Black Caps end T20 drought
What the Volts needed was a compressed twenty20 campaign so they could capitalise on their surprising form during the oneday tournament.
Instead, they are basically playing once a week — weather depending — and all that momentum they took into the tournament has seemingly dwindled.
The 54run loss to Central Districts in Napier on Thursday night was worse than it appeared in print. The Volts were never in the hunt with the bat.
But there was some promising fight shown in the lower reaches of the order. Brad Wilson, with 32 not out, and Michael Rippon, who made 28, brought some respectability to the score and provided a reminder just how deep Otago bats.
Wellington pummelled Otago by a colossal 193 runs in round three of the Ford Trophy and some [read yours truly] were quick to write the team off.
‘‘The chase was calamitous, brief and, well, a little predictable,’’ the Otago Daily
reported.
In hindsight, the game actually proved to be a catalyst which helped power the Volts on a fourgame winning streak and into the final.
Every team has to deal with injuries but we have all seen how rubbish Australia is without its best two batsmen. Neil Broom’s absence — he is out with a fractured bone in his hand which has never carried sandpaper out to the middle — really does weaken the batting. The Volts are lucky to have someone as accomplished as Wilson batting at No 9. But the top order is an anemic version of itself without the former international.
Coach Rob Walter reckons three more wins will be enough to get his side into the playoffs. When you look at who the Volts have left to play, the route to the playoffs is not some back alley
with peril waiting beyond each bend. They have backtoback games against Auckland — a team they beat twice during the oneday campaign — and a match against Canterbury, which is labouring at the bottom of the competition standings. Auckland, though, might show up to the University of Otago Oval tomorrow with Martin Guptill, Colin Munro and Glenn Phillips in tow. That will make it an altogether different prospect.
Otago is unlikely to make any changes for its match against Auckland. But a change the Volts would probably like to make would be to bring back Christi Viljoen and his golden arm. He has been Otago’s most frugal bowler in the tournament by a comfortable margin and, with seven wickets, he has been awfully successful as well. But the arrival of English import Ben Raine meant Viljoen did not fit the mix any more. He is a qualifying player, so he is competing for one of only three slots in the side. He could play ahead of South Africanborn wrist spinner Michael Rippon, but that would leave Otago without a specialist spinner. Former international spinner Mark Craig is sidelined with a back complaint, so he is not an option. One solution might be to give 18yearold leftarm spinner Ben Lockrose a run in Rippon’s place — that way Viljoen can play. Lockrose was in tremendous form during the recent provincial A triseries. AUCKLAND: Two returnees to international cricket have busted the Black Caps out of their twenty20 slump.
Doug Bracewell and Scott Kuggeleijn first saved the batsmen’s blushes, then produced with the ball and in the field as the Black Caps claimed a 35run victory over Sri Lanka in a oneoff T20 international.
Having lost their past six matches in the shortest format, and 10 of their past 11, it was a timely win for the Black Caps, and wrapped up a third series victory over Sri Lanka.
While the clash at Eden Park was hardly a priority, as shown by the Black Caps leaving their captain, coach and best seamer at home, there was still plenty to glean from the performances of their returning standouts.
The Black Caps indicated their faith in Bracewell and Kuggeleijn’s allround abilities by naming a side with just five specialist batsmen, but they would not have expected to be calling upon their batting talents so early.
Sri Lanka ripped through the New Zealand top order as Colin Munro, Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert all succumbed to top edges.
The trio were attempting to play into the legside but, perhaps surprised by the pace and bounce in the wicket, all meekly skied deliveries which were well taken.
Add in Henry Nicholls lasting only six balls, and it was 27 for four, tasking Ross Taylor and Mitchell Santner with a rebuilding effort.
Nine runs from 22 balls followed, and when Santner departed at 55 for five after 10 overs, the Black Caps’ prospects of victory looked slim.
However, Taylor made 33 from 35 to at least steady proceedings, before combining with Bracewell, who produced some lusty blows.
Twentythree came off a Thisara Perera over as part of an immensely valuable 44 off 26 balls, before Kuggeleijn bashed 35 off just 15 to see the Black Caps through to 179 for seven.
Regular wickets then fell in Sri Lanka’s chase.
While the visiting side was tracking at 10 runs an over, Kuggeleijn and Bracewell took the vital wickets of Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella respectively. Lockie Ferguson had earlier removed Sadeera Samarawickrama for a firstball duck.
That brought Thisara Perera to the crease, and once again he posed the biggest danger to the Black Caps.
The powerful allrounder carved his way to 43 from 24 balls as Sri Lanka stayed ahead of the required run rate, but a Ferguson slower ball drew him into picking out Bracewell at longoff, who took the catch. — NZME