Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi of New Zealand look on during game one of the International T20 series between the Black Caps and India. Photo / Getty Images
Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi of New Zealand look on during game one of the International T20 series between the Black Caps and India. Photo / Getty Images
COMMENT:
The Black Caps return to the international cricket arena today, beginning their Twenty20 series against England at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
A return to the shortest format should provide fans with some entertainment sorely missing between these two sides of late, with England v New Zealand cricket contests certainlyhaving no recent examples of massive games ending in drama, umpire error, confusion, and arcane tiebreakers.
Keeping with subjects that are arcane and confusing – my cricket articles - here are five things to watch out for in the five Twenty20s.
Colin Munro and Martin Guptill – reunited and it feels so… good?
Openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro have impressive T20 records. Photo / Photsport
Okay, things didn't go so great at the World Cup for the Munro/Guptill pairing, and you wouldn't blame Black Caps fans for having some PTSD if the two resume their international partnership. However, until proven otherwise, the pair remain an elite Twenty20 combination – Munro averages 31.9 at a strike rate of 161, and destroyed an English XI with an unbeaten 107 from 57 balls on Tuesday, while Guptill averages 33.6 at 132. Tim Seifert may also pop his head up into the top three mix, but in this format, this is a combination that should cause excitement, not fear, for New Zealand fans.
England's fresh faces
20-year-old Tom Banton is ready to slap, swat or scoop the Black Caps bowlers. Photo / Getty Images
With Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all rested for the Twenty20 series, England are set to hand out five international debuts, four of them to players aged 23 or younger. Seamers Pat Brown and Saqib Mahmood are both quick, with strong domestic bowling averages and solid economy rates, while leg spinner Matt Parkinson has been England's top-performing domestic white-ball bowler in recent seasons, averaging 15.2 at an economy rate of 7.1 in his domestic T20 career.
As for the batsmen – 27-year-old Lewis Gregory has a career T20 strike rate of 148, and struck at 202 in the 2018 T20 Blast. The former England Under-19 captain can also bowl a few overs, but the most exciting prospect on tour is 20-year-old sensation Tom Banton, an opener who averages 39.4 at a strike rate of 154, including a 52-ball 100 against Kent this year. A flashy player more than happy to slap, swat or scoop any bowler, Banton has all the skills in his arsenal and is ready to unleash them on the Black Caps.
Kuggeleijn – away Scott-free?
Scott Kuggeleijn bowling against India in February. Photo / Photosport
Remember the last time Scott Kuggeleijn played an international cricket series in New Zealand? It was, uh, quite controversial!
Kuggeleijn, who was found not guilty of rape in 2017 after facing two trials, faced a hostile reception from some fans and commentators, after a perceived lack of response from New Zealand Cricket over his inclusion in the squad, amongst other concerns.
However, his inclusion in the Twenty20 squad to play Sri Lanka in September passed with neither comment nor incident, and now his inclusion in this squad has similarly gone unnoticed. Will that change when he plays in front of local audiences and returns to prominence on New Zealand television screens?
Lockie Ferguson's return
Lockie Ferguson's fit and firing. Photo / Photosport
The speedster who shone at the World Cup is back from a thumb injury and looks as dangerous as ever playing for the New Zealand XI. However, the importance of his return for the first three Twenty20s is arguably less about the games themselves, and more concerned with his preparation for a potential test debut. It looks likely that, all going well, Ferguson will pull on the whites with Auckland on November 8 in their Plunket Shield match against Wellington, and a solid Twenty20 return coupled with getting through a four-day workload could see the firebrand make his test debut in Mount Maunganui.
However, as much as the Black Caps selectors would love to include Ferguson for his pacey point of difference, there's still a seam-bowling logjam in the New Zealand test team, with Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry all jostling for positions. A four-man seam attack is plausible in New Zealand conditions, and if things go to plan, perhaps Ferguson will get his chance against England before being unleashed in Australia over the holidays.
Yes, it's going to happen again
Lasith Malinga claimed four scalps in as many deliveries against New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images
Having now covered the Black Caps for a year, I was hoping to write a piece ranking the totally absurd records, moments, results and incidents that the Black Caps have produced during that season. That was until I realised that the piece would quickly turn into a novel, such has been the thrilling record-breaking cricket they've been playing under Gary Stead.
