New Zealand look set to field a T20 side featuring their two most hyped emerging players when their five-match series against Australia starts in Christchurch.
Veteran guns like Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim Southee will be complemented by highly rated up-and-comers Kyle Jamieson and Devon Conway, who shape as potential three-format stars in the years to come.
Notable omissions from New Zealand’s 14-man squad include experienced middle-order batsman Ross Taylor, damaging top-order striker Colin Munro, express quick Lockie Ferguson, and powerful all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
Yet the Kiwis will still field a dangerous line-up that should start as favourites against an understrength Australian side.
The Aussies will be without roughly half of their starting XI. Absent are T20 stars David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, as well as fringe players Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey, Sean Abbott and Mitchell Swepson.
This means we should get a look at Australia’s next-generation prospects like dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Philippe, teenage leg spinner Tanveer Sangha and paceman Riley Meredith.
Just as enticing will be the chance to finally see Jamieson and Conway in action against Australia.
There is so much hype behind beanpole quick Jamison that he fetched a jaw-dropping $2.7 million in last week’s Indian Premier League auction, making him the second-most expensive player.
Despite his limited achievements, Jamieson’s contract was seven times larger than that of Steve Smith, a proven IPL player with similar career IPL stats (average 35, strike rate 129) to Indian superstar Virat Kohli (average 38, strike rate 130).
Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Jamieson’s monster payday continues the longstanding trend of IPL teams paying over the odds for foreign players that have performed well against India in other formats. The 203 cm tall right-arm seamer took nine wickets at 16 as the Kiwis beat India 2-0 in their Test series in New Zealand last year. After six Tests Jamieson has the incredible figures of 36 wickets at 13, to go with 226 runs at 56.
In white-ball cricket, however, Jamieson remains untested against quality opposition. He has played just six limited-overs internationals, for a return of six wickets at 34. Almost all of his 37 career T20 matches have been played in New Zealand’s domestic Super Smash competition, which is well below the level of BBL, which in turn is well below the level of international cricket.
An accurate operator who bowls mostly in the low-to-mid 130 km/h range, Jamieson is most similar to Josh Hazlewood among the Aussie bowlers, although he tends to hold a fuller length. He would have been a fine addition to the New Zealand Test attack that was flayed last summer in Australia.
Jamieson remains untried outside of home conditions in Tests but his precision, startling bounce and fine seam position could make him effective in a variety of conditions.
It is less clear whether he has the tools to conquer T20 cricket. Jamieson should be a menace with the new ball against Australia, but his biggest challenge will come in the middle to late overs with a worn ball. That is when Test-style fast bowling can become cannon fodder, and variety is key.
While he hasn’t received nearly as much international attention as Jamieson, Conway’s had Kiwi fans salivating for years now. The South African strokemaker only qualified to play for New Zealand six months ago. That date couldn’t come quick enough for Kiwi followers, who had watched with glee as Conway pummelled domestic attacks.
The 29-year-old left-hander has an outstanding first-class record with 7084 runs at 47, and has dominated the New Zealand first-class competition, the Plunkett Shield, with 2008 runs at 69.
Conway also owns an excellent List A record – 3104 runs at 45 – and an incredible T20 record of 2850 runs at 43 with a strike rate of 128.
He is not a slugger. Similar to Williamson or Smith, he is a technically-correct batsman who uses his red-ball pedigree to be a consistent run maker in T20s. He has been at his best playing the anchor role in the shortest format, similar to that pair of superstars.
But in his brief career for New Zealand, Conway has shown that he can blast attacks when necessary. In just his second T20, Conway unleashed on the West Indies, hammering 65* from 37 balls. He shapes as a terrific prospect in all three formats, just like Jamieson, and could finally provide Tom Latham with a stable Test opening partner.
Devon Conway. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)
Tune in on Monday to get a gander at New Zealand’s next big things as they tackle a rookie-laden Australian squad.
New Zealand’s best XI
1. Martin Guptill
2. Tim Seifert (wk)
3. Kane Williamson (c)
4. Devon Conway
5. Glenn Phillips
6. James Neesham
7. Kyle Jamieson
8. Mitchell Santner
9. Tim Southee
10. Trent Boult
11. Ish Sodhi
Reserves
12. Mark Chapman
13. Hamish Bennett
14. Finn Allen
Australia’s best XI
1. Aaron Finch (c)
2. Marcus Stoinis
3. Ben McDermott
4. Glenn Maxwell
5. Josh Philippe (wk)
6. Mitchell Marsh
7. Ashton Agar
8. Jhye Richardson
9. Adam Zampa
10. Jason Behrendorff
11. Kane Richardson
Reserves
12. Matthew Wade
13. Tanveer Sangha
14. Ashton Turner
15. D’Arcy Short
16. Andrew Tye
17. Riley Meredith
Cari
Roar Rookie
OH Dear Australia got stuffed. Any complaints about the wicket?
Buk
Roar Rookie
A left field possibility I never thought of :)
Jak's fact checker
Guest
That's simply false. Smith Int T20 - Ave: 27.38 SR: 129.53 Root Int T20 - Ave: 35.72 SR: 126.31 Williamson Int T20 Ave: 33.13 SR: 126.22 When playing in the same comp under similar conditions (though Williamson has to worry about his place not being an overhyped BBl player) it's clearer. IPL Smith Ave: 35.35 SR: 129.25 Williamson Ave: 39.49 SR: 134.80
Simoc
Guest
pretty unprofessional Australian side. Stoinus has had great success opening recently and nowhere else, so they put him at 5. Finch has had zero success opening or captaining in recent memory so he opened and captained. Apparently when its an international everything changes and the stars align. The brains trust can't be trusted.
Simoc
Guest
Well you got it right and they FAILED. But they can only improve. Smith is an average T20 player which is why he got $220k which isn't so bad. The strange one was Maxwell who had a terrible previous IPL, got dropped , but still $m dollar man. No surprise that no-one wanted Finch, except Michael Clarke.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
He probably consider himself opening if Finch recent form continues....
The NZ speed gun are set to record the average from leaving the bowlers hand to the time it hits the pitch. In Australia the speed gun is set to pick up the quickest speed through the air from the time it leaves the bowlers hand. This is why bowlers speed on the radar always appear higher in Australia. It is a subtle but important difference.
Fox
Roar Guru
I agree a yard more pace would be good for Jamison but not essential. It might make you feel good to know he said in a recent interview that he is working on his pace with the bowling coach at domestic level and international level so that should make you smile Ricardo. :stoked: It would be tough to match his insane current test figures in the short format but if he gets his average under 27 or better in ODI’s and averages around 35 -40 with the bat he is some ODI player – T20 is a bit trickier but averaging over 2o with bat ( Steve Smith only averages 27) and under 24 like Trent Boult or around 25 with ball then he is right up there as a T20 all rounder as well. I am not so sure we will see a lot of him in the series as he won’t want any injuries before that massive IPL contract and rest assured his management will be letting NZ cricket know that. Two games I reckon and at the beginning.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Thanks for that mrrexdog, now I have context, apologies Ronan.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Fair enough Fox. Years of enduring mediocrity as a long suffering Black Caps fan may have made me overly cautious. Kyle has some decent stats domestically but his limited ODI and T20 international record does not yet read like his international test record. Secretly I tend to think like you about his promise and ability but have been burnt before. I would like to see him with a yard more pace and fully believe he and his action can carry it without compromising what he already brings. Appreciate your enthusiasm mate...
Fox
Roar Guru
Riccardo I think Guptil is on his thin ice right now so I agree. I disagree about Jamison – he is definitely a rising superstar with the Guardian newspaper i think it was in England illustrating in an article that you have to go back to the 19th and early 20th century to find any player who has the same batting and bowling stats together like Jamison after just 6 tests. And no offence Riccardo, but you sound like Smithy in commentary who seems to go out of his way water down praise from other commentators about NZ players with “That’s true but….” When you listen to him, it’s like his mission is to suck up to opposition audiences in his zealous positioning of himself as “look I’m the impartial commentator” . Can’t stand him commentating. Simon Doul is very similar and full of himself. “Jamieson can rear it on a length but he needs a tad more zip; he will need to develop variation for the pajama stuff to be effective.” IMO Riccardo Jamison has the best inswinger in the game right now – he rarely bowls it but it just surprises players because he does not bowl it the normal way. He can swing and seam it both ways and has a great bouncer and yes sure he will needs to adapt to Indian conditions but at 6ft 8 he will get bounce other players won’t. Don’t agree he needs to be quicker – he can get it up to 140 when he wants to and is regularly above 135 – but even so, his height and accuracy are his ace. He was an opening batsmen before even started to bowl so no wonder he can bat. Meredith, Richardson and McDermott will enjoy bowling in NZ one would think with the bounce plus swing – if the ball moves for longer than the kookaburra white ball has been lately! I And agreed Ricardo T20 is the least inspiring of the three formats – bowlers get carted when they normally wouldn’t but equally get wickets they normally wouldn’t as players are swinging – pitches are always prepared like roads for TV networks to get their money in advertising. I think they should stop all international T20’s except in WC year. There are enough T20 competitions full of star players and heavily promoted and televised that we don’t need T20 at international level all the time.
Basil Baborgnay
Roar Rookie
um, yes really! small sample size Smith had 2 bad tests at the start of the series with India, as can happen. In ODIs for 2020 he played 10 and averaged 63, so 2020 not so bad a year from that viewpoint.
Jak
Guest
He's superior to Root and the kiwi bloke. Only behind Virat.
Fox
Roar Guru
Not really no, not at all Basil - Williamson played 4 - just one more test than Kohli or Smith, and averaged 83! Root averaged 41 but also played 8 tests in 2020.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yes Jak and those two innings moved his average to just over 41 but Jak his overall career in the short formats shows you they are not his strength like it clearly is for Root, Williamson and Kohli and especially T20 cricket where he has been dropped from the T20 Australian side before and now his IPL side. Yes his form in the ODI’s recently his been good but it is still not a big strength in his game – yet – and especially when compared to Root, Williamson, and Kohli in their careers.
Targa
Roar Rookie
The cynic is me thinks that Virat Kohli (who's from RCB - Jamieson's new team) wants to have a good luck at Kyle in the nets and tire him out in case India makes the test final and has to face Jamieson in the big match.
Buk
Roar Rookie
'Jamieson’s monster payday continues the longstanding trend of IPL teams paying over the odds for foreign players that have performed well against India in other formats.' Not meaning to denigrate Jamieson, he could turn out to be a great pick, but thats the guts of it - plus emotional desire to win entering into the bidding, rather than thorough analysis of T20 ability and T20 record. But from the business side, his presence will boost viewing at least for the initial games, as heaps will be watching to see if he turns out to be a star.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Man, Guptill needs to score runs; Fin Allen knocking hard on that door. Superstars is probably a little hyperbolic Ronan; this Black Caps fan is just excited to see them finally growing some depth and genuine competition for places. Jamieson can rear it on a length but he needs a tad more zip; he will need to develop variation for the pajama stuff to be effective. I like that he can use the blade as well. To be honest this form of cricket is my least favourite behind Tests and ODIs but... at least it's cricket and against the dreaded enemy, albeit without some of Australia's top talent. Quite interested to see how Meredith, Richardson. McDermott and others perform in the canary yellow too...
Are you serious mate? Winning or losing a T20 series redeems nothing about losing or winning a Test series.
Not really sure the point of Internation T20. Should just remain a franchise game. The only thing the counts at International level is how you do in Test matches, and One dayers are important in a World Cup year. As a Kiwi I really don't care who wins this series - it is nothing more than a bit of bubble gum and fizzy drink. Jamieson is a Test bowler. Appears to be one of those guys that can get movement out of any pitch, with the steep bounce a tall guy gets - except maybe the roads prepared for T20, and I expect him to mostly get flayed like most bowlers on both sides in this series. At the moment I have more interest in the Eng v India Test series , which I am able to watch live thanks to our cable tv provider Sky here in NZ (so they should show it live though, I pay enough for the subscription).