Selection rolls of the dice have boosted depth of NZ
After New Zealand’s third successive hefty defeat in six days to Australia in Melbourne early last month, coach Mike Hesson indicated there would be changes coming.
He did not name names, but made it clear a mix of a busy summer ahead, plus players not delivering or others pushing a solid case, meant adjustments were likely, and so it has proved.
The arrival of Wellington wicketkeeper Tom Blundell for today’s third and final Twenty20 international against Bangladesh at Bay Oval carries that point on, albeit in unfortunate circumstances.
The only reason Blundell is playing is the groin injury which will sideline Luke Ronchi for the next month.
However, it won’t have escaped Blundell’s attention that he has been shoulder tapped as next in line in the selectors’ thinking as the short-form wicketkeeper.
The return one-day series with Australia is looming at the end of this month. Ronchi won’t be there and neither, almost certainly, will the out-of-favour BJ Watling.
Blundell has the chance today to back up a strong T20 season for Wellington and put himself in the frame for the transtasman reckoning.
Still, it’s been a (half) summer of fresh, and some not-so-fresh, faces.
Hesson and fellow selector Gavin Larsen flagged their thinking before Australia, when they handed test debuts to opener Jeet Raval and allrounder Colin de Grandhomme against Pakistan to impressive effect.
Left-hander Raval has half centuries in each of his first two tests, while de Grandhomme snared a sixwicket bag on the green strip at Hagley Oval on his test debut.
Auckland quick Lockie Ferguson got his chance during the Chappell Hadlee series and while it was a tough introduction, he appears to be a fast learner. Ronchi’s dropping after the tour to India late last year was brief, missing just the Chappell Hadlee series, when Watling was given a chance which he didn’t take.
Bangladesh have clearly been seen as a chance for New Zealand to tinker in the short forms. Experienced offspinner Jeetan Patel was recalled for one ODI on New Year’s Eve and his form for Wellington means longerterm he has to be in any conversation ahead of the Champions Trophy in mid-year in England.
Left-arm seamer Ben Wheeler has made his T20 debut, 16 months after the last of his six ODIs, and has four for 38 in the first two matches against Bangladesh.
George Worker, whose two ODIs and two T20s came in Africa in 2015, remains in the selectors’ thinking, and may be a logical opening option today, with Neil Broom and now Ronchi out of action.
The recall of 33-year-old Broom proved a boon, with innings of 109 not out and 97 in ODIs against Bangladesh before a fractured finger sidelined him this week. And finally, welcome in Tom Bruce.
Unluckily run out early on debut in Napier this week, he cashed in on Friday with a bracing unbeaten 59 off 39 balls, sharing a blazing 123-run fourth wicket stand with Colin Munro.
On balance, it’s been a summer of gain so far for the selectors, especially considering most of those players have years of activity ahead of them.
Australia and South Africa await this season and could knock some aspirations sideways, but still there’s been plenty of encouragement for the summers ahead.