Aotearoa vs West Indies: Basking In Blackcaps Good Vibes
Another Test in Aotearoa and another dose of Blackcaps at their best in kiwi conditions - chur Aotearoa. Having pondered through these matters in recent days, at no point did this playing 11 for Aotearoa feel weaker than it would have otherwise been with both BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme suited up. That's low key beautiful and the presence of Will Young opening, with Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell in the middle order continues the vibe of various wrinkles of change sweeping over kiwi cricket.
Who knows how the Blackcaps team will look for the second Test and I'm not fussed with trying to forecast any selection moves. We enjoyed a Blackcaps T20I team that rolled out a completely new batting line up apart from Martin Guptill from last summer's series vs India to this series vs West Indies and now we're kicking back watching a Blackcaps team with a bunch of changes. Neither instance felt like a drop off in any way, although this Test win was rooted in the work of six cricketers who will end their careers as Aotearoa's best, if not among the best.
First though, a couple important notes...
Chur Spark Sport. I found the coverage to be better than we've experienced with Sky Sports and everyone's goggles/taringa are slightly different so I'm not sure what you liked/disliked about the Spark experience, it felt to me more based around cricket; made for cricket freaks and less puff.
At the same time, New Zealand Cricket has unleashed ample content via their Youtube channel. This was always super annoying to me because it's fairly easy to whip up and all that's required is some initiative ... that NZC never really grasped. Now, take a geeze the the NZC Youtube channel and you'll find plenty of kiwi cricket bits and bobs to get your fix.
Which is why, various arguments in the mainstream media about how silly it is that the Blackcaps are now behind this imaginary veil of concrete where people are never going to see them play is a bit strange. Yes, would it be great to have most of our sport on free-to-air telly and yet, those broadcasters don't want to invest in kiwi sport and would rather serve up cheaper reality shows. On top of that, Aotearoa is the best sports nation in the world (kg for kg) and at the Niche Cache, we're witnessing world-class kiwis across a wide range of sports around the world - having most sport broadcasted by Sky Sport during my life time has not hindered that at all and well, it's created it.
So, the free-to-air argument is weird when those broadcasters don't care. Plus having to pay (a lot or a little depending on your financials) has had no negative impact on the range and quality of kiwi sports achievements. Then we have these mainstream media folks, who enjoy various fruits of their media labour telling us how detrimental it is for poorer families to have to pay for Spark Sport as if they understand what it is like to chose between food and sports equipment.
First, if you have the internet you have access to any live sport in the world if you know where to look. Also, thanks to NZC there are now ample highlights of Blackcaps and domestic cricket for free on their Youtube channel. If a kiwi kid can't afford Sky Sport or Spark Sport and that kid loves cricket, they'll find a way and more to the point, I believe there is far more value in doing work in the community (lower socio-economic communities) to grow a sport than the luxury of pondering how they are broadcasted.
If you're reading this, you can probably afford to pay and it might mean nothing to you. For others, you might have to sacrifice one of those four boxes of beers you're addicted to or those trends you don't need to keep up with. Everyone's got a different bit of financial niggle and that's all good, what we can control is how we conduct ourselves and I'd suggest that you invite that cricket-loving kid in your child's team who can't afford Spark Sport over to watch the cricket with your whanau.
Maybe you can donate some of your old sports equipment to the right places. Perhaps you might want to handle someone's Spark Sport subscription for them, or maybe you feel that your purpose is to tell the stories that initiate the love of that sport for a kid who is starting their sports journey. The point here is that instead of whinging and moaning, Aotearoa's younger brigade can be about actions and regardless of how cards a dealt, you can always do something to help someone else.
Never settle to whinge and moan, take it upon yourself to take action in a hearty kiwi way.
Viewing this Blackcaps group is fairly simple as there are three super duper batsmen in Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. Plus three legendary bowlers in Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. There is serious juice in the presence of Kyle Jamieson as part of that bowling group, although Jamieson's next 12-18 months of Test cricket will be where batsmen around the world acquaint themselves with his style and thus Jamieson will be tested with how he continues to take wickets.
Jamieson has taken at least 4 wickets in each of his three Tests.
Jamieson is one of the pieces to the puzzle around those six world-class troopers and this sets up how we assess the Blackcaps moving forward as 'the six' can carry Aotearoa to wins in Aotearoa against mid-range touring teams. Then when the Blackcaps are overseas, or facing a top-tier touring team, everything gets exposed and that's when the various contributions across the entire team become far more important.
That's reason to keep a lid on Blackcaps matters when they've dismantled West Indies in Aotearoa. We have literally experience this scenario a few times before specifically with the West Indies, let along the regular guests to Aotearoa such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Pakistan. As with anything, balance is required and while there aren't too many deep-cut insights to offer after smoking West Indies jah-style, we can still enjoy the work of our best cricketers.
Tom Latham's leaves - a leave is a shot!
Kane Williamson's front foot drive - or if you're me it's all about the back foot punch.
Blackcaps seamers who all move the ball both ways.
We are currently in the midst of two bowlers who are known as two of the best swingers in Test cricket, both of whom have developed the ability to move the ball the other way without compromising their action or showing a different look. I love this from Southee and Boult, for no other reason that I thoroughly enjoy watching athletes get better, develop new skills and execute them.
Remember Jamieson's Plunket Shield hat-trick earlier in the season featuring massive in-duckers?
Here are a couple interesting Blackcaps Test stats notes...
Williamson has averaged 50+ in each of the past five years.
2020 may be the first year of Latham's career since 2014 in which he has not scored century.
Taylor average 50.25 with Williamson as captain - Taylor's like *insert Mafia/Cartel/underworld figure here* who is the behind the scenes boss man, the bloke the public boss goes to to suss things out. Watch it in the field as Taylor kicks back and shares his wisdom when required.
Southee averages 14.78 in 2020 and along with 2018's 19.03avg, they are the only two years of Southee's career in which he has averaged below 20.
Wagner has a chance to take his 2020 average of 22.63 below 20 in the next Test vs West Indies and that would be Wagner's second year in a row averaging below 2020. 2019 is the only year of Wagner's career where he averaged less than 20 with 43w @ 17.81avg.
Boult has played 68 Test and taken no wickets just once - 2014 vs Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
'Ah but those are Tests without wickets, what about Test innings without wickets?'
129 innings bowled for Boult and 18 innings without a wicket.
Since the start of 2019, Boult has gone wicket-less in an innings twice - last summer vs England at Mt Maunganui, then vs Australia in Melbourne.
The takeaway from these notes and general Blackcaps ponderings is that these six lads have all improved in some way over the past few years. Ross Taylor's Tests stats are the only asterix here and yet they fit into the wider yarn of Taylor being at his best across all formats. Given that everyone celebrated Shane Bond's Blackcaps bowling coach tenure as an amazing period for the bowlers, let's finish this with a salute to Shane Jurgensen who is currently overseeing even more improvement for some of Aotearoa's best ever seamers.
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Peace and love.