IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP
Black Caps coach Gary Stead may have dodged an awkward conversation following Devon Conway’s decision to skip the third test while he awaits the birth of his first child with wife Kim.
The out-of-form opener’s spot was under the microscope following a lean run.
That lean run did include 91 against India in the first test and 76 in the second. But he has scored just 21 runs in two tests against England and has not notched a century since posting 122 against Pakistan in Karachi in January 2023.
His test average has fallen by more than 20 runs since that knock.
Conway very much has the Mathew Sinclair vibe. Sinclair scored a lot of runs early in his international career but struggled during the second half. His flaws were suddenly more obvious and his opponents targeted them.
Conway will have to find a way to respond if his absence from the team is to be short-lived.
His patchy form has taken the focus off captain Tom Latham, who is also enduring a barren run. He has gone 36 innings without scoring a hundred and has shaved the best part of four runs off his average.
Will Young will almost certainly step in for Conway. He was the player of the series in India but finding a spot in the order for him is difficult when he bats in Kane Williamson’s slot at No 3.
Young is not an opener and has not been very successful in the role. He has scored 478 runs in 21 innings at an average of 22.76.
But at No 3 he has notched 377 runs in nine innings at 47.13.
He is too good to leave out of a faltering batting lineup, but where do you fit him in if he does not open?
Perhaps the player Stead should be looking to fill in for Conway is Canterbury’s Rhys Mariu.
He has been in tremendous form in the Plunket Shield this season. He scored 240 against Central Districts and 185 against Auckland last month. And against Otago this week, he posted a double of 87 and 70.
Mariu is not in the test squad but perhaps he should be.
COME IN, SPINNER
There is always a lot of talk about how many spinners you need at Seddon Park.
The Black Sticks may chose to rely on all-rounder Glenn Phillips and they have cover with Rachin Ravindra. But if they elect to strengthen the spinning options by including left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in his last test outing, one of the four seamers has to drop out.
Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke have out-performed veteran right-armer Tim Southee in the series.
But you couldn’t leave Southee out in what will be his last match before he retires from test cricket, could you? Surely he gets his valedictory, right?
Southee has been a wonderful servant but he has faded as a force. He held on to his spot in the one-day team for a few years too long and the same scenario is playing out in the test environment.
What the Black Caps need is a quality left-armer or, in the absence of speedster Ben Sears, give someone like Matt Fisher ago. The Northern Districts right-armer has nabbed 14 wickets at 17.71 in the Plunket Shield this season.
HE’S A KEEPER
Tom Blundell was attracting a lot of heat and inspiring a lot of chat about what to do about the out-of-form keeper last week.
Runs are the real currency for a wicketkeeper. Dropped catches are a bad look but it is a lean run with the willow that is unforgivable.
Blundell’s timely century in the Black Caps’ second innings was not enough to avoid a heavy defeat. But his 115 from 102 balls has secured his spot for now.
Canterbury’s Mitch Hay is the understudy but Otago’s Max Chu scored a patient 130 against Canterbury in Rangiora this week to keep his name in the spotlight.
