Ravi Nyayapati
Auckland, April 1, 2021
The Blackcaps are in a commanding position (Photosport via RNZ)
Editor’s Note: The following article was published in Indian Newslink Digital Edition dated April 1, 2021 ahead of the Blackcaps-Bangladesh Match in Auckland today (Thursday).
The Blackcaps banked enough points in their One Day International (ODI) ranking by successfully warding off any surprises against lowly-ranked Bangladesh, sweeping the series 3-0.
The visitors were simply not up to the mark in taking on the 3rd ranked ODI team, who were without regular captain Kane Williamson.
Major shuffle of batsmen
The injury-based absence of Williamson (elbow), veteran Ross Taylor (hamstring) and recent regular Colin de Grandhomme (ankle) meant a major shuffle in the batting order and a chance to introduce Daryl Mitchell, Will Young and highly rated southpaw Devon Conway, who qualified to play for New Zealand a year back.
With a few T20I matches already under his belt, Conway’s introduction to the ODI arena provided the only real entertainment of the series. Conway did not disappoint, taking the Man of the Series award by averaging 75 across the three games.
Bangladesh team disappoints
The ODI series squared off with a wretched performance by the visitors, getting bundled out for just 131. The blackcaps barely raised a sweat, chasing down the target by the 22nd over.
The second match saw the visitors post a somewhat decent 271/6.
Stand-in captain Tom Latham marked a wonderful return to the game, stroking a fluent century to take the home team to a series-winning 5-wicket victory.
The 3rd ODI featured maiden tons by Mitchell and Conway. Set 319 for victory, the visitors folded for a paltry 154, courtesy of a magnificent 5 wicket haul by James Mitchell.
NZ-Bangladesh T20I Series
The T20I series is now underway, and it seems to be following the ODI series trend.
New Zealand have shown there is a big difference in quality between the two sides.
Conway has continued to perform and scored a magnificent 92 off 52 in the first match. Young, known for his massive hitting in this format of the game, notched up his maiden fifty on debut. In the first game, the hosts piled a massive 210/3 off their twenty overs.
Bangladesh was never in it, with spinner Ish Sodhi causing mayhem early on.
At one stage Sodhi had 4 wickets for 8 runs off just 1.5 overs. Bangladesh manged 144/8, losing by 66 runs.
The T20I series has also seen the introduction of yet another Blackcap in the form of youngster Finn Allen. His youthfulness could be blamed for his rush of blood, with no shortage of rash shots on show. Out for a golden duck in the first match, Allen threw his wicket in the second game while trying to slog every delivery he faced.
The only surprise in the T20I series has been the continued selection of Mark Chapman who, after 36 international appearances for New Zealand, has managed just one fifty and one century against developing nation UAE.
The selectors must have a high degree of confidence in him.
The end of the T20I series on 1 April will mark a well-deserved break for those players who are not playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
White Ferns vs Australia
The women’s team are also in action against arch-rivals Australia, with the 3-match series tied at 1-1. The White Ferns started the series with a low-scoring match, struggling to 130/6 in the allocated twenty overs.
Australia limped to 62/4 before Ashleigh Gardner hit a masterly 73 off 48 to register a six-wicket victory.
The second match provided a final over drama.
Australia batted first with Beth Mooney’s 61 proving to be the only talking point in their subdued total of 129/4.
New Zealand paced the game well but suddenly found themselves needing nine off the last over, and ultimately three off the last ball. A wild swing by Maddy Green saw the ball whizz past leg stump, through for an accidental boundary. The four-wicket victory keeps the series alive.
The White Ferns continue to display a varying degree of consistency in their performances.
The 2021 Women’s Cricket World Cup is a mere couple of months away and the White Ferns have a lot of preparation to do. Much like her male counterpart, captain Sofie Devine is a world class batter. She is currently the top ranked player in the T20 format. She needs to inspire her team to emulate her.
Ravi Nyayapati is our Sports Correspondent, with mastery in many fields. He has been associated with New Zealand Cricket in general and the Auckland Cricket Association in particular and was an Empire and Commentator. This article has been sponsored by
