Middle order under the spotlight
Springs test cricket venue
“Regarding any potential relocation, we are holding our position. If there’s an opportunity at Western Springs, we’d look at it, but I’m not sure it’s appropriate to be talking about it as a potential venue while it’s still occupied — and recognised — as the home of speedway. You’d hope they wouldn’t be booted until they had somewhere else to go.”
Auckland Cricket, as an original owner of the Eden Park site, are offered guarantees with their current deal. They include an annuity in excess of $300,000 under the Eden Park Trust Amendment Act 2009.
As they scope the future, Cameron said next year’s proposed day-night test against England on the No 1 ground offers another new opportunity.
Several international limited overs matches would also be likely to stay at Eden Park because they would attract bigger crowds than Western Springs’ proposed 10,000-capacity.
Alternatively, Paul Nisbet, the director of Auckland Stadiums as a division of RFA, sees a new cricket ground as a logical solution.
“We’re firming up the concept design and assessing the ground conditions at Western Springs. We’re still at a stage where we’re engaging with our stakeholders.”
The RFA annual report for the year ended June 30, 2016, backed that view, after the Warriors were guaranteed to stay at Mt Smart until 2028.
Eden Park has hosted tests twice in the past decade, against England in 2013 and India in 2014. Purposebuilt cricket grounds such as Hamilton’s Seddon Park, Wellington’s Basin Reserve, Christchurch’s Hagley Oval and Dunedin’s University Oval have been preferred for the game’s longest form. In some quarters, that is seen as a missed economic opportunity. The biggest population in the country has needed to travel to Hamilton as their closest test venue for eight of the past 10 summers. With the possible exception of the Eden Park drainage system, New Zealand’s middle order of Colin Munro, Corey Anderson and Tom Bruce will be the aspect of tonight’s Twenty20 international against South Africa under the most scrutiny.
Ross Taylor’s disappointment at again missing T20 selection raised the debate whether the incumbent trio are best suited to the job at Nos 3, 4 and 5.
Each had a moment of glory against Bangladesh. Munro made his maiden T20 international century, 101 off 54 balls, to secure the second match at Mt Maunganui; Bruce also raced to 59 not out from 39 balls in that innings; and Anderson hit 94 from 41 balls to dominate the third match at the same venue.
However, South Africa should put them under more pressure — if the weather clears.
“It’s naturally disappointing for Ross,” captain Kane Williamson said. “The T20 side has been playing some good cricket. We’ve got the one-off game, then we join up with the oneday team, and he [Taylor] is certainly a big part of that but the focus is on our cricket right now and the team we have.”
The essence of batting in the shortest format is how the resource of 120 balls is used. There’s not much between the quartet in T20 career strike rate: Bruce (153 from 21 matches) leads Munro (144 in 132 matches), Anderson (138 in 84 matches) and Taylor (135 from 224).
Despite the “he said-they said” debate between Taylor and selectors Mike Hesson and Gavin Larsen about the communication surrounding his axing, his case remains strong. The problem is the scarcity of matches in the format. New Zealand might not don the beige and black strip again until next summer.
Since Taylor’s recovery from eye surgery, he has scored 40 or more in six of his eight innings across all formats. That amounts to 463 runs at an average of 66.14.
Neither Munro, Anderson nor Bruce has been as consistent as Taylor with the bat since Christmas but they mount a case for being better outfielders. Taylor’s skill as a slip assumes less importance in T20s outside the opening overs.
The relevance of T20 internationals has also become moot. Losses are an ice cream headache compared to the hangover which can ensue after test defeats.
New Zealand might be ranked No 1 in the format, but the honour holds less weight than the test or ODI accolade.
The format has morphed into an avenue where the selectors can afford to develop players such as Bruce and 20-year-old opener Glenn Phillips.