All-ODI Niche Cache Kiwi Cricket Teams

Test status for Hong Kong.

After dropping the four levels of All-Test kiwi cricketing funk, I'm back with an All-ODI angle. Go check that out if you haven't already and I need to add to that All-Test yarn; I totally forgot about Adam Milne, Seth Rance and Ben Wheeler. So, please keep that in mind if you read the All-Test yarn, or if you go through it again and ponder how you would re-shuffle the four All-Test teams with those three involved.

Remember that these selections are merely my opinion, based loosely on stats and largely on my cricketing vibe. The sole purpose of this exercise is to showcase kiwi cricketing depth and provide the platform for youz to jump from, into the pool of thinking/discussing Aotearoa's cricketing abundance.

We genuinely have competition for places through all four levels and the conversation around who you'd have in your teams should be celebrated as it's a sign of beautiful depth in kiwi cricket.

I do refer to the past summer's Ford Trophy stats, so pop over there to see the batting and bowling stats at Cricinfo. I don't insert stats into this piece though, or else I wouldn't be able to stop throwing up stats and I'd keep going around in circles.

1st XI

Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

I don't see any reason to make changes to the Blackcaps ODI team.

2nd XI

George Worker, BJ Watling (wk), Jesse Ryder, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Tom Bruce, Todd Astle, Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.

While Aotearoa has a plethora of wicket-keepers, I've gone with BJ Watling to open. Watling is the best wicket-keeper batsman in Aotearoa and of all the other youngsters, Watling deserves to be at the front of the pack behind Tom Latham.

This is fairly stock standard and I'm pretty happy with this team as the second best 50-over group in Aotearoa. I don't really care for defending my selections, I will however point out that there was a hefty disparity between Mark Chapman's Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy work this summer, as there is overall in his career (check the stats) and this is why I didn't rank Chapman super high in the All-Test teams; he's a 50-over Frankenstein though.

I also like the mix and balance of this team, which is a low key factor in building four different teams. There's legit batting all the way down to Matt Henry, while George Worker, Jesse Ryder, Mark Chapman and Tom Bruce all roll the arm over, plus there is a natural right/left hander mix in the batting line up. I reckon this team would snatch two wins in a five game series against the 1st XI.

3rd XI

Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Dean Brownlie, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Tom Blundell (wk), Anton Devcich, Ben Wheeler, Mitchell McClenaghan, Seth Rance, Tarun Nethula.

As most of these wicket-keepers are also fine batsmen, I've had to squeeze Tim Seifert in as a genuine batsman, as well as Glenn Phillips. Backing up the young openers, I have gone with the experience of Dean Brownlie and while I've slid Daryl Mitchell out of his standard position, his Ford Trophy campaign last summer was such that he was the best option of the middle order to bat #4.

Ben Wheeler, Mitchell McClenaghan and Seth Rance have all played ODIs in the past few years. Absorb that, three of the 3rd XI seamers are ODI-calibre bowlers and that's yet another marker of the depth. The Ford Trophy's leading wicket-taker Tarun Nethula is joined by Anton Devcich in offering spin and I honestly think this 3rd XI would compete strong against the 1st's and 2nd's.

4th XI

Chad Bowes, Jeet Raval, Devon Conway (wk), Neil Broom, Malcolm Nofal, Josh Clarkson, Andrew Ellis, Logan van Beek, Ajaz Patel, Blair Tickner, Brent Arnel.

The funkiest thing about the 4th XI is that the Wellington duo of Devon Conway and Malcolm Nofal are either working towards Aotearoa eligibility, or are already eligible after making moves from South Africa. No stats, but they were two of Wellington's top-three batsmen in the Ford Trophy and Nofal also offers some spin, while Conway is a legit wicket-keeper; Wellington have a wicket-keeper in the 3rd and 4th teams.

Jeet Raval stood up in the clutch of the Ford Trophy to help Auckland win the Championship, boosting his ODI stocks, while the two top wicket-takers from the Ford Trophy were Blair Tickner and Brent Arnel. 

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Peace and love 27.