Black Caps deserve to be optimistic
The names Michael Bracewell, Cam Fletcher, Hamish Rutherford, Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy wereworth the brief attention they received first thing yesterday.
But that’s where it should end, with the quintet set to be surplus to requirements for the three tests against England next month.
With Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell contesting the Indian Premier League, extra bodies will be required for the New Zealand team to play two four-day warm-up games later this month.
Fletcher may be kept on as wicketkeeping cover for Tom Blundell, but the fact Rutherford hasn’t played a test since January 2015won’t change unless two of Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway suffer physical setbacks prior to the first test at Lord’s on June 2.
The focus instead now turns to the test squad of 15, and more pointedly, the first-choice XI to walk through The Long Room.
Black Caps fans will hope the lighter physical demands of the IPL don’t cause any issues to Kane Williamson’s fragile elbow, before they start worrying about it again in three back-to-back-to-back tests which will determine if the side still has a shout at retaining their World Test Championship mace.
Williamson’s absence was clearly a significant factor in New Zealand losing three of the five tests they played while hewas sidelined – firstly through his contributions with the bat and secondly via his missing leadership.
He’ll obviously slot back in to the lineup, with Mitchell the likely player to miss out from the team that lost the second test to South Africa at Hagley Oval in February.
Williamson hasn’t batted anywhere but No 3 (excluding the employment of a nightwatcher) in tests since August 2012, but there’s a case for him to slip down one spot for the three tests in England, with Latham, Young and Conway coming in before him.
The bowling mix will have more intrigue. The Black Caps used Mitchell Santner as the spin option in their drawn test at Lord’s last year, with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson the three quicks and Colin de Grandhomme the allrounder seam contributor.
Santner isn’t in this year’s squad so Ajaz Patel’s left-arm spin could get its first test since he captured 14 wickets against India in Mumbai in December.
When New Zealand toured England at the same time last year, they won the series 1-0 and could have easily swept the twomatches.
Critics were scathing of a home squad which contained Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope, James Bracey and Olly Stone.
Yet matters only got worse – they lost the following home series against India 2-1, the Ashes 4-0 in Australia and the three-match series 1-0 in the West Indies.
Among that dismal run, coach Chris Silverwood got the boot and captain Joe Root resigned.
Ben Stokes will be the new man with Williamson at the coin toss at Lord’s, while he seems likely to be accompanied in the side by oldstagers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, after debate the pair were being put out to pasture when unwanted for the Caribbean.
Yet even if the interview process proceeds at the pace of a Mark Wood delivery, the new coach will hardly be able to offer more than throw-downs before the series begins.
Conditions that should suit Southee, Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry (while Neil Wagner cares not a jot on what surface he bowls) will give the Black Caps legitimate optimism they can shake off two underwhelming test performances at home this summer by taking advantage of the beleaguered hosts.