Blackcaps T20 Tri-Series In Zimbabwe Notebook After Two Wins
The Blackcaps have won their first two games of the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe featuring impressive mahi from emerging batters Tim Robinson and Bevon Jacobs in the first game, plus the continued excellence of Matt Henry. Aotearoa repeat the cycle with mid-week games vs South Africa and Zimbabwe coming up, but Glenn Phillips won't be playing as he's out injured.
Robinson keeps his spot as Phillips' replacement, while Jimmy Neesham and Mitch Hay depart the squad. Neesham and Hay didn't snap up their opportunity in the wing over South Africa, which is aligned with their T20I mahi for Blackcaps since the start of 2024. As noted in the stats belwo, Neesham's got a 7.8avg/93sr combo that is well below his usual antics and Hay is slightly better on 12.4avg/128sr.
Neesham is part of a middle order/all-rounder zone that is full of vibrant depth and unless the stars align with his own form, then injuries etc, it is hard to see him finding a top-15 Blackcaps T20I role. Hay has a better opportunity as Tim Seifert is the only specialist wicket-keeper in the mix and Seifert's hyper aggressive batting can be volatile as has been seen so far in this series.
Here's how Blackcaps have lined up in each game...
Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay, Jimmy Neesham, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
Tim Seifert (wk) Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Adam Milne
Here are the changes...
Robinson - Ravindra
Hay - Chapman
Neesham - Bracewell
Sodhi - Milne
Zak Foulkes and Will O'Rourke have not payed yet. All of which is the latest example of Aotearoa's cricketing depth as the absences of Phillips and Finn Allen don't dent the quality of the Blackcaps T20 line up. 21 players have been used for Blackcaps this year in T20I cricket and no one should be concerned about players who don't want to play for New Zealand because that simply provides an opportunity to someone else.
Here is the basic mahi so far in the tri-series...
Batting
Tim Robinson: 75 runs @ 131.5sr
Devon Conway: 68 runs @ 145sr
Bevon Jacobs: 44 runs @ 147sr
Daryl Mitchell: 31 runs @ 129sr
Rachin Ravindra: 30 runs @ 158sr
Tim Seifert: 25 runs @ 119sr
Mitch Hay: 2 runs @ 67sr
Jimmy Neesham: 0 runs off 2 balls
Bowling
Matt Henry: 6w @ 8.1rpo
Jacob Duffy: 3w @ 5.2rpo
Ish Sodhi: 2w @ 8.5rpo
Mitchell Santner: 2w @ 6.6rpo
Rachin Ravindra: 1w @ 3.3rpo
Michael Bracewell: 1w @ 7.5rpo
Adam Milne: 1w @ 7.5rpo
Jimmy Neesham: 3ov @ 9.6rpo
Here are the T20I stats since the start of 2024 for relevant lads...
Batting
Tim Seifert: 31.6avg/159sr
Daryl Mitchell: 33.5avg/151sr
Mark Chapman: 21.6avg/142sr
Tim Robinson: 29.7avg/131sr
Michael Bracewell: 25.3avg/138sr
Devon Conway: 28.5avg/125sr
Rachin Ravindra: 24.2avg/140sr
Mitchell Santner: 16.4avg/112sr
Zak Foulkes: 19.3avg/145sr
Bevon Jacobs: 44 runs @ 147sr
Bowling
Jacob Duffy: 13.1avg/6.4rpo
Ish Sodhi: 25.4avg/8.2rpo
Matt Henry: 18.6avg/8.7rpo
Mitchell Santner: 28avg/7.1rpo
Zak Foulkes: 23.4avg/8.4rpo
Adam Milne: 22.9avg/10.5rpo
Michael Bracewell: 46.6avg/8.8rpo
Will O'Rourke: 28.6avg/7.1rpo
Rachin Ravindra: 11avg/4.7rpo
Three funky pockets...
19 bowlers have taken a T20I wicket for Blackcaps since the start of 2024 and only two are averaging 40+. Daryl Mitchell has 1w @ 41avg/13.6rpo in his 3 overs so that's not an issue and the other is Bracewell who has the highest T20I bowling average for Blackcaps in this period.
Bracewell is a strong hitter who can earn selection as a slugger but his overs of spin bowling boost his case for selection. Blackcaps have now got Jacobs looking glorious in the middle order, two useful T20 seamers in Foulkes and O'Rourke looking for opportunities, plus there is the development of Ravindra in the top order that can bump batters down a spot.
Blackcaps have Santner and Sodhi who can hold things down as spinners, plus Ravindra's getting more and more overs. Bracewell needs to find a bowling groove to stay in the 1st 11 mix.
Ravindra hasn't stamped his mark on the Blackcaps T20 team but he appears likely to command a 1st 11 role in the second half of 2025. Ravindra has ODI and List-A strike-rates over 100 but he hasn't offered the same attacking consistency in T20 cricket. There is clear development in limited doses this year, with a big jump in his MLC strike-rate and even though his IPL strike-rate dropped from 2024, Ravindra was more consistent with his runs.
Keep in mind that Aotearoa' batting phenom averages 17.8 in T20I batting and 19.5 in T20s....
T20I career
2021: 9avg/98sr
2023: 18.2avg/134sr
2024: 15.8avg/119sr
2025: 49.5avg/171sr
MLC
2024: 14.1avg/137sr
2025: 23.9avg/172sr
IPL
2024: 22.2avg/161sr
2025: 27.2avg/128sr
If you don't view Matt Henry as an Aotearoa bowling legend, you should probably start adjusting your perspective. Since the start of 2020, Henry is averaging below 25 in all three formats which features a major improvement in his Test mahi and quiet excellence in T20 bowling for Blackcaps.
Henry was awesome in the T20 Blast recently and then snared 6w in the first two games of the tri-series. This is his third year in a row averaging below 22 in T20I bowling and yet he's not quite as effective as Jacob Duffy since the start of 2024.
T20 Blast: 17.5avg/7.3rpo
Last three years of T20I bowling
2023: 21.6avg/7.2rpo
2024: 20.7avg/8.4rpo
2025: 15.2avg/9.4rpo
Before | After start of 2020
Test: 48.4avg/3.2rpo | 24.1avg/3.1rpo
ODI: 26.4avg/5.4rpo | 22.6avg/4.8rpo
T20I: 27.2avg/8.6rpo | 19.5avg/8.1rpo
Henry is better that Tim Southee who averaged 30+ in Test and ODI bowling, then 22.3avg in T20Is. The better comparison for Henry is Trent Boult and the comparison is far closer than many would assume...
(Test | ODI | T20I)
Trent Boult: 27.4avg | 24.3avg | 21.4avg
Matt Henry: 29.8avg | 24.8avg | 21.1avg
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Peace and love.