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Home / Sport / Cricket / Black Caps

Cricket: Rating every Black Caps player over the summer

By David Leggat
Reporter·NZ Herald·
4 Apr, 2018 12:49 AM6 mins to read

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Trent Boult celebrates after dismissing West Indian Kyle Hope. Photo / Getty

Trent Boult celebrates after dismissing West Indian Kyle Hope. Photo / Getty

New Zealand played four tests, 13 ODIs and 11 T20s in the season.

Some players came and went and barely raised a blip; others such as Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and captain Kane Williamson, repeatedly caught the eye; still others such as Ish Sodhi gave the fans plenty to cheer albeit in an unexpected way.

Plenty of players turned out in limited-overs internationals, perhaps with half an eye on next year's World Cup. So how did they perform?

Players are rated by a single number for their overall form for the season, taking in test, ODI and T20 performances.

Trent Boult: Player of the season. Some brilliant moments – seven for 34 against the Windies in Christchurch, five for 17 against Pakistan in Dunedin in ODIs– and never less than threatening. He took 25 wickets in four tests. That speaks for itself. Man of the match in the pink ball test; player of the series against England. In 24 matches across three forms he took 65 wickets. The John 'Nobody' Eales rule applies. Nobody's perfect so. 9

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Kane Williamson: Not as productive as we've come to expect, still not half bad. 222 runs in six test innings, including a terrific century in the day-nighter at Eden Park. Averaged 53 in 10 ODIs, with two hundreds against Pakistan and a magnificent one against England in Wellington. Some brilliant catches. 8

Kane Williamson celebrates his ton against England. Photosport
Kane Williamson celebrates his ton against England. Photosport

Ross Taylor: A staggering match-winning ODI century against England at Dunedin – one of two in his three innings against them -- was the highpoint. Two centuries in Hamilton, one test, one ODI, averaged 89 in his ODIs. Disappointing ending against England but still enormously influential. 8

Martin Guptill: A strong limited-overs season. Averaged 77 against Pakistan in ODI series, was average against England but impressive in T20s, notably 105 off 54 balls against Australia at Eden Park. Invariably a very entertaining watch. 7

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Colin de Grandhomme: Top test runmaker. Who'd have thought? Showed he can put his head down. A flying century against the West Indies – the equal ninth fastest ever -- and real grit and resolve against England, but a couple of shockers to get out. Yesterday at Hagley Oval was near unforgivable, ditto at Wellington in an ODI against England. Bowling steady and tidily filled up an end more than once. Certainly made progress overall though. 7

Mitchell Santner: Season-ending injury didn't help but his limited-overs batting turned a corner and his bowling was invariably tidy. Again, good signs for when he returns. 7

New Zealand's Mitchell Santner celebrates hitting a six to win the match. Photosport
New Zealand's Mitchell Santner celebrates hitting a six to win the match. Photosport

BJ Watling: Just the two tests at the end and showed how important he is. Batted impressively, kept tidily. England seamer Stuart Broad got it right at Hagley Oval: he's a guy New Zealand like to get in the fight. 7

Neil Wagner: Usual industrious, up and at 'em self. Never gets a look in the shorter forms. 19 wickets in four tests. Strong against the West Indies and big contribution on the final day of the victory at Eden Park over England. Will never die wondering. 7

Discover more

Sport|cricket

Cricket: First XI of great hits and misses

04 Apr 05:00 PM

Tim Southee: Strong test summer, 16 wickets in three matches, man of the match in the draw with England. He took 14 T20 wickets in 11 games and but ODI return not quite to that level. One of those who stood up on big occasions. 7

Ish Sodhi: Saved a test, and series, against England with the bat. Gets 1.5 points just for that. Had an extended T20 run, as befitting a player who got to top of the world T20 bowling rankings. Some terrific moments with the ball but hard to get a look in the test side and just a feeling he's seen as a luxury in that form. 7

Tom Latham: Hot and cold season. 190 runs in six test innings, highlighted by gritty 83 at Hagley Oval which went a long way to saving the match yesterday. That gets him an extra half point. ODI form bit patchy, rather like glovework at times in the shorter form. Scored 304 ODI runs at 25. Still, among the first names pencilled in. 6

Henry Nicholls: Fine century in the day-night test but bad misses to end in Christchurch. Annoyingly inconsistent but looks the part when he's in and going. Four ODI half centuries but plenty of failures too. 6

Tom Blundell: Fine century on test debut against the West Indies. A couple of T20 outings. Looks the backup preference to Watling. Keeping okay, with the odd slipup. New Zealand used five wicketkeepers over the summer. Decent T20 battle coming up next summer. 6

Colin Munro: Up and down, some terrific moments at the top of the order, some ordinary days. Century and four fifties in T20s but four single figures scores in five innings in ODIs against England. Ended season with two ducks. Still hit or miss but hugely entertaining when he's on. 6

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Todd Astle: Bundles of enthusiasm. His three for 39 helped win the pink ball test. Seven ODI wickets in six games. Useful allround player but who seems destined to be an in-and-out pick based on others availabilities. 6

Matt Henry: Just one test, and did well against the West Indies in Wellington after sluggish start. Never lets the team down, but gets limited opportunities. Took six for 107 in three ODIs. The sort of guy you'd always want in a squad. 6

Matt Henry celebrates a wicket against Pakistan. Photosport
Matt Henry celebrates a wicket against Pakistan. Photosport

Lockie Ferguson: Played nine ODIs and took 13 wickets. Distinctly lively and an interesting prospect. Needs to step up next summer but it's getting to be a crowded group in the fast bowling section. 6

George Worker: Just three chances, before New Year, in ODIs against the West Indies. Did well, two fifties, before Guptill returned from injury. Clearly liked as next cab off the ODI rank. 6

Tim Seifert: Three T20 innings. Added batting punch, glovework bit iffy but expect to see him come again. Looks to have a bit about him in the shortest form. 5

Doug Bracewell: Six wickets in three appearances against the West Indies after coming back from injury. The selectors clearly like him. Fully fit next season, and in decent form, expect to see more of him. 5

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Tom Bruce: Seven T20s, three scores in the twenties. There or thereabouts, no more, no less. 5.

Jeet Raval: Solid against the West Indies, poor against England, including awful first-ball-of-the-day dismissal at Hagley Oval yesterday. As a test-only player, he was one of those certainly not helped by the international schedule. 4

Mark Chapman: Work in progress. Seemed jittery but certainly good enough to come again. 4

Glenn Phillips: Four T20s, not much to show, but again you'll see more of him. 4

Anaru Kitchen: Curious selection, other than to show all options were being canvassed. In four T20 innings made 38 runs off 32 balls, batting in several different positions. Not sure about the future. 4

Neil Broom: Two ODIs against the West Indies for 6 and 2. Time's up. 3

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