Potential snub causes angst
Cricket’s grapevine spreads fast in New Zealand, and all it’s screaming out is that Tom Latham will keep wicket against Australia next Monday.
Naturally that’s causing some angst at the Basin Reserve, where Black Caps squad member Tom Blundell will don the gloves on Wednesday for Wellington against Canterbury in the Ford Trophy but Latham will be absent.
Conversely, Blundell is required to join the New Zealand camp in Auckland on Friday and Latham, after his designated posttest rest period, will keep wicket for Canterbury against Auckland in Rangiora on Saturday. Then fly to Auckland, and be conveniently excused from the play-travel-play rule which was used by New Zealand Cricket to deny Ross Taylor an Australian Big Bash cameo in Melbourne on January 1. Confused? Blundell has grounds to be, even if New Zealand coach and chief selector Mike Hesson insists a decision on their wicketkeeper won’t be made till after Latham’s Canterbury 50-over stint.
Firebirds coach Bruce Edgar was diplomatic on the prospect of Blundell being with the Black Caps in Auckland, Napier and Hamilton as drinks carrier and potentially not returning to Wellington till their final round match against Canterbury on February 8.
‘‘It’s disappointing if that’s the case,’’ Edgar said.
Latham’s kept wicket in three of his 49 ODIs and was a gloveman at schoolboy level. But it would place undue pressure on the opener and appears a stop-gap measure in the confusing merrygo-round which the injured Luke Ronchi and BJ Watling have hopped on and off this summer.
Hesson explained Latham potentially keeping wicket would free up spots for more middle order hitting power, with Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme all vying for places, assuming Ross Taylor and Neil Broom bat four and five.
Blundell opened for Wellington, scoring 41 and four in two Ford Trophy innings, but on his power and innovation in domestic Twenty20 would be well capable of providing impetus at six or seven. He didn’t get a chance to show that in his T20 debut against Bangladesh.
New Zealand’s bigger concern is getting meaningful overs out of either Munro, Neesham or de Grandhomme to justify playing five bowlers and Kane Williamson’s offspin.
‘‘We think he [Blundell] can bat anywhere. If he can open the batting he can bat at six or seven. We see him with the skills to do that. His strike rate is pretty impressive when he gets going and he’s a good keeper. He deserves a go,’’ Edgar said.
Certainly a powerhouse knock for Wellington at the Basin Reserve - against ODI squad member Matt Henry - would help Blundell’s cause.
Henry also has something to prove after going off the boil with the white ball this season.
Former team-mate Hamish Bennett, who moved to Wellington to push his case for a Black Caps recall, was outstanding for the Super Smash champions, taking nine wickets at 19 and economy rate of 6.9.
Edgar hopes Bennett is being strongly considered by the national selectors, particularly for the South Africa Twenty20 international on February 17.
‘‘Some of the bowling on our shorter forms has got a bit onedimensional and you can describe Hamish as multi-dimensional now,’’ Edgar said.
‘‘He’s got the courage to bowl the knuckle-ball or slower ball, bowl quick and bowl yorkers. He can come back and surprise people when they’re expecting him to go really hard at them. Those variations 20-30kmh slower are so hard to play.
‘‘When people bowl a similar speed, quite predictable, and they’re hittable.’’
Wellington (2-0) and Canterbury (1-1) are coming off Sunday washouts, with the hosts the form limited overs team in the country after nine wins from their last 10 completed matches.