Sports NZ Domestic Cricket Thread

[Warriors55]

He looked overwhelmed and not up to it.

I probably wouldn't say he wasn't up to it but he did look nervous. He hit a crisp shot for 4 early and went into his shell after that.

It is a shame he doesn't bowl much.

 

[Warriors55]

No I am not aware of any. There were spinners in my premier side for my club who blew my mind to face in the nets so goodness knows what it would be like to face Ashok.
I have not seen much of him. I watched a single over today but the pitches at this time of year are not taking spin.
Maybe he has worked on his speed in the off season since you last saw him as I can report his speed and flight was mesmorising. The ball seemed to bobble in the air up and down on the way to the batsman making it almost impossible to get comfortable where it was going to land. The last time I saw that type of flight was a young Daniel Vettori prior to back problems when he really was phenomenal. Like Dan Ashok is averaging in the low 30s in FC cricket which is the same as what Dan put up. Nearly all of our other spinners average in the low 40s, ten runs higher. This gentlemen is good enough now to be in the black caps and I note he has already made an ODI debut.
The black caps have a new coach now, Rob Walter from South Africa. Let's see if he sweeps in some new faces and which horses he will back.

Glad to hear he looked good today. I would be hopeful he gets a go with the new coach but I would be doubtful. Santner will almost certainly be first choice test match spinner so it wouldn't be until we toured the sub-continent that Ashok will hopefully be selected as the second spinner.

 

[Wrighty]

Glad to hear he looked good today. I would be hopeful he gets a go with the new coach but I would be doubtful. Santner will almost certainly be first choice test match spinner so it wouldn't be until we toured the sub-continent that Ashok will hopefully be selected as the second spinner.

He's better than Santner by a distance.

 

[Warriors55]

He's better than Santner by a distance

He is definitely but that doesn't mean he will selected. I would be seriously surprised if Ashok gets selected over Santner when only 1 spinner plays initially.

 

[Warriors55]

Looks like the teams batting second all had relatively comfortable wins.

 

[Wrighty]

Curtis Heaphy built an innings to 35 off 62 balls then came under the pump from tight and testing overs from the impressive Hartshorn and crumbled under the pressure. He for some reason reacted to the penetrative bowling by trying a ramp shot and unceremoniously got out. I hope he learns from it. He has remarkable innings management skills but the bat doesn't seem like a natural object in his hand. He doesn't look like he was born to bat and sometimes lost control of his blade in his follow through.
He is a rich man's Henry Nicholls but no Rachin. I will track him. He is nearly a great player but not quite.

 

[Wrighty]

Curtis Heaphy's average of 42 in FC is about as high as you will find for a new player. Rossco and Ryder were around low 40s in FC and i think everyone's good friend Darrryl Mitchell by average was around low 40s before his call up.

Heaphy's List A average of 50 must be turning heads though. After today it has dipped to 49.66. He must be on the selector's watch list as an up and comer. Some of the other run makers today such as Joe Carter, Nicholls etc are old news players and of no interest to any body. To play 24 List A innings and have an average of 49.66 impresses me.

 

[Wrighty]

Third post in a row about Heaphy. He made his runs from the number 5 spot. Batting number 5 is really hard in my opinion. Michael Clarke is the only really strong number 5 I can remember. I don't recall ever once in my career of 30 years of Senior Men's cricket batting number 5. I mean when you are 80 for 3 how should you bat when you walk out as number 5? If you are number 6 and the score is 80 for 4 then it is obvious you need to rescue the team with a counter attacking innings mixed with sure defence. But three wickets down is neither here nor there. Anyway it is a batting position that resonates with him. Tom Bruce was number 4 and I would like to see Curtis get his spot in the batting order. Tom Bruce can go down to that awkward position of number 5.

 

[Warriors55]

Curtis Heaphy built an innings to 35 off 62 balls then came under the pump from tight and testing overs from the impressive Hartshorn and crumbled under the pressure. He for some reason reacted to the penetrative bowling by trying a ramp shot and unceremoniously got out. I hope he learns from it. He has remarkable innings management skills but the bat doesn't seem like a natural object in his hand. He doesn't look like he was born to bat and sometimes lost control of his blade in his follow through.
He is a rich man's Henry Nicholls but no Rachin. I will track him. He is nearly a great player but not quite.

His averages are absolutely impressive for a 22 year old in all 3 formats. Stats wise his strike rates are low for the shorter formats but it is early days.

One to watch for sure. We need more talented young batsmen coming through.