/Foulkes/Clarke /Keene/Georgeson)
Santner (c)
+3 quicks

 

[SteveNZ]

I didn't realise Cleaver was selected in the ODI squad (in a bench role). That's a bit dire. I wish we'd actually select people who evince an ability to average over 25 in the Ford Trophy. (Cleaver in the last three FT seasons: 31 matches, 601 @ 21.46; Fletcher (still injured?) in the last three FT seasons: 34 matches, 946 @ 43.00)

What does Chu average during that time?

Picking a guy at 34 who averaged 21 over three seasons. Yep.

 

[ataraxia]

What does Chu average during that time?

Picking a guy at 34 who averaged 21 over three seasons. Yep.

29 matches, 639 @ 30.43. He turned a corner last season on his power hitting and his white-ball record has been a lot healthier since. Think he could be useful in a similar role to Latham in ODIs, only with the ability to hit boundaries straight away.

 

[RMBolton]

Presumably next in line in ODIs is Seifert. Which I would hate if not for his suddenly becoming good.

For that, he has to get picked in ODIs. I know he played some years ago, but with him going casual, he's hardly showing up for FT anymore (OK, the T20WC didn't help this season).

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I don't mind Cleaver as an experienced top order hand grenade. He's nothing amazing but he knows how to bat for the team and has looked comfortable against high pace in domestics. It's rough getting young blokes to play that selfless role when they haven't built confidence in their spot yet.

 

[straw man]

I don't mind Cleaver as an experienced top order hand grenade.

Surely someone named Cleaver is more slasher / axe murderer vibes

 

[centurymaker]

CA should have offered two to three sides to NZ in the BBL. 10 team privatised BBL with both Aus and NZ sides would have attracted a lot of interest from IPL owners. The valuation of each and every side would have been much higher.

 

[RMBolton]

CA should have offered two to three sides to NZ in the BBL. 10 team privatised BBL with both Aus and NZ sides would have attracted a lot of interest from IPL owners. The valuation of each and every side would have been much higher.

In order to even tempt NZC, they'd have to also offer a 20% stake in the BBL itself. I think even 3 teams would be a hard sell.

From what we know of the NZ20 saga, basically none of the stakeholders in NZC took the BBL offer seriously, let alone supported it, even though it had some support from the board, like from Weenink & Nash. In any case, going through the years, they've never been interested in the BBL. 2-3 teams might move the needle a bit, but I don't suspect that much.

 

[centurymaker]

Yeah, I also meant that they needed to offer 2-3 sides and reasonable stake. Without stake there's no conversation ofcourse. So CA didn't do a good job either. They didn't provide a proper offer.

 

[ataraxia]

New Zealand A in Sri Lanka (April 2026)

One-day 1 – 5 April, Galle One-day 2 – 8 April, Hambantota One-day 3 – 11 April, Hambantota FC 1 – 16–19 April, Hambantota FC 2 – 23–26 April, Hambantota NZ A squad, OD – Mariu, Heaphy, Robinson, M Boyle, Abbas, D Phillips / Hay, Chu (c) / Keene, Sears, Lister, KDC Clarke / Ashok, Pringle...

www.cricketweb.net

 

[Skyliner]

 

[jcas0167]

I wonder when was the last time Chu played just as a batsman?