Selection headaches loom over form duo
It should be a selection no-brainer, fitting BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi in the same New Zealand test cricket side.
But for the Black Caps’ summer test engagements against Australia (home and away) and Sri Lanka (home), that may be the toughest decision facing coach Mike Hesson. He couldn’t have done much more, but Ronchi may have to wait until captain Brendon McCullum walks away from test cricket to earn his second appearance after a compelling debut against England at Headingley.
Watling would ably fill any spot in New Zealand’s top-six and can adapt his style to any situation, new ball or old, saving a match or chasing quick runs. He averaged 85 in the two-test series and all three dismissals were near unplayable deliveries, which showed how tough he is to dislodge. But if he was to relinquish the gloves to Ronchi and shift into the top-six, another batsman or an allrounder would have to miss out.
Watling has opened for New Zealand before and would still perform that role effectively, but Martin Guptill repaid the selectors with dual 70s at Lord’s and Headingley and will be there in Australia in November, with his big work-on a tendency to push hard at full outswingers.
Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and McCullum aren’t going to shift in a hurry, either, which leaves the allrounder’s spot at six.
Corey Anderson’s back injury allowed Ronchi a debut which he seized with a blistering 88 off 70 balls on day one. Anderson was excellent in a losing run chase at Lord’s but hasn’t yet nailed it with the bat at test level, averaging 31.35 from 11 matches. with a solitary century against Bangladesh.
Jimmy Neesham, currently recovering from a stress fracture, was preferred to Anderson in the Caribbean last year and averages 43 from eight tests, with tons against India and West Indies in series victories. He’ll return to the mix for Australia but will have only white ball cricket in Zimbabwe and South Africa in August to press his claims.
The question is, how much value does the allrounder bring to the bowling balance, and could New Zealand gamble on just Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Mark Craig, with backup from Williamson’s spin, thereby fitting Watling and Ronchi in.
Anderson has 13 test wickets at 38 and Neesham 11 wickets at 32. Both, particularly Anderson, have shown a knack for snaring immediate wickets and lifting some flagging momentum. In a three-test series on the hard Australian pitches the Black Caps would be reluctant to go in without an allrounder to share the bowling load, and risk breaking their prized new ball duo Boult and Southee.
When 34-year-old Ronchi mused it might be his only test so he wanted to make the most of the opportunity, it seemed absurd to think he could be a one-test wonder in the Rodney Redmond mould. He might need to wait for another opening via injury or retirement, but with his matchturning qualities in this new highoctane test cricket world, Hesson should be exploring every option to try and fit Ronchi in.
It’s a credit to Hesson and Bruce Edgar’s selections in the past year that nearly all have stood up when summoned. Henry was better than his figures suggested at Lord’s and not at his best in the first innings at Headingley, but still has his nose in front as third seamer, ahead of Doug Bracewell and Neil Wagner.
The stability of selection will likely be shown next month, too, when the 20-strong New Zealand Cricket contract list is unveiled. Usually there are five or six changes from year to year but a quick glance reveals possibly only two different names for the period starting August 1.
Bracewell will likely return for the retired Kyle Mills, and World Cup star Grant Elliott should be back for fellow allrounder Colin Munro.