Domestic Cricket Daily: Plunket Shield Round Tahi (Selection Wrapz)
Aotearoa's domestic cricket summer is back and after only a couple of days, we have already seen a bunch of intriguing performances that had the Domestic Cricket Daily eager to spin some yarns. Hold up though, today's DCD entry isn't about the performances we've already seen, I'll wiggle my way over to that after the first round of Plunket Shield is wrapped up. In this entry, I'm zoning in on team selections and this will hopefully serve as bit of a guide as to how teams are looking given the weird context around availabilities.
The weird context refers to a many of the country's best domestic cricketers being away on the Aotearoa 'A' tour to the United Arab Emirates, while the country's very best cricketers are playing for their Plunket Shield clubs. Over the next two-three rounds, we'll see many teams ravaged by the UAE tour and this will open the door for even more selection funk as the Blackcaps join the lads already in UAE.
Central Districts Stags vs Canterbury Kings
Central Districts Blackcaps
Ross Taylor
Canterbury Blackcaps
Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Matt Henry.
Selection Funk
No other team is as impacted by the UAE excursions, as CD and the depth on offer in the CD region was on display as they rolled out a team that had no one making their First Class debut. That's low key amazing considering the players they have away in the UAE, as well as it being the first game of the season but is a testament to the production line of talent and slick development plans.
Brad Schmulian, Willem Luddick, Christian Leopard, Ryan McCone and Felix Murray are the main benefactors in round tahi for CD. Schmulian and Luddick are highly likely to push for regular selection if their performances warrant it, with Schmulian capable of batting anywhere and Luddick already catching the eye as one of the best low key up and coming all-rounders.
Taking Ajaz Patel's spinning spot is 19-year-old Felix Murray, who also dabbles in lefty tweakers. McCone is a lefty seamer and with Luddick, Leopard and McCone all offering seam, the Stags absorbed any losses nicely; seamer Navin Patel was also 12th man so they still have options.
Canterbury are bolstered by a hefty Blackcaps crew and their depth will be tested in the coming weeks as they lose Latham, Nicholls and Henry. Cole McConchie wins the captaincy duties with Andrew Ellis not playing, while the battle for the spinning spots entices me with Theo van Woerkom getting the start - McConchie also offers offies.
That means that Murray and van Woerkom are adding to the pool of spinners in Aotearoa, both are lefties and we also need to note that lefty-leggy Blake Coburn isn't playing in this game for Canterbury.
Wellington Firebirds vs Auckland Aces
Wellington Blackcaps
Nada.
Auckland Blackcaps
Jeet Raval
Selection Funk
Wellington went with Andrew Fletcher to partner Luke Woodcock opening the innings, with a spot opening up thanks to the retirement of Michael Papps. Fletcher has been around the Wellington group for a few years now and the funky thing here is that Fletcher gets the start, while Rachin Ravindra is away in the UAE. This means that Fletcher has the first crack and if he can perform, Ravindra will need to wait his turn even though the youngster has slid into Aotearoa A cricket without playing a FC game.
The wicket-keeping duties for Wellington have fallen to Lauchie Johns, who will plug a hole with Tom Blundell away. Wellington had previously relied on Devon Conway to do a job for a game or two, but it looks as though Conway's going to focus on his batting (batting #3) and Johns gets an opportunity. Johns has played a couple domestic games, even playing for an Aotearoa 11 against Pakistan's touring party earlier this year.
Auckland continue to be one of the more intriguing teams as they have many different looks to their young-ish group. Will Somerville returns to domestic cricket in Aotearoa after being based in Sydney and takes on the main spinning duties, while Finn Allen won selection for the first game and could be someone to keep tabs on as he looks likely to get consistent opportunities.
Graeme Beghin joined Fletcher in making his FC debut, with Beghin slotting into the Auckland batting line up. Beghin played 4 List-A games last summer for Auckland, scoring 36 runs @ 9avg, but has been shown a dose of faith in winning selection here.
Northern Districts Knights vs Otago Volts
Northern Districts Blackcaps
Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.
Otago Blackcaps
Nada.
Selection Funk
Otago have replaced the retired Derek de Boorder with Mitch Renwick as wicket-keeper, after Renwick moved down from CD. The Volts saw a number of departures over the winter, yet they have still rolled out a solid playing group for their first outing and the young seam attack of Jacob Duffy, Mathew Bacon and Nathan Smith will require regular attention.
Those three will get consistent game time and with a couple experienced all-rounders in Christi Viljoen, Mark Craig and Michael Rippon offering balance, Otago have ticked a bunch of boxes as they look to bounce back from last season. Craig picks up captaincy duties and his offies are complimented by the lefty-leggies of Rippon.
ND are stacked with Blackcaps and this could offer a bit of an illusion as to how they will line up each round. Like CD, the Knights have an abundance of depth and they players who lost out to the Blackcaps this round, have all played, if not performed well at this level. One selection that caught my eye and perhaps intrigues me the most is Henry Cooper opening the batting, in a team with Watling batting down the order.
Cooper is 25yrs and after 12 FC games, averages a solid 35.60. I've marked Cooper down as someone with the potential to make a few waves this summer and it's a great nod of approval for him, from new coach John Bracewell to open the batting in game one of this season.
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Peace and love 27.