Black Caps quartet to sit out domestic T20 opener
From topscoring for the Black Caps against Pakistan in Napier, to sitting on the Basin Reserve’s grass hill cheering on his Wellington Firebirds team two days later.
It’s not Devon Conway’s preference but the prolific batsman accepts he will join Jimmy Neesham, Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips on the sidelines for today’s men’s Twenty20 Super Smash opener, due to the Cricket Players Association’s play-travelplay rule.
With the Pakistan schedule being shoehorned into December amid Covid-19, New Zealand Cricket’s T20 competition suffers with the four big drawcard names sidelined from the men’s grand final rematch between the Firebirds and Auckland Aces.
The CPA has strict rules around player workloads in its master agreement with NZC and, after the quartet played three T20s in five days against Pakistan, another match two days later was seen as a bridge too far.
NZC’s high performance manager Bryan Stronach explained: ‘‘This boils down to player welfare and in consultation with the NZCPA we have agreed that playing three internationals with only a travel day in between and then repeating that for another domestic game is too much.
‘‘We always try and set up our schedules to avoid this sort of occurrence, but due to the unprecedented nature of 2020 and the crowded international calendar it’s been unavoidable.’’
Conway said: ‘‘It was mentioned a day or two ago and we’d heard rumours we may potentially not be allowed to play that game on the 24th. It’s a little bit disappointing.
‘‘We’re always keen to play. It’s just one of those rules we have to abide by. I’ll still be there to support them in the cheap seats so I’m looking forward to that.’’
After visiting Napier for the first time, Conway will chalk up another bucket list item: he is yet to sit on the Basin hill and watch a match, three years after settling in Wellington from his native South Africa.
‘‘Due to the unprecedented nature of 2020 and the crowded international calendar it’s been unavoidable.’’
NZC high performance manager Bryan Stronach explains why some Black Caps will miss the opening round of the Super Smash
Guptill would have been out anyway with a right index finger injury suffered in Napier and is awaiting X-ray results. Legspinnner Ish Sodhi will be out for at least two weeks for the Knights after straining a hamstring.
Conway’s first T20 for the Firebirds this summer will be back at McLean Park on Sunday when they face Central Stags, after the Hinds-Blaze match.
Conway will return with good memories, aside from the fourwicket defeat to Pakistan.
The left-hander topscored with 63 off 45 balls as New Zealand posted 173-7 which they thought was a good total on a pitch that played slower and lower than Auckland and Hamilton. Then he circled for an eternity under a catch off Kyle Jamieson’s bowling in the final over, to remove man of the match Mohammad Rizwan and give the Black Caps a sniff of a chance.
‘‘Grateful to have taken it, and James Neesham did check my heart rate as we were standing in the huddle.
‘‘He did say it was going a million miles an hour.’’
In his first four T20 international innings the runs flowed for Conway, scoring 41 and 65 not out against West Indies, then five and 63 against Pakistan. Barring injury or illness in the test squad, Conway will be back in black against Australia in the T20 opener on February 22.
‘‘Very happy with the way things have gone. If you’d asked me how I’d go before [my debut] I would have probably taken that. To contribute is one thing but to win two series is another.’’
Weather permitting, today’s Super Smash opener kicks off a competition which runs until men’s and women’s finals day on February 13, with Black Caps frontliners available for the bulk of it, after the second test against Pakistan from January 3-7. Senior Firebirds bowlers Hamish Bennett and Logan van Beek make welcome returns from injury.