New Zealand A didn't win a game in Sri Lanka and a loss in the second First-Class game saw their undefeated streak in the long format come to an end. There were three players who elevated above the rest with their performances and they all had strong seasons last summer across the format, showing clear potential to slide into the wider Blackcaps mixer.

Curtis Heaphy - 22yrs

In Sri Lanka

Scores: 53*, 18, 162, 59, 0.
FC: 221 runs @ 73.6avg/44sr, 1 x 100, 1 x 50
LA: 71 runs @ 71avg/75sr, 1 x 50

Last season

Plunket Shield: 509 runs @ 42.4avg/43sr, 2 x 100, 2 x 50
Ford Trophy: 363 runs @ 60.5avg/68sr, 2 x 100, 1 x 50
Super Smash: 79 runs @ 15.8avg

Career

FC: 44.38avg/41sr
LA: 53.87avg/68sr
T20: 25.86avg/109sr

Heaphy has now been involved in all three NZ-A tours over the last year and has a 50+ score in each of them, including a knock of 190 in the FC section of the South Africa tour. Heaphy has played five FC games for NZ-A and has two scores over 150 as well as two other 50+ scores. He finished as the leading FC run-scorer in Sri Lanka and did so after hitting four centuries in Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy last season which was the best season of his career so far.

Heaphy's the only emerging batter averaging 40+ in FC and LA batting. He scores slower than most and this could impact his Blackcaps selection but no other young batter piles up runs like Heaphy, including Rhys Mariu who struggled in Sri Lanka. While there are other options, Heaphy should be the next Test opener for Blackcaps and as one-day cricket is his best format, Heaphy is likely to get a crack at the top of the order in that format soon as well.

Matt Boyle - 23yrs

In Sri Lanka

Scores: 17, 85, 26, 102, 8
Wickets: 0, 0, 1
FC: 136 runs @ 45.3avg/79sr, 1 x 100 | 1w @ 24avg/4.8rpo
LA: 102 runs @ 51avg/110sr, 1 x 50 | 4ov @ 6.7rpo

Last season

Plunket Shield: 554 runs @ 50.3avg/71sr, 1 x 100 | 4 x 50 | 6w @ 39.1avg/3.3rpo
Ford Trophy: 289 runs @ 41.2avg/101sr, 1 x 50 | 2w @ 35.5avg/5.5rpo
Super Smash: 200 runs @ 25avg/160sr, 2 x 50 | 7ov @ 8.2rpo

Career

FC: 35.5avg/66sr | 38.44avg/3.1rpo
LA: 28.06avg/91sr | 69avg/5.9rpo
T20: 27.82avg/151sr

Boyle was second for NZ-A runs in both formats during the tour of Sri Lanka and had the highest strike-rate of all batters who scored 50+ runs on the tour except for Fraser Sheat who smacked 61* @ 102sr down the order. Boyle's four sixes in the FC series was the most for NZ-A and while he didn't hit a six in the LA series, he was the only NZ-A batter who hit 10+ fours (15).

Boyle didn't go on the tour of South Africa last year but he did have a 50+ score in the FC series in Bangladesh last year. Those tours sit either side of Boyle's best season of FC batting in Aotearoa and he hit his third 50+ score in LA cricket in Sri Lanka, after averaging 40+ in Ford Trophy for the first season of his career.

Not only is Boyle scoring lots of runs and doing so quicker than most, he is bowling more with what is usually leg-spin but often looks like a combination of spinny stuff. Let's call Boyle our mystery spinner and he had his most active bowling season across all formats last summer, which flowed into a few overs in Sri Lanka.

Tim Pringle - 23yrs

In Sri Lanka

Scores: 5, 20, 12, 8, 14
Wickets: 1, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2
FC: 34 runs @ 11.3avg/33sr | 8w @ 35.2avg/3.5rpo
LA: 25 runs @ 12.5avg/78sr | 6w @ 24.6avg/5.4rpo

Last summer

Plunket Shield: 200 runs @ 18.1avg/44sr | 31w @ 28avg/2.6rpo
Ford Trophy: 122 runs @ 20.3avg/81sr | 13w @ 19.9avg/3.7rpo
Super Smash: 42 runs @ 14avg/124sr | 10w @ 28avg/8.3rpo

Career

FC: 17.36avg/43sr | 33.7avg/3.1rpo
LA: 15.15avg/80sr | 34.55avg/4.7rpo
T20: 12.27avg/110sr | 24.72avg/7.2rpo

Pringle is the best spinner yet to play for Blackcaps in New Zealand. After settling as a consistent 1st 11 player for Northern Districts last season and leading their spin unit, with 10+ wickets and averages below 30 in all three formats, Pringle was the best bowler for NZ-A in Sri Lanka. He was the only bowler who took 4+ wickets in the FC series and was tied with Simon Keene for the most wickets in the LA series, with a slightly lower average than Keene.

Conditions were favourable for spin but Pringle was far more effective than Rohit Gulati for NZ-A and was more efficient than Adithya Ashok in the LA series. Peter Younghusband came into the squad for the FC series and he joined Gulati in averaging 70+ in that series. Pringle also thrived with a high workload as he bowled the most overs for NZ-A in both formats and still managed to sustain good averages throughout.

Like Boyle's bowling, Pringle can also bat and there is potential for him to grow into an all-rounder. Pringle scored 100+ runs in Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy last season which was his first season in each format hitting that mark. Not only did Pringle take wickets in all innings bowled in Sri Lanka, with 2+ wickets in five of six innings, he had minor starts with the bat in all those innings and finished the Plunket Shield with scores of 25, 36*, 21, 5, 24, 3*, 30.

Support our cricket coverage by joining the Patreon whanau or donate through Buy Me A Coffee. A little goes a long way to fund our mahi. Smash an ad.

Peace and love.