Trent Boult celebrates the wicket of Matthew Wade with Devon Conway, New Zealand Black Caps v Australia. International Twenty20 cricket. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Trent Boult celebrates the wicket of Matthew Wade with Devon Conway, New Zealand Black Caps v Australia. International Twenty20 cricket. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
It's no small thing to take 383 matches worth of experience out of your top order – not when Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have accrued 14,747 one-day international runs and scored 34 centuries between them in the process.
It's not a trip into the unknown for New Zealand asthey start their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh tomorrow morning, but a trip into the can't remember.
The last time New Zealand lined up in an ODI without Williamson or Taylor, their world-class No 3-4 batting punch, was in October 2014, a rain-ruined match against South Africa that featured the likes of Dean Brownlie, Corey Anderson, the McCullum brothers, Luke Ronchi and Mitchell McClenaghan.
It reads like a different era.
In many respects it feels like the start of a new era at University Oval, although it must be hastily noted that there is still plenty more runs left in the bats of Taylor, who could be available as early as Tuesday in Christchurch, and Williamson, who will miss the rest of the summer to heal a nagging elbow injury.
New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham and Devon Conway celebrate Neesham taking a catch to dismiss Australia's Glenn Maxwell. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
This has opened the door for Will Young and Devon Conway to make their long-awaited one-day international debuts. In Conway's case, the long wait was to fulfil residency requirements, in Young's it was a combination of untimely injuries and him having the misfortune to be a nearly man in an era containing New Zealand's greatest limited overs batsmen.
Young has given a glimpse of his talent in the test arena, while Conway has had more chance to demonstrate his range of skills across 11 T20Is, including a match-winning 99 not out against Australia in Christchurch.
"The last few seasons [Conway] has scored a truckload of runs in all formats for Wellington," said stand-in captain Tom Latham, who will be playing his 100th ODI. "We've seen when he's come into the side he's made every post a winner in terms of the T20 games."
Also pressing for a 50-over debut is Daryl Mitchell, who effectively replaces all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
Mitchell has made a hugely impressive start to his test career and has a fine List A record. His batting technique and temperament look tailormade for international cricket but it would be fair to say his bowling is yet to convince it can withstand the jump in class. In that respect he is similar to Jimmy Neesham, the man he is presumably going head-to-head with for the No 6 slot in the starting XI.
Tim Southee of New Zealand (C) takes a catch to dismiss Shadab Khan captain of Pakistan congratulated by Devon Conway of New Zealand (L). Photo / Photosport.co.nz
"It's a great opportunity for this group," Latham said. "A slightly different group with a few new faces in this side. We've played some really good cricket this year, red ball and white ball, so hoping that will continue."
For Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal, "opportunity" was the key word. They have a rotten record in New Zealand but with a number of young, promising quicks and a strong, Daniel Vettori-mentored spin attack, they could see this as a chance to open their account here.
Despite the obvious talents of Conway and Young, they couldn't help but be comforted by the absence of Williamson and, for the first game in Dunedin at least, Taylor.
"We don't have a great record in New Zealand but this is an opportunity to turn things around," Tamim said.
There was a time not many moons ago when the meaningless bilateral one-day series was seen as the bane of cricket – a fast track to apathy.
Instead this is almost exotic.
Since New Zealand tied a one-dayer at Lord's in July of 2019, a match only reluctantly mentioned, they have played just four 50-over matches in 21 months, winning three. In the 21 months prior to said unmentionable match, they had played 35.
So while a one-day series against Bangladesh at the end of summer is not normally something to cherish, the novelty value of 50-over cricket combined with the absence of some stalwarts, should keep interest piqued.
Played: 35 Wins: NZ 25, Bangladesh 10 In NZ: 13 Wins in NZ: NZ 13, Bangladesh 0 Most runs: Ross Taylor 1003, Shakib Al Hasan 637, Mushfiqur Rahim 581, Martin Guptill 573, Tamim Iqbal 564 Most wickets: Shakib Al Hasan 37, Kyle Mills 33, Daniel Vettori 31, Rubel Hossain 22, Tim Southee 22
