2015/16 Aotearoa Domestic Cricket Contracts - Who, What, How, Shiver Me Timbers
Auckland Aces
Michael Bates
Brad Cachopa
Colin De Grandhomme
Lockie Ferguson
Donovan Grobbelaar
Michael Guptill-Bunce
Shawn Hicks
Colin Munro
Tarun Nethula
Rob Nicol
Robert O’Donnell
Glenn Phillips
Matt Quinn
Brett Randell
Jeet Raval
The Jaffas/Aces have taken on a slightly different look this season as their team of mostly veteran domestic players has become a team of young prospects. Don't get me wrong, there is a strong core that will guide the Aces through this transition period as guys like Colin de Grandhomme, Brad Cachopa, Donovan Grobbelaar, Rob Nicol, Michael Bates, Jeet Raval and Tarun Nethula have all been on the domestic tour for a long time.
Nicol and Nethula have the spinner spots locked up so there isn't much room for a young spinner to sneak in to this squad. Matt Quinn continues to develop nicely as a right-arm swinger, but he is now joined by Brett Randell who has followed a similar path as Quinn and Randell will probably be competing with Lockie Ferguson for that third-seamer position.
Want three prospects to keep an eye on? Then you'll be checking in on the Aces' scorecards as Robert O'Donnell, Shawn Hicks and Glenn Phillips will be looking to get into the grind of domestic cricket and put together consistent performances. They are all extremely capable with the willow, but Hicks stands out as an all-rounder who is equally as talented with bat and ball.
I want to see another wicket-keeper get a chance with the BLACKCAPS as Luke Ronchi's time to pass the torch will come soon and Brad Cachopa is a name that I'd throw into the hat. Cachopa is 27 years old and averaged 71.18 runs last season in the Plunkett Shield with 3 hundys and the same amount of 50s, but he'll need another quality season to start to building his case.
Canterbury
Todd Astle
Hamish Bennett
Leo Carter
Andrew Ellis
Peter Fulton
Cameron Fletcher
Roneel Hira
Kyle Jamieson
Tim Johnston
Ken McClure
Cole McConchie
Ryan McCone
Henry Nicholls
Edward Nuttall
Logan van Beek
The Canterbury Kings are defending Plunket Shield champions and will be near the top of the ladder again with a nice mix of older veterans and younger players who have experience on their side. Peter Fulton will once again be a highly influential figure and will be around to play plenty of domestic cricket, where he can bully domestic bowlers with ease. Fulton's joined by leggy Todd Astle, all-rounder Andrew Ellis, seamer Hamish Bennett and Roneel Hira in the veteran group. Hira's an interesting bloke to keep an eye on as he batted at the top of the order last season after mainly being a left-arm tweaker who gave it a whack.
But that group of veterans will be strongly supported by the likes of Tim Johnston (24), Ryan McCone (27), Henry Nicholls (23), Ed Nuttall (22) and Logan Van Beek (24) who are all familiar names to domestic cricket nerds. Nuttall and Nicholls enjoyed strong finishes to the 2014/15 season while van Beek is an all-rounder who has shown promising signs throughout his career.
Cameron Fletcher is a young wicket-keeper who will be looking to do a better job of taking his opportunities while Kyle Jamieson is a tall bowler who got a taste of domestic cricket last season.
Central Stags
Tom Bruce
Dane Cleaver
Greg Hay
Marty Kain
Andrew Mathieson
Ajaz Patel
Seth Rance
Dean Robinson
Jesse Ryder
Bevan Small
Ben Smith
Kruger Van Wyk
Ben Wheeler
George Worker
Will Young
A lot of the talk around the Stags will focus on Jesse Ryder, but the Stags have one of the most promising batsmen in Aotearoa on their books as well. The chances of Will Young rising into the international ranks are pretty high as his talent is there for all to see with the best aspect about this being that he's improved with more domestic experience. Young's 4th and most recent Plunkett Shield season saw him score 909 runs at an average of 53.47 while repeating the dose in the Ford Trophy where he averaged 48.77 runs.
The Stags could be one of those teams who benefit greatly from having a squad who have all played a fair bit of domestic cricket without having too many BLACKCAPS. The spin-stocks are healthy with Marty Kain and Ajaz Patel both being familiar names to domestic fans. There is also an interesting group including George Worker, Ben Wheeler, Bevan Small, Ben Smith, Andrew Mathieson, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay and Seth Rance, who all have experience on their side while still being on the younger side as well.
If the Stags can benefit from having Worker and Wheeler being around more often than not, they will have a very solid squad which is always a good starting position.
Northern Knights
Cody Andrews
James Baker
Jono Boult
Dean Brownlie
Joe Carter
Anton Devcich
Daniel Flynn
Tony Goodin
Brett Hampton
Jono Hickey
Scott Kuggeleijn
Daryl Mitchell
Bharat Popli
Tim Seifert
Ish Sodhi
There's a strong BLACKCAPS contingent in the Knights, but one of the staples of their past few seasons has been how they have kept a young group rotating in and out. Tim Southee, Trent Boult, BJ Watling and now Mitchell Santner will obviously make the Knights better in all formats, but the Knights will start cashing in on the work they have done in preparing other players with the knowledge that their BLACKCAPS will not be playing the majority of the time,
That continues with Cody Andrews getting a contract as a young pace bowler, which will only increase the load on the shoulders of James Baker and Scott Kuggeleijn. Baker is effectively the leader of the bowling attack, but Kuggeleijn has taken 20 plus wickets in each of his four seasons playing domestic cricket.
Joe Carter and Bharat Popli are two young batsmen who have both shown plenty of potential in the early stages of their domestic careers. Neither of them has really taken their batting to the next level, but they are both in their 2nd seasons and if they can pile on the runs this season and break the shackles, I'd watch out.
Also watch out for how Jonno Hickey does the ol' ITM Cup/domestic cricket thing, it's pretty bad-ass.
Otago Volts
Warren Barnes
Nicholas Beard
Sam Blakely
Michael Bracewell
Neil Broom
Derek de Boorder
Jacob Duffy
Ryan Duffy
Josh Finnie
Anaru Kitchen
Michael Rae
Hamish Rutherford
Craig Smith
Sam Wells
Brad Wilson
Knee deep in the player market, the Volts have gained a few experience campaigners in Anaru Kitchen, Neil Broom and Brad Wilson while they have also picked up young Auckland seamer Warren Barnes. Broom is an interesting case given that he is returning to Otago after spending last season with Canterbury where he enjoyed a successful season hitting a career best 820 Plunket Shield runs at an average of 45.55. His Ford Trophy season was also impressive as he averaged 54.16.
These new recruits will join the Volts who have a core group with plenty of experience themselves. Guys like Hamish Rutherford, Sam Wells, Derek de Border, Nicholas Beard, Michael Bracewell and Jacob Duffy have all been on the domestic scene for a few years now and have played plenty of cricket together.
Bracewell and Duffy are two names that you need to keep tabs on as they are consistent performers in domestic cricket despite only being 24 and 21 years old. Duffy and Aucklander Matt Quinn are possibly our brightest swing-bowling prospects with Duffy picking up 45 wickets in last season's Plunket Shield at an average of 24.06. This is supported by a good Ford Trophy campaign in which Duffy took 18 wickets at an average of 23.
Bracewell is a strong left-handed batsmen who has been churning out the runs down south for a few years now. Bracewell had a breakout Plunket Shield season in 2013/14 averaging 52.81 and then backed that up with an average of 42.70 which saw him score two centuries and four 50s.
Wellington Firebirds
Brent Arnel
Brady Barnett
Tom Blundell
Alecz Day
Jamie Gibson
Dane Hutchinson
Matt McEwan
Stephen Murdoch
Ollie Newton
Michael Papps
Jeetan Patel
Michael Pollard
Matt Taylor
Anurag Verma
Luke Woodcock
The Wellington Firebirds have added former Northern Districts seamer Anurag Verma to their squad for the upcoming season and it's hard to ignore the Brent Arnel connection in this pick up. Verma has potential and was in the same New Zealand Under-19 team as Tim Southee and Trent Boult, but has been stuck behind those two at the Knights and should see more game time with the Firebirds.
Stephen Murdoch and Michael Papps are key batsmen, also fitting the veteran tag with Murdoch the pick of Wellington's batsmen last season averaging 52.52 in the Plunket Shield. He hit three centuries and six 50s, while I'd also keep an eye on Alecz Day who got a taste of domestic cricket in Aotearoa last season after moving from Australia and should be better this season.