The Jahtearoa Niche Cache Cricket x BBL Squad
JNCC
As the Chairman of Selectors, Overlord, Big Boss Dawg, Young Obi Wan Kinobi and Jefe of Niche Cache Cricket, I was summoned to select a Jahtearoa Niche Cache team to compete in the Big Bash League.
I've been graced with a two-year trial and if all goes well, Jahtearoa Niche Cache Cricket will be offered a franchise spot in the BBL. From there we will be able to form a development academy and most importantly, suss out a women's team to compete in the Women's Big Bash League. From there JNCC will form a women's academy, offering girls the opportunity to train as professionals full-time and develop into the JNCC WBBL team; all JNCC WBBL are obviously full-time professionals like the men, why wouldn't they be?
Housekeeping
No Aotearoa Test players can be selected because they are busy playing Test cricket, just as Australia's Test players are busy playing Test cricket during BBL.
We've got all other Aotearoa cricketers on-board because they respect the Niche Cache's dedication to all cricket and because we hook them up, take care of them. Not just financially, but if they want to learn about mindfulness, we teach them that, if they want to go vegan, we get a vegan chef, if they want to make their own vlogs for their own Youtube page, we help them do that.
NZC were silly enough to schedule all Blackcaps ODI/T20 cricket during the BBL, so they lose.
All players must play domestic cricket in Aotearoa.
No overseas players.
We adhere to the BBL salary cap. As per above, we provide a vast resource that empowers players so they benefit in holistic fashion and not just cash.
All games are played in Australia.
JNCC will be based at Byron Bay where we have the Niche Cache Life Academy, with all the required facilities to help players (and you) excel in life.
1st XI
(with career T20 stats - not T20 internationals)
George Worker: 27.70avg, 122.49sr | 25.54avg, 8.08rpo.
Martin Guptill: 32.84avg, 126.78sr.
Jimmy Neesham: 26.91avg, 137.97sr | 26.06avg, 8.78rpo.
Glenn Phillips (wk): 33avg, 129.56sr.
Colin Munro: 28.43avg, 143.85sr | 39.23avg, 9.68rpo.
Tom Bruce: 35.66avg, 150.35sr.
Mark Chapman: 21.44avg, 118.34sr | 27.10avg, 7.97rpo.
Ben Wheeler: 16.83avg, 138.35sr | 27.11avg, 8.27rpo.
Jeetan Patel: 23.27avg, 6.94rpo.
Ish Sodhi: 23.17avg, 7.67rpo.
Seth Rance: 21.08avg, 7.63rpo.
Notes
Worker, Guptill and Neesham make up the top-three because they can score quickly from the first ball but they are best suited to batting a few overs as well. If they want to whack straight away then cool, they are able to rotate the strike and work into their innings though.
Phillips, Munro and Bruce on the other hand are best equipped to whack from their first ball. This is more a case of these three being better suited to hitting boundaries quickly, thus maintaining the momentum that the top-three created.
Chapman is a floater. If early wickets fall, Chapman is promoted to settle things down and lay a platform for the hitters.
We've got some exceptional T20 spinners in Aotearoa, so instead of going the pace route, the JNCC identity will be built around spin. Patel's a grizzly veteran with a great T20 record and Sodhi's the best T20 spinner in Aotearoa.
Worker offers a third spinning option, Chapman a fourth and Bruce can bowl some tweakers as well. Worker, Patel and Sodhi are all very different spinners, offering variety within that spin niche.
Wheeler's yorkers will be crucial at the death and Rance is low key the best T20 seamer in Aotearoa.
Neesham can bowl depending on the match up. The variety in the entire bowling group is perfectly suited to T20's focus on match ups and all the bowling boxes are ticked without sacrificing any quality in doing so.
Squad Members
Josh Clarkson, Rob Nicol, Neil Broom, Ben Horne, Blair Tickner, Ed Nuttall.
Notes
Clarkson has proven himself to be an excessively brutal batsman and we're going to slow-cook him perfectly. He's got a T20 record of 43.14avg/146.60 and if one of those hitters in the 1st XI is injured, Clarkson will get his opportunity.
Nicol and Broom will be integral squad members, offering experience around the group. Nicol is a top-order batsman who offers spin bowling and Broom's a versatile batsman who can do any job required. Experience and an ability to slot in without fuss is crucial in a squad, hence these two are crucial.
The back up wicket-keeper job goes to Ben Horne. He'll largely take up a development role and is unlikely to get much game time, a T20 strike-rate of 177.19 has me excited about the prospect of Horne and Clarkson's potential.
Blair Tickner and Ed Nuttall have both shown potential in T20 cricket. They'll be competing for a back up seam spot and again, they offer variety with Tickner being a right-armer and Nuttall a lefty. Both average under 25, so I'll be intrigued to see who emerges as the better option.
There's enough spin cover in the 1st XI to bowl overs should Patel or Sodhi miss games. An extra seamer could be selected, or Nicol can step in with his spin, or just play an extra batsman and give Worker/Chapman/Neesham/Bruce more responsibility.
Peace and love 27.
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