Spectacular Proportions
NZ-A cricket squads, Indian Panthers shambles, Kiwi-NRL deep cuts, Tall Ferns/Tall Blacks rosters, Steven Adams, Joseph Parker & more
Scotty’s Word
Below are all the career stats for players selected in the NZ-A squad to tour Bangladesh. For paid subscribers I have gone back through the last few NZ-A series and listed the best players in each series/tour which offers a nice snapshot of the second tier cricketers at the time. We chat through some of this in the Bonus Podcast as well as a few key preview points for NZ Warriors vs Cowboys and we work our way through the emerging talent at Auckland FC. All of which is also available on Patreon as well.
NZ-A squad stats…
Rhys Mariu - 23yrs
ODI: 38avg/88.3sr
FC: 59.8avg/62sr
LA: 28.8avg/82.4sr
T20: 7.5avg/107sr
Nick Kelly - 31yrs
ODI: 16.3avg/80.3sr
FC: 38.5avg/54.5sr
LA: 32.3avg/84.9sr
T20: 24.2avg/127.2sr
Dean Foxcroft - 27yrs
T20I: 22avg/111.3sr
FC: 31.5avg/53.5sr | 26.5avg/3rpo
LA: 29.9avg/79.9sr | 39.2avg/5.4rpo
T20: 38.1avg/125.8sr | 28.9avg/8.3rpo
Muhammad Abbas - 21yrs
ODI: 34.6avg/100.9sr | 29.5avg/5.9rpo
FC: 36.1avg/52.9sr | 30.4avg/3.7rpo
LA: 34.8avg/87.7sr | 41.4avg/6.9rpo
T20: 26avg/135.2sr | 86avg/9rpo
Mitch Hay - 24yrs
ODI: 41.5avg/104.4sr
T20I: 14.1avg/130.7sr
FC: 47.8avg/53.4sr
LA: 26avg/83.8sr
T20: 16.3avg/140.6sr
Josh Clarkson - 28yrs
ODI: 8.5avg/70.8sr | 24.3avg/6rpo
T20I: 18.7avg/105.6sr | 8avg/8rpo
FC: 34.1avg/65.1sr | 37.9avg/3.4rpo
LA: 29.1avg/95.3sr | 27.1avg/5.3rpo
T20: 27.1avg/142.4sr | 32.6avg/9.6rpo
Joe Carter - 32yrs
FC: 36.3avg/49.9sr
LA: 37.8avg/78.8sr
T20: 21.7avg/117.9sr
Dale Phillips - 26yrs
FC: 36.7avg/54sr | 24.4avg/4.4rpo
LA: 29.6avg/83sr
T20: 18.4avg/124.3sr
Matt Boyle - 22yrs
FC: 28.7avg/62.1sr
LA: 23.6avg/84.2sr
T20: 29.3avg/146.6sr
Curtis Heaphy - 21yrs
FC: 36.2av/37.5sr
LA: 55.6avg/69.1sr
T20: 25.9avg/109.7sr
Zak Foulkes - 22yrs
T20I: 19.3avg/145sr | 23.4avg/8.4rpo
FC: 19.6avg/45.6sr | 26.7avg/3.2rpo
LA: 19.4avg/75.7sr | 23.8avg/4.9rpo
T20: 13.8avg/131.2sr | 19.6avg/7.8rpo
Adithya Ashok - 22yrs
ODI: 65avg/6.3rpo
T20I: 28avg/7rpo
FC: 34.2avg/3.5rpo
LA: 34.8avg/5.4rpo
T20: 23.4avg/7.5rpo
Jayden Lennox - 30yrs
FC: 36avg/3rpo
LA: 31.9avg/4.9rpo
T20: 18.2avg/7.3rpo
Ben Lister - 29yrs
ODI: 39.5avg/6rpo
T20I: 28.7avg/8.5rpo
FC: 26.1avg/2.7rpo
LA: 33.2avg/5.3rpo
T20: 24.6avg/7.9rpo
Kristian Clarke - 24yrs
FC: 32.2avg/3.4rpo
LA: 26.2avg/5.5rpo
T20: 25avg/8.9rpo
Kiwi County Tour…
Durham Women: 6th | 1-2
Suzie Bates vs Surrey: 1w @ 16rpo, 28 runs @ 90.3sr
130 runs @ 65avg/83.8sr - 2nd for runs
3ov, 2w @ 15.5avg/10.3rpo - most expensive
Division One
Hampshire: 7th | 1-0-2
Brett Hampton: 40 runs @ 13.3avg/68.9 | 5w @ 46.4avg/4.2rpo
Only wicket-taker over 30avg
Worcestershire: 10th | 0-3
Henry Nicholls: 67 runs @ 33.5avg/43sr
Jacob Duffy: 7 runs @ 1.7avg/20sr | 11w @ 32.6avg/4.2rpo
Nicholls is tied for the highest batting average
Duffy is one of four bowlers with 10+ wickets, only one over 4rpo
Yorkshire: 8th | 1-1-1
Ben Sears: 1 run @ 1avg/14sr | 1w @ 74avg/4.6rpo
Lowest batting strike-rate and highest bowling average of wicket-takers
Division Two
Leicestershire: 1st | 2-0-2
Logan van Beek: 152 runs @ 38avg/64sr | 10w @ 35.5avg/3.5rpo
Seventh for runs. One of four bowlers with 10+ wickets, highest average of the four
Derbyshire: 2nd | 1-0-3
Blair Tickner: 65 runs @ 32.5avg/49sr | 10w @ 34.8avg/3.9rpo
Only batter averaging 30+ without a 50+ score. One of three bowlers with 10+ wickets.
2025 New Zealand Women Warriors Signings Tracker: Patricia Maliepo Joins The Wave
Kiwi-NRL Spotlight: Xavier Willison Continues To Flourish As A Bronco
New Zealand Warriors Winning Notebook After Another Win In Christchurch vs Knights
New Zealand Warriors Canterbury Celebrations & Aussie Tour Begins vs Cowboys
Kiwi-NRL deep cuts…
Bailey Simonsson (Tauranga) is back playing consistently on the wing for Eels and can play his way into the NZ Kiwis mix.
Jeremy Marshall-King (Whakatane) returns at hooker for Dolphins.
Nazareth Taua (Marist) keeps getting selected on the extended bench for Rabbitohs but usually plays U21s so he must be impressing Wayne Bennett. Salesi Ataata (Otahuhu) stays on the extended bench and Rabbitohs have added Javvier Pitovao (Pt Chevalier) to their NSW Cup group, as well as Devante Mihinui (Glenora) to their U21s.
Starford To'a (Mt Wellington) getting consistent game time at centre for Tigers.
Tukimihia Simpkins (Rotorua Boys) stays on the extended bench for Titans.
Xavier Willison (Whatuwhata) selected at edge forward again for Broncos.
Tyrone Thompson (Maraenui) at prop for Knights in NSW Cup.
Roosters have Benaiah Ioelu (Tangaroa College) at hooker and Lafi Tuinauvai (Kelston Boys) on the bench in NSW Cup.
Bulldogs have Cassius Tia (Marist) at centre and Zyon Maiu'u (Te Atatu) on the bench in NSW Cup.
Sharks U21s: Pharrell Gray (Victoria - Wellington), Felix Fa'atili (Hornby), Ben Peni (Papatoetoe).
Dakota Kakoi (Linwood) on the wing again for Eels U21s and Javahn Stevenson-Hala (Palmerston North Boys) played off the bench last week but not named this week. Ieti Samuelu (De La Salle) at prop.
K-Ci Newton-Whare (Riccarton) at prop for Storm U21s.
Knights U21s: Sosaia Latu (Mangere East), Haami Loza (De La Salle), Ryder Williams (Marist), Te Kaio Cranwell (Linwood), Tamakaimoana Whareaorere (Rotorua Boys), Cullen Gray (Hikurangi).
Te Umuariki Heremia-Tukere (Turangawaewae) on the wing for Tigers U21s.
Siamani Leuluai (Mid-Northern) at centre for Raiders U21s.
Oliver Lawry (Halswell) on the wing for Sea Eagles U21s.
Alekolasimi Jones (St Paul's) at prop for Bulldogs U21s and Malachi Filipo (Mt Albert) on the bench.
Bulldogs are bumping some youngsters from U21/U19s up to Ron Massey Cup which is the men's grade below NSW Cup. Sosaia Alatini (Hornby) played the whole U19 season at edge forward and is named at centre in RMC this week. Genesis Ah Kam Sherlock (Linwood) at centre, Bronson Reuben (Kaiapoi) in the halves and Callum Donaldson (Waro-Rakau) at edge forward are named in RMC once again.
U19 Tarsha Gale Cup grand final
Roosters: Manisha Seebeck (Hornby), Te Raukura Leafe (Randwick), Luca-Belle Ngatuere-Ongley (Randwick)
U19 SG Ball Cup grand final
Roosters: Jackson Stewart (Hornby), EJ Mahu-Delamere (Aorere College), Kanaan Magele (De La Salle), Phillip Lavakeiaho (Wesley College)
U19 Mal Meninga Cup finals
Redcliffe: Patrick Kailahi (Hamilton Boys), Kaleb Teu (Ellerslie)
Burleigh: Disharne Tonihi (Shirley), Marley Igasan (Otumoetai), Antonio Verhoeven (Cobden Kohinoor)
Muiscal jam...
Wildcard’s Notebook
A Timeline Of Indian Panthers Basketball...
Indian Panthers were announced to be joining the NBL in October 2024, expected to be primarily made up of Indian nationals.
The addition was described by the NBL website as: “a ground-breaking initiative that demonstrates New Zealand National Basketball League’s continued commitment to innovation and growth in the sport”.
Leading into the Westside Blitz (the NBL’s preseason tournament held in the week prior to the regular season beginning - in early March), the Panthers still had not announced a head coach or any official players signings.
The Panthers then withdrew from the preseason blitz at late notice, citing visa issues with their signings.
An Indian national team training camp then clashed with the start of the season, followed by some Asia Cup qualifiers. Officially eight players were said to be in the wider Indian training camp group, although only only Princepal Singh, Vaisakh Manoj, and Arvinder Singh were in the playing squad out of the ten Indian nationals that were announced for the Panthers.
It was claimed that those Asia Cup qualifiers were arranged at short notice. But that’s only because India finished third in their initial group and therefore had to go through an extra playoff round. Obviously they had to have known that was a possibility. Likewise, the late finish of the InBL Pro competition back in India hardly counts when the InBL itself owns the Indian Panthers.
Miles Pearce, a Tall Blacks international with extensive local coaching experience, was announced as Panthers head coach on the day that Blitz began... but with so many players unavailable he ended up needing to pull together a squad of local ring-ins to begin the proper season.
Miles Pearce then quit after once game in charge (which they lost by 34 points to an understrength Hawke’s Bay squad). Aussie fella Jonathan Goodman stepped in as interim coach.
The Panthers had to borrow a player from Manawatu to make up numbers in a March defeat.
Import Alex Robinson, who had been the best Panthers player, left after five games to sign with Nelson Giants – at the time swapping one winless team for another.
The Panthers were beaten in each of their first nine games with losing margins of: 34, 14, 45, 29, 21, 17, 43, 15, and 36 points.
The Rapid League game against the Canterbury Rams on Tuesday was delayed and then cancelled due to “traffic issues”... despite Panthers being the home team. The proper game was also later cancelled and this time the reasoning was amended to be a lack of available players for the Panthers.
It’s since become understood that the players were planning on a staged walk-off during the game on account of not being paid on time by the organisation. Alex Robinson has stated on IG that he was never paid despite repeated promises.
The NBL announced that they were aware of payment issues but had been assured that these had been cleared up. Panthers CEO Parveen Batish has gone on the record saying that everything is sorted. Players have spoken off-the-record to various media strongly denying Batish’s claim.
Following the Rams game cancellation, the NBL called a meeting involving all of the other franchises. It’s been reported that those franchises voted unanimously to kick the Panthers out of the league. Nothing’s happened with that yet but with the Panthers not scheduled to play again for two weeks it seems we’ve seen the last of them.
As reported by multiple NZ media sources, the four import players with the Panthers (Shennghze Li, Tushal Singh, Aaron Blessing & Senjin Mathew) have been left scrambling for food with sub-par accommodation. One report said they’d been given a credit card with insufficient funds to cover living costs. Another said that rivals teams had stepped up with food vouchers while multiple sources claim that those lads have had to make use of food banks.
Per an expose in The Post: “The Panthers were said to be backed by a professional league in India, though The Post understands backing had been via Australia-based property entrepreneurs who had not been sighted in Auckland.”
Per another in the NZ Herald: “The source also claimed the team had been without their interim coach Goodman, CEO Batish and their general manager for a fortnight, with the trio based in Melbourne. ‘We haven’t had practice, there’s no training facility and there’s no schedule.’ There were also frustrations over the delayed arrival of the team’s Indian players. ‘Every week we’d ask when the rest of the guys were coming from India and there was no definitive answer.’ The source believes the difficulties faced by Indian players already with the Panthers in New Zealand were putting off their compatriots in India.”
The Panthers were playing in Bruce Pulman Arena in Takanini but moved to Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre in Pukekohe for their most recent two homes games (would’ve been three if they’d played the Rams game) allegedly because the venue costs at BPA were too expensive.
As for the mysterious InBL Pro comp, it was founded in 2021 and given a five-year licence by the national body but it isn’t actually the main competition in India. That’s the Elite Pro Basketball League, which itself replaced the UBA Pro Basketball League in 2022. Suffice to say it’s a volatile landscape.
The InBL had one season in late 2022. Then it hosted a 3x3 tournament in 2024. There was supposed to be a second season in 2024 but that got canned due to legal dramas from the Captains Professional Basketball League (yes, another different league) which claimed this impinged upon their own contractual relationship with the BFI. They took it to court and won, thus delaying the next InBL thingamajig. The second season of InBL didn’t get confirmed until after they’d announced the Indian Panthers team (December 2024). It took place over the early months of 2025 and had six teams, only involving players aged 25 or younger, although it did have imports (Aussie Jack Puchase was the MVP). Parveen Batish is a big shot on the InBL board.
Fair play to the NBL for trying to be innovative. It beats doing the same stuff that’s always been done and then complaining about getting the same results. But they’ve gotta be smart innovations. The Rapid League’s been great. The Tauihi rebrand has been great (although having extra imports last year was dumb). The Indian Panthers thing has been an abject failure of spectacular proportions that at this stage would be bordering on migrant worker abuse if they don’t pull the plug.
Steven Adams Plus/Minus Impact vs Golden State Warriors
Add that altogether and the Rockets have outscored the Warriors by 38 points with Steven Adams on the floor and have been outscored by 26 points while he’s on the bench. They’re 3-2 down heading back to San Francisco for the next one (and then back to Houston for a decider if they can take it that far). Steven Adams is the only player in the entire series who has had a positive on-court impact in all five games.
As it turns out, the Joseph Parker stitch-up was for real. He was supposed to fight Daniel Dubois a few months ago only for Dubois to pull out at short notice (Parker than demolished Martin Bakole) only to immediately get linked with a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk. How very convenient, right? There was some talk that perhaps Parker would get that Usyk fight instead but then things went quiet for a bit and now Usyk vs Dubois has been confirmed for 19 July at Wembley Stadium in England. It’ll be a rematch after Usyk stopped him in the ninth round in August 2023.
The good news is that Joe Parker shouldn’t have to wait much longer for his (next) title shot. The WBO has confirmed that Parker remains their mandatory challenger and while they’ve stopped short of demanding an immediate title defence (which would likely have meant Usyk forfeiting the belt and Parker being crowned champ without even needing to fight for it), they have mandated that the winner of Usyk vs Dubois will need to defend the WBO championship against Parker in their next bout.
That’s no guarantee. We all know what boxing is like. Usyk might have a rematch clause, he might give up the belt, the WBO might change their minds. Maybe Dubois wins and then gets mysteriously sick again. Usyk has often said he only intends to have two more fights before retiring so he might not want to go out with that less glamorous Parker outing. Maybe he wins and retires then and there, thus vacating all four belts. Nothing’s off the table. If it works out as planned, Parker will be fighting for four belts and unified champion status instead of one belt. Parker knows more than anyone that boxing doesn’t usually work out as planned though.
Musical Jam...