Notes from slip, December 6th

Perhaps the Black Caps have found their next opener.

 

Canterbury’s Rhys Mariu has scored 433 runs in two Plunket Shield games this season.

 

The 22-year-old right-hander is just beginning his career, really. But in 10 first-class games he has notched 1122 runs at an average of 70.12, including four centuries and four half centuries.

 

He’ll do.

 

 

The last thing cricket needs is to find a way to cram even less cricket into a day’s play. Don’t get me wrong — the pace of cricket is one of its attractions — but the slow over rates in the first test between New Zealand and England were a pressing topic around the office and for our readers this week.

 

Notes From Slip has banged on about slow over rates over the years, so it was great to see the ICC take action and fine both teams for dawdling.

 

They were docked 15% of their match fees and penalised three World Test Championship competition points.

 

Word is you can watch half a dozen TikTok videos in the time it takes Tim Southee to labour back to his mark.

 

Get on with it.

 

 

Otago made a disappointing start to the under-19 women’s tournament in Lincoln this week.

 

They were edged by 27 runs in their opening game against Central Districts, suffered a 144-run loss to Canterbury, and went down by 169 runs to Northern Districts on Tuesday.

 

 

Regular contributor Philip Temple sent a cutting email in the wake of New Zealand’s test loss to England at Hagley Oval last week.

 

"Drop Blundell and ask Conway to do a Pope, drop to six and keep wicket, and have Young open with Latham.

 

"Can you pass this on to Gary Stead?".

 

I don’t have the coach on speed dial, sorry.

 

But Philip’s idea does serve to highlight the misgivings many have about the Black Caps batting lineup.

 

Will Young was player of the series during the 3-0 whitewash of India in the subcontinent but could not get a start in the first test.

 

Meanwhile it has been an age since openers Devon Conway (28 innings) and Tom Latham (34 innings) have scored a century. 

 

Tom Blundell has endured a really lean run. He has notched just one half-century in his last 25 innings and gone 28 innings without reaching three figures.

 

Daryl Mitchell has gone more than a year since posting a ton and Glenn Phillips is yet to score a test century.

 

Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra have been more productive, but as a whole the batting unit has been far from commanding.

 

The Black Caps have posted a score of 400 or more just twice in their past 12 tests.