Fresh off a 10 wicket innings, Ajaz Patel returned to Aotearoa where he wasn't required for a Bay Oval Test that wasn't your regular kiwi seamer deck. Whether you were one of the folks puzzled about Patel's absence prior to the Test or someone who pondered what Patel would do with those Rachin Ravindra's overs, Patel settled into his deck chair as one of Aotearoa cricket's hottest topics.

That alone makes Patel an intriguing cricketer to track over the next few weeks as Aotearoa domestic cricket rolls on. While Bangladesh defeated Aotearoa, Patel was battling away in the Super Smash for Central Stags. With the headlines zoning in on Patel's 10-wicket-banger as well as his Blackcaps absence, Patel's domestic cricket mahi forms a key nugget to stash in your kiwi cricket quiver.

In three Super Smash games, Patel has 1w @ 93avg/10.33rpo.

Last summer's Super Smash saw Patel take 7w @ 47.85avg/8.10rpo.

That's all good because Patel isn't really in the Aotearoa T20 frame. Patel has played seven T20I games with two against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and then five games in Bangladesh last year where Patel finished with the most wickets from either team; 10w @ 7.30avg/3.65rpo.

T20 cricket provides the basic premise of Patel being slick in favourable conditions overseas and less effective in Aotearoa. In three Ford Trophy games last season, Patel took 2w @ 88.50avg/6.24rpo and two Plunket Shield games saw Patel take 2w @ 90.50avg/3.01rpo. That is Aotearoa's best spinner taking 4w in five games across Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield, which can be expanded out to Patel averaging 35+ in his last three seasons of First-Class cricket in Aotearoa.

Oddly enough, the period after Patel's Test debut has been far worse than his first six seasons that commanded Test selection. Patel's FC career can essentially be split up as really good in Aotearoa before his Test debut, kinda meh in Aotearoa after Test debut but steadily good in Tests overseas building to his 10 wicket climax.

In yesterday's win over Northern, Patel took 2w @ 3.25rpo in 8 overs. After starting his kiwi summer with no wickets in his first two Super Smash games, Patel 3w in his last two games. We won't see Patel wind up the Plunket Shield overs for a while and this sets up intrigue as to how Patel rolls through the various formats to generate some momentum, perhaps some buzz.

Central are third in Ford Trophy (1-0-1) and fourth in Super Smash (3-4) with both competitions delicately poised. Patel low key grew into a white ball bowler for Central over the past few years and as these are the formats being played right now, they are the most important for Patel. The next step this summer is to shine with the white ball and while that won't have a direct impact on his Test selection, these next few weeks will be fun to see how Patel steps up as a leading Aotearoa spinner.

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