Domestic Cricket Daily: Ford Trophy Update #7
Gonna have to switch things up for our Ford Trophy update this time (could be the future format, might not be, I dunno, just roll with it). This is mainly thanks to a few epic performances from our domestic cricketers that deserve all sorts of special attention and that's only amplified by the fact that most of your eyes have been focused on the Blackcaps, so allow me to ensure that you're not sleeping on some domestic talent.
Leading that pack is George Worker, who smacked a brutal 181 off just 143 balls for Central Districts against Northern Districts. Not only did ND fall short of reaching Worker's total let alone CD's total - 401 with Jesse Ryder and Will Young hitting 85 and 87 - that was largely thanks to Worker's 4/36 off just 5.3 overs via his left-arm spin.
Auckland's Sean Solia had started the season on fire and took a massive lead over the rest of Aotearoa's domestic batsmen as he's hit a century and three half-centuries in six innings. Solia is averaging 81.20, striking at 104.37 and he was the only batsman to venture past 150 runs in an innings, which should hammer home just home epic Worker has been in the last few rounds as Worker has left Solia in his wake.
Worker and Solia are the only batsmen to hit over 400 runs so far (Worker has 490, Solia has 406). This has come with Worker hitting 107*, 2, 80* and 181 in his last four innings around the same time that a Blackcaps ODI opening slot opened up. That spot went to Dean Brownlie and that's all good, however Worker is keeping himself well and truly in the mix as he's slid his List-A average up to 43.03. I've got Worker ranked as the 4th opening option for the Blackcaps and his Ford Trophy form has been tasty, if he can somehow maintain this while also picking up a few wickets each game then his value will rise through the roof.
You make a case that Worker is a legit all-rounder and having an opening batsman who can bowl a few overs of tight spin is an asset, but I don't think Worker's spin is quite at that level just yet (7 wickets @ 36avg/5.66rpo). ND's Scott Kuggeleijn is probably in the same boat as Worker as his lower order batting is at a similar level as Worker's handy spin and while Kuggeleijn has had to handle his business off the field, his form is undeniable.
Kuggeleijn is the leading wicket-taker in the Ford Trophy and has sat near the top of the wicket-taker rankings across all formats for the past few seasons. 15 wickets @ 18.86avg/4.49rpo is what Kuggeleijn has dished up in the FT and that average under 20 comes with Kuggeleijn being one of two bowlers to bowl in all seven innings' available. The other is his ND partner Brett Hampton, yet Hampton only has 8 wickets @ 32.87avg/5.26rpo.
The funk here comes with Kuggeleijn hitting 65 off 57 balls for ND in that loss to CD. Kuggeleijn had a strike-rate of 114.03 and while this game was his first game in which he took less than 2 wickets (1/82), it saw him hit his first half-century of the competition. Ranked 19th in runs, Kuggeleijn isn't batting like Worker but his 156 runs @ 26avg/90.69sr is far better than another batsman who has batted in a similar number of innings' (six innings vs seven), none other than Tom Bruce; 91 runs @ 15.16avg.
A few quickies...
Henry Nicholls hit 65 for Canterbury against Auckland. In just three FT games, Nicholls has a century and two half-centuries and only Worker has a higher average than Nicholls.
Who is the best wicket-keeper/batsman in the country? ND's Tim Seifert. Tom Blundell got the Blackcaps call up, but Seifert has a 248 runs @ 49.60avg/103.76sr with the next best wicket-keeper/batsman being Auckland's Glenn Phillips.
Low key spinner alert! Canterbury's Tim Johnston has 11 wickets and sits in 2nd behind Kuggeleijn for wickets. Johnston only took 1/38 @ 3.80rpo against Auckland, prior to that game though he enjoyed a nice three-game streak; 2/25, 3/30 and 3/47. Johnston has played the same number of games as Todd Astle who is the spinner out of Canterbury who most people know of, yet Johnston's 11 wickets @ 19.54avg/4.38rpo is far superior to Astles's 6 wickets @ 45.83avg/5.28rpo.