Laying down law: A team ready to advance their case
It sounds like a law firm specialising in high-priced divorces but Conway, Young & Nicholls will be desperate to catch the eye when New Zealand A’s cricket programme starts in Queenstown in nine days.
The A team will play the West Indies in a three-day then four-day match, before turning their attentions to West Indies A then Pakistan A in a hectic pre-Christmas schedule.
With the Johannesburg-raised, Wellington-claimed Devon Conway qualifying this year to become eligible for New Zealand, the Black Caps are, for one of the rare times in their history, spoiled for choice in the middle order.
Although captain Kane Williamson and New Zealand’s highest test runscorer Ross Taylor are locks at No 3 and 4, Henry Nicholls might be starting to look anxiously over his shoulder after a sudden loss of form in the long form last summer was followed by an eight-month lay-off due to a calf injury.
“It’s great to get Henry back on the park after what I know has been a frustrating winter with his left calf injury,” said Black Caps coach and selector Gary Stead. “He’ll turn out for Canterbury this weekend in the Plunket Shield before heading to Queenstown . . . we’re confident if he comes through both games unscathed he’ll be ready for the first test in Hamilton on December 3.”
Although there is no suggestion that his place at No 5 is in immediate danger — five tons and a test average nudging 40 affords some leeway — he will appreciate the value of not giving a sucker an even break.
Nobody can claim to be as unlucky a sucker as Will Young. In most other eras he would have played 20 tests by now but a combination of bad luck and bad management has seen him waiting to make his debut.
All three have a point to prove: gorging on runs against the backdrop of the Remarkables will be a good way to remind the selectors where they stand in the pecking order.
Although hardly a domestic powerhouse, the bowling unit of the always consistent Jacob Duffy, Michael Rae, Nathan Smith and leftarm unorthodox spinner Michael Rippon has shown enough to warrant closer inspection.
Stead said it was going to be a busy season for New Zealand’s elite cricketers. “The complexities of the international schedule, along with the size of the touring squads and the length of time they will spend in the country, has enabled us to build a very strong A programme.
“The flip side of this is that pressure will be put on our player pool this season,” he said.
“We need to be smart with how we use our resources, therefore we’ll likely add and subtract from this squad as we go along.”
Canterbury captain and allrounder Cole McConchie will lead the side with Dane Cleaver taking the gloves.
New Zealand A will assemble in Queenstown next Wednesday with Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman leading the coaching staff.
The Black Caps open their international home summer against the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, November 27.