Blackcaps x Champions Trophy: Tri-Series Update #1
Chill Kuggz, it was only Ireland.
Aotearoa got their tri-series in Ireland off to a nice start with a predictable win over the Irish. The result means absolutely zilch though and all my interest in this tri-series sits in how it prepares the Blackcaps for the Champions Trophy, which with that in mind allows for a cheeky little tangent of sorts that I'll plow through after each tri-series game.
The team for this game featured five players who aren't in the CT squad; George Worker, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Scott Kuggeleijn and Ish Sodhi. Worker hit 50 off 89 balls, Munro got a first-ball duck, Rance took 1/44 @ 5.17rpo, Kuggeleijn took 3/41 @ 4.55rpo and Sodhi took 1/40 @ 5rpo.
Worker's half-century batting at No.3 and Kuggeleijn's wickets, along with 11 runs off just 6 balls are the pick of that bunch. No.3 is obviously Kane Williamson's spot, so Worker is merely filling a gap in this Blackcaps line up while Tim Southee and Trent Boult will most likely take the new-ball, meaning Kuggeleijn is also filling a gap.
That the crucial performances in this game came from Ross Taylor, Neil Broom and Mitchell Santner is encouraging. Games in which non-CT players dominate, will leave a very weird vibe lingering around this Blackcaps team and will only add fuel to the fire that Lesson are a bit silly.
However, against Ireland we saw Taylor hit 52 off 60 and Broom hit 79 off 63 balls which is a nice way to start this tri-series as they spent time in the middle and leveled-up from net sessions to an actual game.
I'm a lot more excited about runs from Taylor and Broom than I am about Santner's 5/50 @ 5rpo. Taylor will be a key figure at the CT for Aotearoa and although Broom is making a habit of scoring runs against weaker opposition, I can't complain about him scoring runs in prep for the CT. Santner took 5 wickets yeah, but Aotearoa had put Ireland under the pump with a strong total and Santner was the major benefactor as Ireland had to attack.
Taylor, Broom and Santner are in the CT squad and they were joined by Luke Ronchi, Tom Latham and Jimmy Neesham as blokes who need to use this tri-series to demand selection, or simply gain confidence ahead of this major tournament.
The weirdness doesn't seem to have slowed down though as Ronchi and Latham opened, with Ronchi playing as the wicket-keeper. In isolation, this is alright and Ronchi hit 37 off 26 balls that can probably be put down to him dispatching a weaker bowling attack - like Taylor, Broom and Neesham did. What happens when Martin Guptill slides back into the Blackcaps though?
We've had no clarity this summer from Lesson, so let's put a marker down based on team selection for this game; Ronchi is the numero uno wicket-keeper. If Ronchi is selected as a w-k/opening batsman, one would then assume that Latham (who is the captain for this tri-series) then makes way for Guptill. Ronchi could have been selected to bat further down the order, but there's not too much space down there with Broom batting at No.5 and Santner batting at No.9; yes Santner batted all the way down at No.9, behind Kuggeleijn.
I don't feel any sort of way about Ronchi (wk) and Latham opening the batting, I'm just extremely interested in what now happens throughout this tri-series and in the CT. Sound logic suggests that Ronchi will w-k/open for the rest of the tri-series in preparation for the CT and Latham is kinda just playing as a stop-gap for Guptill.
Any deviation from that would be yet another example of just straight up weirdness. Although, we are used to that weirdness and I can see Latham being used as a w-k at some stage in this tri-series or Ronchi sliding down the order. Smart planning and cohesion requires that Ronchi enjoys a consistent role ahead of a major tournament, confidence is not high that this will be how it pans out though.
One last note; Neesham bowled 6 overs for 37 runs @ 6.16rpo without wicket. Neesham was used as the third seamer, conceded the highest rpo and was joined by Munro as the kiwi bowlers to not take a wicket. Neesham went okay with the bat, hitting 30 off 29 but we'd heard some yarns about how he's been working on his bowling and we saw this summer how the Blackcaps view him as a bowling option.
Nothing from this game suggests that Neesham is a feared all-rounder ahead of the CT and his progress will be interesting to observe throughout this tri-series. This coincides with the arrival of Kuggeleijn and Corey Anderson will return as well, so in the short-term I'm gonna be super intrigued by the battle between Neesham and Kuggeleijn with bat and ball.
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