One of the more steady positions in this BLACKCAPS team throughout their current purple patch has been wicket-keeper. While young batsmen, bowlers and allrounders have been thrown to the international cricket wolves over the past few years, BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi have been constants in Test and limited overs cricket. Steady because not only have they consistent selections, they are also experienced cricketers with Watling 30-years-old and Ronchi 34. They've been around the traps, they've seen it all and they are great sidekicks to Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson.

Since the start of the World Cup though, Ronchi hasn't passed 50 in an ODI innings and I remember before the tour to Africa that I questioned whether it might be time to bring in a young buck to learn the ropes. 

Unfortunately we must also go back to the tour of England to find some runs for Watling; he hasn't passed 50 runs in an innings since that tour. Given the BLACKCAPS have only played five Tests in that time (WTF), Watling could be forgiven for his lack of runs, he feels like the forgotten man of this BLACKCAPS side. Forgotten, well until he was supposed to get the call up for some ODI cricket this summer before injury ruled him out and Ronchi kept his spot as the limited overs wicket-keeper.

I'm all for blokes performing deep into their 30s, it's one of the best things about sport as it stretches the preconceived notion about professional sport that your prime years are between 20-30. Naturally though, as we're stuck in our ways a bit, once you get into your mid-30s, your performances are analyzed more, you've got a smaller margin for error and unfortunately for Ronchi, he's not demanding selection with the bat. 

With the bat is important because it's what differentiates wicket-keepers, if you've got the gloves in international cricket then you're not mug. You're expected to take the sitters, take screamers, be lightning with the gloves for stumpings and run-outs, those are your bread and butter. How you bat, or how well you bat is what sets you apart.

The time has come for Watling to take over all wicket-keeping duties.

Watling is however injured and I'm only willing to promote Watling to 'Overlord Kiwi Wicket-Keeper' status if there are blokes putting pressure on Watling. Or at least blokes who can be selected to keep wicket in the odd T20 or ODI, being drip-fed international experience. Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls go alright with the gloves, they'd offer a nice balance to the Test or limited overs team as well by batting in the top-five but what about the specialists?

I had planned to write this for a few weeks and conveniently our wicket-keepers battling away in domestic cricket had a great return to Plunket Shield cricket last weekend.

Otago's Derek de Boorder always features in kiwi wicket-keeper discussions, he's the most experienced of the bunch which will work in his favour if Mike Hesson (and Kane Williamson) adopt a similar approach as they did to Ronchi; get a solid job-doer. De Boorder is 30-years-old and hit 50* for Otago against Wellington, his 23rd 50 in First Class cricket. He's the safest option, which also makes him the least exciting and it feels like de Boorder's window for an international call up as come and gone.

In that same game, 25-year-old Tom Blundell scored 43 for Wellington. Blundell's got three 50s and two centuries to his name in 19 First Class games.

Central Districts took on Northern Districts which saw ND's 21-year-old keeper Tim Seifert hit 106, his first century in his fifth First Class game. CD's 24-year-old keeper Dane Cleaver who enjoyed some runs with 66* and 40 as he enjoys more game time thanks to Kruger van Wyk's retirement. 

In Christchurch, Canterbury's 22-year-old keeper Cameron Fletcher hit 77* putting Auckland keeper Brad Cachopa in the shade. Cachopa could only manage two scores of 9, he has however proven his class in domestic cricket for a number of seasons now and has a few more years experience to call on compared to the young bucks.

If I was forced to pluck two names out of this group as the likeliest contenders for a BLACKCAPS call up in the next 12 months they would be Seifert and Cachopa. Seifert is the pick for the future and I would love to see him given plenty of time to work into his international career under Watling's wing. Cachopa simply deserves to be in contention for a shot after toiling away for a number of seasons. De Boorder's Otago connection with Hesson can't be slept on either as Hesson could opt for a keeper who he knows well and trusts to plug a hole.

I'm an advocate of youth though and to simply have a group of wicket-keepers like what we have with Seifert, Blundell (who has the highest FC average of the group with 34.03), Fletcher and Cleaver is an exciting luxury. I see the BLACKCAPS wicket-keeping door as slightly open, not all the way as Ronchi will probably be given plenty of time and Watling is still the top-dawg, but the door is slightly open and now it's up to these young keepers to put the pressure on, demanding selection.