Cricket: Official Blackcaps thread the people’s #1

[Jb1981]

That’s tough for Australia but great news for us. With those couple of tests in England beforehand we’ve given ourselves a good crack at this.

[Turbster]

Who would have believed this at the start of the year? I sure have to eat crow, because I didn't think Stead was up to it, but it looks as if I was wrong (again)

[Gumboot]

Great news, and thoroughly deserved.

(tough on SA and Aus, mind)

[Trapper]

This is cracking news! I was gonna say I feel sorry for the Aussies but I’d be lying. They had their chance and let it slip although they could still make it to the big dance of results go their way.

[mrbrownstone]

Fantastic news that.

Funniest possible way it could have happened, too. If Aus hadn't had 4 points docked for slow over rate in Melbourne, they would have been equal with us on 70% and qualified on the tiebreaker.

Technically Aus could still qualify, but India by far the most likely now. Probably the best result that. Despite their excellent pace attack, playing India in England gives a decent chance. We'll be coming off two tests and they'll be off the IPL. Lets hope it swings...

[mrbrownstone]

Wonder what that means for the Aus v NZ T20 series btw. Will Aus rejig their squad with all their test players available? Would be harsh on some of the guys initially selected, but with a T20 world cup looming, surely you'd want to play a first choice team now they're available.

[Kiwias]

THis is all looking very exciting.

[JPNZ]

Wonder what that means for the Aus v NZ T20 series btw. Will Aus rejig their squad with all their test players available? Would be harsh on some of the guys initially selected, but with a T20 world cup looming, surely you'd want to play a first choice team now they're available.

Noises from within Cricket Aus are that some players that are no longer touring will be added to the squad. Warner, Smith & Swepson I'd guess at.. if any

[mrbrownstone]

Just to pre-empt it, in the case of a tied or drawn final it's joint-winners.

No boundary countbacks or most visiting fans.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/faqs ... ie-1195975

Worth considering team make up too. It's easy to think of the seam friendly conditions, but just had a look and in the last 6 tests at Lords since 2016 (against top opposition, so excluding Ireland) 34/200 wickets have fallen to spin, so 17% which is a decent enough chunk. Moeen Ali took a 10WM in 2017, as did Yasir Shah in 2016. Tempting to go in with a 4-prong pace attack, but it'd be a big call to go in without a specialist spinner.

[JPNZ]

Wonder what that means for the Aus v NZ T20 series btw. Will Aus rejig their squad with all their test players available? Would be harsh on some of the guys initially selected, but with a T20 world cup looming, surely you'd want to play a first choice team now they're available.

Turns out Aus are not changing their team for the T20's

[Dan54]

Great news, and thoroughly deserved.

(tough on SA and Aus, mind)

Have to say I a bit excited by the news. Though I agree with hard luck to Aus and SA.

[Monkey Magic]

Unfortunate that SA and Au don't get to play, but in terms of Australia missing out because of a slow over rate. Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer guys

[Gumboot]

Bruce Taylor has died aged 77.

A great NZ all-rounder. Scored a century and took a 5-for on his test debut.

RIP

[Jb1981]

Bruce Taylor was well before my time to have seen as a player but you knew about his legacy. He remains the only player to have scored a century and taken five wickets on debut - and he did it away from home.

[Kiwias]

RIP. He was a flamboyant, aggressive batsman and a deceptively quick left arm bowler with a huge heart. I loved watching him.

[Certain Navigator]

RIP. He was a flamboyant, aggressive batsman and a deceptively quick left arm bowler with a huge heart. I loved watching him.

Whatever else he was, it wasn't a left-arm bowler — he bowled right-arm in-duckers!

As a youngster, I saw him score a rapid ton against the Windies in the late 60s. I think that and his first test were the only international hundreds he got. His test bowling record was a lot better, but like his batting was a bit inconsistent. Would still rank in the top echelon of NZ test all-rounders though.

And he would have been ideally suited to ODIs.

[mrbrownstone]

Black Caps Twenty20 squad to face Australia: Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Hamish Bennett.

*Finn Allen on standby for Guptill, pending a fitness test

A pretty predictable squad, hard to complain too much. I still don't know what Munro has done to be on the outer. Still ranked in the top 10 of the ICC T20 batsman rankings, was recently the 5th highest run scorer in the BBL against all the guys we'll be playing. It's not even as if his T20i form took a significant dip. Averaged 35 @ 130 SR in 2020.

Anyway, I assume Chapman and Bennett miss out, so we're looking at:

1. Gup
2. Seifert
3. KW
4. Conway
5. Phillips
6. Neesham
7. Jamieson
8. Santner
9. Southee
10. Sodhi
11. Boult

[Kiwias]

RIP. He was a flamboyant, aggressive batsman and a deceptively quick left arm bowler with a huge heart. I loved watching him.

Whatever else he was, it wasn't a left-arm bowler — he bowled right-arm in-duckers!

As a youngster, I saw him score a rapid ton against the Windies in the late 60s. I think that and his first test were the only international hundreds he got. His test bowling record was a lot better, but like his batting was a bit inconsistent. Would still rank in the top echelon of NZ test all-rounders though.

And he would have been ideally suited to ODIs.

Got his batting and bowling back to front.

[JPNZ]

New Zealand Cricket won’t block its stars’ full participation in the Indian Premier League, even if it means they miss the end of the Black Caps’ home season and the first England test at Lord’s.

Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert are IPL-bound next month, and could be joined by several team-mates among 20 New Zealanders entered in Thursday’s player auction in Chennai. Kyle Jamieson looks the most likely to snare a first-time deal after his memorable breakout year in international cricket.

Exact dates of the IPL are unconfirmed but it will reportedly be held at several Indian venues from the second week in April until late May or early June.

[mrbrownstone]

New Zealand Cricket won’t block its stars’ full participation in the Indian Premier League, even if it means they miss the end of the Black Caps’ home season and the first England test at Lord’s.

Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert are IPL-bound next month, and could be joined by several team-mates among 20 New Zealanders entered in Thursday’s player auction in Chennai. Kyle Jamieson looks the most likely to snare a first-time deal after his memorable breakout year in international cricket.

Exact dates of the IPL are unconfirmed but it will reportedly be held at several Indian venues from the second week in April until late May or early June.

Seems like two steps forward one back. What's the point of scheduling those tests - essentially as warm ups for the WTC final - if we're not going to have a proper squad? I guess of that list only KW, Boult, and Jamieson are test-relevant, but still.

[JPNZ]

Kyle Jamieson became an instant multi millionaire last night, incredible bidding war!

Kyle Jamieson's plan to sleep through his first Indian Premier League auction and awake to his fate in the morning may well have ended with a jolt.

The 2.04m allrounder got a price tag to match his towering cricketing presence, when he was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for an eye-watering $2.86 million in Chennai early on Friday.

That’s right, $2.86 million, or 15 crore rupees, for the 26-year-old from Auckland with a winning ticket in cricket’s lottery. With former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson, RCB’s director of cricket operations, leading the charge alongside team officials and winning a three-way bidding duel, Jamieson became an instant multi-millionaire less than a year after making his test debut against India.

Nearly twice as much than any NZ player has been paid before.

[Enzedder]

Awesome for him - delighted. Such a nice guy

[Gumboot]

[Trapper]

Jesus that is some serious coin. About $360,000 a week. What?

[mrbrownstone]

Jeez how good for Jamieson. He hasn't even been playing test cricket for a year yet (debuted on Feb 21st last year), and now he's getting paid $2.7M to play with Kohli and ABdV.

[mrbrownstone]

Adam Milne & Jimmy Neesham also sold for the comparatively paltry figures of approx $550,000 and $80,000 respectively. Still not bad for a couple of months playing cricket.

[Monkey Magic]

Adam Milne & Jimmy Neesham also sold for the comparatively paltry figures of approx $550,000 and $80,000 respectively. Still not bad for a couple of months playing cricket.

Surprised neesham is that low given how important to nz he has been this season - although there are a probably a lot of cricketers around the world who can play a similar role

[mrbrownstone]

Adam Milne & Jimmy Neesham also sold for the comparatively paltry figures of approx $550,000 and $80,000 respectively. Still not bad for a couple of months playing cricket.

Surprised neesham is that low given how important to nz he has been this season - although there are a probably a lot of cricketers around the world who can play a similar role

When you look at this list of big names who have gone unsold - Finch, Roy, Hales, Carey, Rashid, Marsh, Labuschagne etc, I guess you'd feel fortunate to be picked up at all above some of those guys.

[Jb1981]

Decent payday for Jamieson.

Steve Smith took a $2m+ cut.

[JPNZ]

Slightly cloudy start here in Christchurch for tonights T20, heading for a high of 26c (around 21c for 1st innings) and not a chance of any rain. NZ TAB have this dead even at $1.87 each. Media talking up NZ's chances but I'd favour Australia to take out the 1st match.

Its live on TV1 and Spark Sport at 7pm, there will be a small ceremony as today is the 10th Anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake. 1st Ball at 7:10pm

[Jb1981]

Australia have won the toss and will bowl.

You would think this series could be the last chance saloon for Guptill.

[mrbrownstone]

David Warner on the Aussie commentary

Just when I thought Warne was bad as it got.

[Enzedder]

Guppy goes for a duck - fark off mate, your time has passed

[JPNZ]

0/1 Guptill showing why I left him out of my team

[Jb1981]

This sums up my thinking on Guptill’s international career. It’s time to move on.

[mrbrownstone]

Fuck me.

Why do we play against Australia again?

[Enzedder]

Good game is a quick game

11-2

[Enzedder]

Looks like an early night is on the cards. Williamson gone and 19-3.

Will I get lucky?

[mrbrownstone]

This sums up my thinking on Guptill’s international career. It’s time to move on.

I think he might still have something to offer in ODIs (always his best format anyway), but his T20 numbers in the past 2 years are very poor. Since the start of 2019 he's averaging 19 in T20is with only one score above 50 and 7 single digit scores.

In his last 9 matches it's even worse - ave 11, 5 single digit scores.

In other news, this one's just about over before it's even began.

[JPNZ]

What this shows to me is how much better the BBL is compared to the rubbish that is NZ’s Super smash.

We will never compete well until our domestic series is at a higher level OR we play more T20s away from home.