There's this thing that the NBA and even closer to home, the NRL has done very well in recent years and that's building up a year-long news cycle. Unfortunately kiwi cricket and the Blackcaps haven't quite got the memo.
Ah, quite a bit actually. Joseph Parker didn’t waste too much time in getting back on the horse after his battling but comfortable defeat to Anthony Joshua back at the end of March.
A few weeks ago Eliza McCartney cleared 4.92m in a meeting in Germany, beating the personal best that she’d set a month earlier in America during a Diamond League event by a good seven centimetres. Now she’s edged up another two cm’s.
Michael Venus did not win a second career grand slam title this weekend. He and South African doubles partner Raven Klaasen went to five sets in the Men’s Doubles final at Wimbledon but fell to Americans Jack Sock and Mike Bryan in the championship match.
All is well that ends all good, right? A win for Aotearoa in their third ODI against England wraps up a tour to Ireland and England that was solid, but under-whelming for the White Ferns.
Despite switching formats, it was the same result for Aotearoa's White Ferns against England and their run on getting smoked by the Poms continues.
Other than the big name movements of Neil Wagner, Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham, the 2018/19 domestic cricket contracts lists were a tad underwhelming.
In the White Ferns loss to England, in the final of their T20 tri-series, the lack of class when it matters most, perhaps translating into a lack of killer instinct popped up again and that's exactly where the frustration with the White Ferns and Blackcaps sits for me.
Aotearoa's White Ferns beat South Africa and lost to England on their day of back to back T20 games, with everything going as expected and now setting up a 'final' between the kiwis and England.
Apologies for the brief Kiwi County Tour hiatus, but I'm back behind the wheel of the KCT bus and currently dropping the lads off at their respective T20 Blast teams.
Aotearoa's White Ferns are currently in England, in the midst of a T20 tri-series with England and South Africa.
Foundations have been laid for the new coach and there is also an opportunity to sprinkle a new twist to the Blackcaps, which makes this job a fantastic gig for a coach.
Upon the retirement of Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson, there was a swell of appreciation and overwhelming success as many folk reflected on Hesson's tenure.
Someone ring up Bob Arum and check if he’s doing okay. Might wanna send Bryant Jennings a care package while you’re at it too. Literally a day after those two were talking publically about a matchup with Joseph Parker like it’s all done and dusted, Parker has rocked up in London instead where he’s announced he’ll take on Dillian Whyte on July 28.
Rightio then, who saw that one coming? Mike Hesson has resigned from the Blackcaps coaching gig, effective at the end of July, with a year still to run on his contract which would have taken him to the end of the 2019 World Cup. Bit of a bombshell, that one.
It’s been a few minutes since we last heard from Joseph Parker. After suffering his first defeat as a professional, that commendable but comfortable unanimous decision loss to Anthony Joshua at the end of March, Smokin’ Joe’s been keeping it very much on the down low.
Jeetan Patel and Tom Latham came up against each other as captains, Ross Taylor’s still knocking runs around and Matt Henry is backing up his County campaign nicely.
Tom Latham is captaining Durham and scoring runs, while Ross Taylor is also showing his class for Nottinghamshire and James Franklin has emerged as Middlesex’s finisher. There’s a lot more runs than wickets on the Kiwi County Tour bus as the Royal London One-Day Cup rolls on.
Jimmy Neesham is off to Wellington Firebirds and the Firebirds may have pulled off the best bit of business in domestic cricket’s winter transfer market.
What do the moves of Colin de Grandhomme and Neil Wagner to Northern Districts Knights mean for Auckland Aces and Otago Volts?