Santner’s career takes an upward turn
Mitchell Santner is on the cusp of world one-day international cricket’s top-10 bowlers, as the spinner looks set to be New Zealand’s Champions Trophy trump card.
Santner, who will reunite with fellow spinner Jeetan Patel in the tri-series ODI against Bangladesh in Dublin tonight, has climbed to a career-best No 11 on a list dominated by the slow men.
Only six of the top-14 on the latest ODI bowling rankings - headed by South African legspinner Imran Tahir - are speedsters: Australia’s Mitchell Starc (No 2), New Zealand’s Trent Boult (No 4), South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (No 5), Australia’s Josh Hazlewood (No 6), England’s Chris Woakes (No 7) and New Zealand’s Matt Henry (No 9).
It shows the impact spin could have if the UK pitches are docile next month, and New Zealand appear keen to team up Santner and Patel against Australia on the latter’s home track Edgbaston on June 2. One of them will likely be thrown the new ball against David Warner and company, as was tried against South Africa at home with some success.
Santner made his ODI debut in England in 2015 and took 3-31 opening the bowling in the series decider at Durham. New Zealand lost a thriller by six runs and leftarmer Santner became the side’s go-to white ball bowler, with unescapable comparisons to Daniel Vettori with his clever changes of pace and flight.
After 35 ODIs, the 25-year-old Santner has 42 wickets at an average of 31.71. His economy rate of 4.94 remains high quality in modern day ODIs of regular 300-plus totals.
Santner took a career-best 5-50 in the opening match against Ireland and in three ODIs in Dublin has 7-113 off 27 overs for an economy rate of 4.18. It lifted him just behind Bangladesh’s 10thranked Shakib Al Hasan, the spinning allrounder who’ll try to inspire his country’s first away ODI win against New Zealand, at their 17th attempt.
Patel, meanwhile, wheeled down 35.3 overs (2-104) in Warwickshire’s county championship draw with Somerset at Taunton on Monday, then was bound for Ireland. The 37-yearold’s career revival gained pace at home and his efforts against South Africasealed his spot on familiar turf.
It means legspinner Ish Sodhi will farewell the squad after the Bangladesh game and join fellow fringe men Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Colin Munro and Henry Nicholls for a training camp in Northampton under New Zealand Cricket’s high performance coach Bob Carter.
All five had strong claims for the Champions Trophy 15, as did Hamish Bennett who snared 3-31 against Bangladesh in his only triseries match. The bustling Wellington quick deserved more chances in the first three ODIs and has legitimate claims as a stand-by bowler.
Henry, Ferguson or Bennett could still play a role in the UK if injuries strike. Adam Milne arrived in Ireland with a side strain and bowled eight tidy overs in the 190-run win over the hosts. Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Mitchell McClenaghan all join the squad in London this week, the former two with minimal Indian Premier League overs and the latter starring for eventual champions Mumbai Indians but missing their final two matches due to injury.
Henry, who took 3-36 against Ireland in his first ODI since December 31, said fringe status was frustrating. ‘‘It’s always tough but you’ve got to keep focusing and enjoying your cricket. If I’m enjoying it and playing well and the rest will take care of itself. A lot of it’s out of your control. Just keep working hard and the main thing is enjoying it.’’