Emerging Players face South Africa to start tournament

New Zealand’s Emerging Players team starts its Australian campaign today [Monday 20 July] with a Twenty20 match against South Africa.

The clash is the second of a double-header at the Redlands Cricket Club ground in Brisbane, which kicks off the four-way Emerging Players 2009 tournament involving New Zealand, South Africa, India and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) team.

Each team plays two Twenty20 and six 50-over matches over the next two weeks, followed by finals on Saturday 1 August.

The New Zealand team, captained by BLACKCAP Peter Fulton, has been preparing for the tournament with unofficial warm-up matches over the past week, which produced three wins from four games.

Team manager Mark Greatbatch said the warmups had been good for the side, with most batsmen getting among the runs, and bowlers bowling restricting the opposition and bowling good lines.

“The team has had some really good results that will give them good confidence going into the tournament this week,” said Greatbatch. “The lads have worked hard and have been very professional in their preparation.”

The first practice game was a Twenty20 outing against AIS, with the Australians batting first and scoring 140. Playing their first outing for the season on grass against a side that have been training for four months, New Zealand lost wickets early and were only able to reach 100. Anaru Kitchen top scored with 50 from 46 balls.

NZ Emerging Players v AIS, 14 July, Lindwall Oval (Twenty20)
AIS 140/6 (Southee 1/16); NZ 100/8, (Kitchen 51)

The second game was a 40-over match against a New Delhi Under-22 side currently touring Australia. New Zealand batted first and scored consistently through their overs to total 179. The NZ bowlers backed up the batting effort by picking up regular wickets, dismissing the opposition for 120.

NZ Emerging Players v New Delhi Under-22, 15 July, Sandgate Oval (40-overs)
NZ 179/9 (Watling 52, de Granghomm 47 ret, Williamson 33); New Delhi U-22 120 (Wagner 3/19, Shaw 1/20, Nethula 2/21, Worker 2/17)

The team then faced AIS in another Twenty20 match. Batting first NZ lost early wickets but Kane Williamson and Reece Young helped the side recover to a competitive total of 139. Tight bowling maintained pressure on the AIS batsmen who despite losing only three wickets were restricted to 134 – a good win for New Zealand.

NZ Emerging Players v AIS, 16 July, Lindwall Oval (Twenty20)
NZ 139/9 (Fulton 20, Williamson 25, Young 42*); AIS 134/3

The final warmup game was a 45-over match against the New Delhi side. NZ put on a strong batting performance with the top order all scoring well, and the side amassing a total of 231. The chase was well beyond the New Delhi side, and with good bowling from Southee and Shaw they lost nine wickets in reaching 133.

NZ Emerging Players v New Delhi Under-22, 17 July, Sandgate Oval (45-overs)
NZ 231/8 (Watling 39, Raval 54, Fulton 32, Kitchen 24, de Grandhomme 18*); New Delhi U-22 133/9 (Southee 4/31, Shaw 3/12)