Blackcaps continue to churn through new emerging talent in all three formats and the incredible depth in New Zealand cricket is once again on show in the 10 Best Young Cricketers deep dive, as well as those who aren't on the list. Three players from the 2024/25 version have since played for Blackcaps in Bevon Jacobs, Kristian Clarke and Matt Fisher. There are also players like Will O'Rourke, Zak Foulkes, Tim Robinson, Adithya Ashok, Rhys Mariu and Muhammad Abbas who have already played for Blackcaps early in their careers.

This zones in on players who were younger than 25-years-old for most of the cricketing summer and have not played for Blackcaps yet. That excludes the talent group laid out above, along with another group of emerging players who are above the made up age marker but continue to impress in domestic cricket; Dale Phillips, Ryan Harrison, Harjot Johal, Ben Pomare, Jesse Tashkoff, Luke Georgeson, Max Chu, Thorn Parkes.

The 2025/26 season also featured a bunch of younger players who flashed their ability and will move into the top-10 very soon. Auckland had Angus Olliver shining in Super Smash and 18-year-old Marco Alpe plugged a wicket-keeping hole late in the season. Northern Districts had three 19-year-olds contributing across the formats with Xavier Bell playing his role in their Super Smash championship, Snehith Reddy graced with regular selection as a spinny all-rounder and Aryan Mann scoring two half-centuries in his first game of Plunket Shield.

Samuel Morgan and Oscar Jackson burst on to the radar for Wellington in Super Smash. Cameron Paul continued his development for Canterbury, who also have Scott Janett and Jesse Frew (wk) on the rise as batters. Otago are full of enticing talent with Tom Jones, Toby Hart, Zac Cumming, Mason Clarke and Hugo Bogue all notable names to watch out for moving forward.

Auckland

Simon Keene - 24yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 565 runs @ 51.3avg/77sr |25w @ 28avg/3.4rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 89 runs @ 22.2avg/102sr |13w @ 20.5avg/5.4rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: 29 runs @ 14.5avg/132sr | 1w @ 40avg/13.3rpo
FC: 34avg/65sr | 31.1avg/3.3rpo
LA: 25.7avg/98sr | 23.5avg/5.5rpo
T20: 21.4avg/165sr | 34.6avg/8.2rpo

Keene finished the season as one of Auckland's best players and was especially dominant in Plunket Shield were he was second for Auckland runs and wickets. Keene missed a large chunk of Super Smash which was a bummer because of how he performed in the previous season as an aggressive opening batter. His Ford Trophy strike-rate reflects how Keene can score quickly down the order and he was among Auckland's best bowlers in the two longer formats.

This resulted in Keene being selected for the NZ-A squad to tour Bangladesh, after being part of the South Africa tour last year. Keene already has two FC centuries as well as 50+ scores in the other formats and is part of a tremendous wave of all-rounders in the Blackcaps pipeline, all of whom are good fielders like Keene.

Lachlan Stackpole - 21yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 667 runs @ 51.3avg/94sr
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 83 runs @ 13.8avg/80sr
2025/26 Super Smash: 154 runs @ 25.6avg/157sr
FC: 41avg/80sr
LA: 23.3avg/89sr
T20: 19.5avg/146sr

Auckland's leading run-scorer in Plunket Shield also had the highest strike-rate, as well as the most sixes hit. All of which is rather impressive but Stackpole was the only Plunket Shield batter with a strike-rate over 88 and his 33 sixes were well above the next best on 14. The lefty wasn't as good in Ford Trophy but he improved on his first Super Smash season with twice as many runs in the same number of games and Stackpole hit his first 50+ score in T20s.

The effortless way Stackpole hits boundaries and specifically sixes commands attention. This is best suited to the shorter formats but Stackpole excelled in Plunket Shield with freedom to play his natural game which should serve as strong foundations for him to develop in the coming seasons.

Jock McKenzie - 24yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 62 runs @ 15.5avg/42sr | 9w @ 28.7avg/3.5rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 102 runs @ 34avg/89sr | 8w @ 26.7avg/5.6rpo
FC: 28.6avg/45sr | 37.2avg/3.4rpo
LA: 24.2avg/78sr | 35.5avg/5.4o
T20: 28.4avg/124sr | 20.2avg/9.3rpo

While McKenzie was out injured for most of the second half of the season, he showed flashes of his all-round ability and was already one of the best emerging cricketers in Aotearoa so he holds his spot in this group. McKenzie was among Auckland's best bowlers when he was playing Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy, with wickets in eight of his 10 innings. He didn't pass 50 runs last season but had a knock of 48* and averages over 24 in all three formats.

McKenzie is scores slower than Keene but has similar batting ability and moves the ball with swing/seam like Keene. Both were key bowlers when playing together last season and formed an enticing middle order batting alongside Stackpole.

Northern Districts

Tim Pringle - 23yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 200 runs @ 18.1avg/44sr | 31w @ 28avg/2.6rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 122 runs @ 20.3avg/81sr | 13w @ 19.9avg/3.7rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: 42 runs @ 14avg/123sr | 10w @ 28avg/8.3rpo
FC: 33.4avg/3rpo
LA: 34.5avg/4.7rpo
T20: 24.7avg/7.2rpo

Pringle took 10+ wickets and averaged below 30 in all three formats last season, which is wrapped up by him being the leading wicket-taker for ND spinners in each format. This came with Pringle operating as ND's main spinner and while others like Jeet Raval chimed in, ND refreshed their spin unit with 19-year-old Snehith Reddy growing into a spinny all-rounder across the formats last season.

Pringle also bowled the most overs in each format for ND last season and played every game. This happened with Pringle seeming to switch from representing Netherlands and switching to the Aotearoa pipeline, culminating in his selection for the NZ-A tour of Bangladesh. Blackcaps have plenty of lefty spinners with Auckland's Rohit Gulati joining Pringle in the tier below Jayden Lennox and then Mitchell Santner. Pringle's excellent season across the formats should see him put pressure on Lennox soon enough.

Central Districts

Curtis Heaphy - 22yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 509 runs @ 42.4avg/43sr
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 363 runs @ 60.5avg/68sr
2025/26 Super Smash: 79 runs @ 15.8avg/97sr
FC: 42.3avg/40sr
LA: 53.8avg/68sr
T20: 25.8avg/109sr

Heaphy is the best emerging talent in Aotearoa yet to play for Blackcaps. He is one of the few batters on the domestic scene averaging over 40 in FC and LA cricket, with two centuries in each of those formats last season. That was the first season Heaphy has scored two centuries in any format, let alone hitting that mark in two formats in the same season.

While Heaphy is less effective in T20s and dipped away from his versatile role during CD's 2024/25 Super Smash championship, but his skill and development will lead to consistent runs in the T20 format. Heaphy has been part of all three NZ-A tours over the past year or so and that will only amplify his development, especially tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There aren't many openings in the Blackcaps top-order for Tests/ODIs so Heaphy will need to wait for his opportunity, but along with Rhys Mariu these two are the best emerging top-order batters in Aotearoa.

Toby Findlay - 22yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 78 runs @ 13avg/52sr | 11w @ 32.9avg/3.7rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 28 runs @ 9.3avg/72sr | 5w @ 48.4avg/6.5rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: 4w @ 49.7avg/9.7rpo
FC: 46.8avg/4.1rpo
LA: 58.6avg/5.8rpo
T20: 28.6avg/8.5rpo

Findlay wasn't dominant last season and wouldn't rank highly if the 10 best young cricketers were ranked, but the 22-year-old earned consistent selection in an experienced CD team and is one of the most undercover talents in Aotearoa. Findlay's best bowling pocket last season was Plunket Shield where his ability to move the ball both ways was on show and his variations as well as a heavy-ball style helped him finish third for the most CD overs bowled in Super Smash.

He also has batting potential and could develop into an all-rounder for CD. Last season he registered his highest score in domestic cricket (34 runs in Plunket Shield) and he scored 20+ runs in three of his last six innings of the season. Findlay also finished the season with wickets in six of his eight bowling innings and found a groove with regular selection in the second half of the summer.

Canterbury

Matthew Boyle - 23yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 554 runs @ 50.3avg/71sr | 6w @ 39.1avg/3.3rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 289 runs @ 41.2avg/101sr | 2w @ 35.5avg/5.5rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: 200 runs @ 25avg/160sr
FC: 34.5avg/65sr | 40.2avg/3rpo
LA: 28avg/91sr | 69avg/5.9rpo
T20: 27.8avg/150sr

After being the leading run-scorer in the 2024/25 Super Smash, Boyle had his best season of FC and LA batting last summer. Boyle was good again in the Super Smash but his development is clear in the other formats where he averaged 40+ in both and that was his first season in each of those formats above that mark.

Boyle doubled his FC century tally last season and had four other 50+ scores, so he almost doubled the number of 50+ scores he had in four seasons prior. He is now a regular member of NZ-A squads and the combination of FC batting growth, with easy-mahi power makes Boyle an intriguing batter to keep track of in the coming years.

Lachlan Harper - 24yrs

2025/26 Ford Trophy: 8 runs @ 4avg/61sr | 7w @ 21.8avg/5.2rpo
2025/26 Super Smash: 86 runs @ 21.5avg/143sr | 8w @ 26.6avg/8.8rpo
LA: 4avg/61sr | 21.8avg/5.2rpo
T20: 21.5avg/143sr | 26.6avg/8.8rpo

Harper made his LA and T20 debuts last summer where he showcased his all-round ability. Harper's powerful hitting in Super Smash gave Canterbury more oopmh down the order and that was packaged with impressive seam bowling. While not express pace, Harper is quick enough and moved the ball both ways as well as getting good bounce. He struggled with the bat in Ford Trophy but was excellent with the ball, finishing with the lowest bowling average for Canterbury's bowlers who took 2+ wickets.

Harper will need to back this up and push for selection in Plunket Shield. He came from nowhere to contribute to Canterbury wins in the shorter formats and Harper joins the long list of athletic all-rounders who add value in the field across Aotearoa.

Otago

Jacob Cumming - 22yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 511 runs @ 42.5avg/65sr
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 83 runs @ 27.6avg/75sr
2025/26 Super Smash: 122 runs @ 20.3avg/131sr
FC: 28.6avg/46sr
LA: 22.3avg/69sr
T20: 20.3avg/131sr
Cumming has quietly settled as one of the best emerging opening batters. Last summer was his first FC season with 500+ runs and an average over 40, plus he scored his first century. Cumming has played two LA seasons and went from 19.6avg to 27.6avg, as well as making his Super Smash debut last summer.

Cumming has played four FC seasons and his opening batting style is best suited to that format but he showed progression in earning T20 selection. Five of his six 50+ scores have come in the last two seasons and as a lefty, Cumming has a point of difference up the top of the order. Still only 22-years-old, Cumming should flourish across the formats in the coming seasons and emerge as one of Otago's best batters.

Thomas O'Connor - 21yrs

2025/26 Plunket Shield: 129 runs @ 32.2avg/73sr | 27w @ 14.4avg/3.5rpo
2025/26 Ford Trophy: 37 runs @ 18.5avg/63sr | 1w @ 79avg/5.2rpo
FC: 22avg/68sr | 16.6avg/3.1rpo
LA: 18.5avg/63sr | 79avg/5.2rpo

The lefty seamer was the hottest domestic cricketer to finish the season with his traditional swing and craft to push deliveries across right-handed batters standing out, especially early in his career. O'Connor also appeared to be bowling quicker than most which was evident in how his yorkers and bouncers troubling experienced batters, plus O'Connor showed his batting ability with a knock of 84* @ 93sr (6x4, 6x6) that helped his team seal a win.

O'Connor took 27 of his 29 FC wickets in his last four games of Plunket Shield, which was amplified by the style of his wickets. He didn't play Super Smash and was less effective in three Ford Trophy games, so there is plenty of room for O'Connor to grow into an all-format seamer for Otago. With Toby Hart and Mason Clarke also on the rise as seamers, these three will form an intriguing combination in the next few seasons.

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