While the T20 tri-series is going down, we are graced with the presence of numerous Test and ODI cricketers trooping through Ford Trophy rounds in Aotearoa. Some like BJ Watling, Jeet Raval and Neil Wagner have gone into domestic hibernation between Test series, while we also have those like Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Matt Henry who don't feature in T20 internationals and bolster Canterbury's 50-over team.

Here's how those blokes and a few others who have recently been named in Blackcaps Battlers squads have been truckin' along in glorious domestic cricket, most notably the second stanza of Ford Trophy...

Jeet Raval - Auckland

Overall: 4inns, 97 runs @ 24.25avg/65.98sr, 1 halfy.

Recent: 0, 38, 1, 58.

This has actually been a low key horrible domestic season for Raval as his mediocre Ford Trophy form has come after a super-duper mediocre Plunket Shield in which he averaged 24.37 through 8inns. Thankfully for Raval, he scored a few Test runs in-between which is what matters the most and how Raval wraps up this Ford Trophy after posting his first notable score of the campaign will be of great interest.

BJ Watling - Northern Districts

Overall: 7inns, 298 runs, 42.57avg/79.89sr, 1 hundy, 1 halfy.

Recent: 0, 33, 51, 40.

Standard practice for Aotearoa's Test and best, wicket-keeper batsman and in his three most recent games, Watling has opened in two and come in at #4 (swapping with Anton Devcich) in the other which is where Watling hit his 51. Watling has also been fielding in this Ford Trophy games with Tim Seifert taking the w-k duties, although Watling will slot back behind the stumps now that Seifert's been called up.

Neil Wagner - Otago

Recent: 0w, 1w, 0w, 1w.

I can't rack up Wagner's overall Ford Trophy numbers because those 2w don't put him in the top-36 wicket-takers (I could do some mathematics on all his scorecards but meh) and this is rather worryingly, in keeping with his domestic summer in general. While, his white ball summer any way as Wagner took 4w in his last 6inns in Super Smash after fabulous red ball work and that's kinda what we'd expect from Aotearoa's Test specialist. There's no longer a case that can be made (by me) for Wagner to push for national white ball selection though.

Tom Latham - Canterbury

Recent: 46*, 6, 2.

Same applies for Latham. He's only had 3inns in Ford Trophy, but you'd like to think that a sound international batsman would have scored 60+ runs in those 3inns and Latham only needs to look to his Canterbury homies in Kyle Jamieson and Andrew Ellis to feel a bit downbuzz about his current form; Jamieson has 82 runs in 2inns and Ellis has 122 runs in 2inns.
Extrapolate this out a bit further to the start of the Pakistan ODI series and Latham may be sending warning signs of him being in a spot of bother ahead of the big England ODI series. He hasn't passed 50 in the 7inns with scores of 3, 35, 8 and 2 before continuing that into a minor Ford Trophy slump.

Henry Nicholls - Canterbury.

Overall: 3inns, 109 runs, 36.33avg/83.20sr, 1 halfy.

Recent: 39, 0, 70.

Unlike Latham, Nicholls racked up two 50+ scores in the Pakistan series and has done a nice job of sliding back into domestic cricket. Nicholls has batted #3 in those innings, which I like as a player who can score freely in international cricket like Nicholls should be put in position to dominate in domestic cricket - Canterbury also have a gang of all-rounders lurking down the order.

Matt Henry - Canterbury

Overall: 5inns, 8w @ 29.75avg/5.28rpo.

Recent: 1w, 2w, 1w, 1w.

Typically solid returns for Henry in Ford Trophy cricket and when including his 3w in his Ford Trophy appearance prior to the break, Henry has taking 1+ wicket in every Ford Trophy innings he's had this summer. Including his ODI appearances, Henry is on a 6inns streak of wickets and this has him further establishing himself as the best low key 50-over bowler in Aotearoa.

Todd Astle - Canterbury

Overall: 5inns, 189 runs, 37.80avg/75.29sr, 3 halfies | 7inns, 11w @ 31.45avg/5.16rpo.

Recent: 2w, 1w/62, 1w, 0w/12.

The major question I find myself asking about Astle is whether his leg-spin is worthy of a spot in the Blackcaps ODI team - Rahul Dravid did salivate over Astle's leggies remember. I don't view his batting ability, as slick as it is in domestic cricket as being suited to a lower-order ODI job where he's gotta smack boundaries, especially when he's batting with Mitchell Santner who struggles to do that as well. Astle took wickets in limited spurts in recent ODIs, yet he hasn't gone back to dominate Ford Trophy with the ball so I'm more intrigued than anything as to how he winds up the Ford Trophy.

Lockie Ferguson - Auckland

Overall: 5inns, 4w @ 45.25avg/4.24rpo.

Recent: 0w, 0w, 1w.

There is very little here to suggest that Ferguson is a top-tier Aotearoa seamer other than a economical rpo and that is more concerning than Ferguson's ODI performances.

Adam Milne - Central Districts

Overall: 6inns, 8w @ 30.87avg/4.75rpo.

Recent: 2w, 1w, 0w, 2w.

There is a wee bit more here to suggest that Milne has his nose ahead of Ferguson in their battle for what seems to be a vacant ODI speedster slot.

Seth Rance - Central Districts

Overall: 2inns, 3w @ 23avg/3.94rpo.

Recent: 1w, 2w.

And that ODI speedster slot may be one of the major illusions in kiwi cricket right now as the best contenders to feature in an Aotearoa ODI team, appear to be Rance and Henry, not Ferguson vs Milne. This is Rance doing what he does best and until he's given a decent opportunity to prove his worth at ODI level (like Milne and Ferguson have), we won't know whether he can make the jump.

George Worker - Central Districts

Overall: 6inns, 311 runs, 51.83avg/77.17sr, 4 halfies | 5inns, 4w @ 24.75avg/6.98rpo.

Recent: 1w/37, 0w/53, 3w/55, 0w/70.

I'm not sure what else there is to say about Worker. We already know that he's the most prolific run-scorer not in the Blackcaps Battlers consistently and that's across all format as well (averaging 50+ in Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield this season). Dude's a beast and who knows what Lesson want to do with Worker, to be honest who cares because he's already on the brink of Underground King status.

Hit an ad to support the Niche Cache.

Peace and love 27.