Bruce and Ferguson can't be pigeon-holed.

Slightly different Blackcaps team could mean a number of things. Last time I did this, it meant taking a few of the then current Blackcaps Test team out, then bringing a couple blokes in. This time around, it's slightly different in that there are no lads from the Blackcaps team that wiped the floor, beating Bangladesh 2-0.

This team comes at an interesting time in the domestic landscape as it doesn't feature guys like Bharat Popli, Ken McClure and Will Young, who previously received plenty of lovin' through last seasons in these sorts of teams. They have all struggled to really back that up in the first half of the Plunket Shield, which has opened spots up for other blokes and any team with Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham in it gives you all sorts of options.

As always, there's a focus on youth and that you'll be able to throw up a few other names is a great sign of where kiwi cricket is at. It's not the next-best Blackcaps Test team, just a slightly different Blackcaps Test team.

Openers

Hamish Rutherford, Martin Guptill.

Otago's Rutherford has fallen off a cliff in terms of Blackcaps selection, he's still doing a sound job in domestic cricket and spent last winter on the Kiwi County Tour with Derbyshire. He slotted back into the Otago set up and is averaging 55.71, while Guppy treated the Plunket Shield like a glorified net session, smacking 335 runs in two games.

Neither Rutherford or Guptill is in the opening frame right now, yet they aren't too far removed from filling in for a Test or two. As coach, I'll be giving these two the orders to whack it around, safe in the knowledge that we know that sometimes this will work and sometimes it won't.

No.3

Jimmy Neesham

A spot often reserved for your best batsman, I'm giving it to Jimmy Neesham. That's mainly thanks to the lack of form from Aotearoa's young batting folk and Neesham plugging a hole as an all-rounder #Options. In this no man's land - a level slightly above domestic cricket but below Test cricket - Neesham should be able to score runs and if he can do a job at No.3 here, then I'd feel that little bit more confident about him doing a consistent job at Test level in the middle order. Keep in mind that Neesham's best work has come in Test cricket (37.94avg) and First-Class cricket (33.24avg) while he averages under 30 in all limited overs formats.

Middle Order

Tom Bruce, Tom Blundell, Corey Anderson.

Pigeon-holing Bruce as a limited overs specialist would be silly as he's averaging 48.85 in the Plunket Shield and he's got a career FC average of 46.51 with 12 half-centuries in 38 innings'. That sounds good to me and moving Neesham up to No.3 allows me to chuck Bruce in his natural spot at No.4, while Blundell is clearly viewed as the next up specialist wicket-keeper.

Blundell bats No.5 because he can (49.80avg in PS), it also then gives Anderson the ability to bat down the order without much pressure. It's hard to differentiate between Neesham and Anderson as their batting is of a similar level and style (hard hitting lefties), I'm just leaning towards Anderson's to slide down the order; he'll probably bowl a few more overs than Neesham.

Seamers

Scott Kuggeleijn, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson.

Ignoring Kuggeleijn's situation off the field, the guy is a gun cricketer and needs to be viewed as a legit all-rounder. Kuggeleijn and Ferguson both have 18 wickets this season in the Plunket Shield, while Kuggeleijn has also hit a century and half-century (41.42avg) in five games to start the season. Having Kuggeleijn (24.50avg/3.60rpo) bowling in combination with Ferguson (22.33avg/3.05rpo) would be excessively fun to watch as Kuggeleijn would be trying to bowl as quick as Ferguson, he might fall short by a few km/h but he'll try.

The major stand out with the ball this summer has been the tallest cricketer in Aotearoa, Kyle Jamieson, who also happens to move the ball a fair bit. I just love having two hustle-bustle bowlers and then the funk offered by Jamieson's skill and height, which has Jamieson admiring a 18avg/3.50rpo.

Spinners

Tarun Nethula, Ajaz Patel.

Moving Neesham to No.3, plus Neesham and Anderson's bowling ability gives me the luxury to roll with two spinners and while I could have brought in guys like Luke Woodcock or George Worker who are spinning all-rounders, I can't split Tarun Nethula and Ajaz Patel. They dominated domestic cricket last summer and are back at it; Nethula's leggies have him leading all wicket-takers with 26 and Patel is 2nd on 25 wickets.

Spinning the ball different ways is an asset and they give us the option to attack with Nethula's leggies, or build some pressure with Patel's stingey left-arm spin (2.69rpo). They are both capable of bowling lengthy spells, with Patel especially well versed in stacking up overs, which will enable the likes of Ferguson, Kuggeleijn and Nethula to go hard then chill out.