By Jim Kayes
After their 202 thrashing of Zimbabwe last night, the BlackCaps are full of confidence heading into tomorrow's twenty-20 match at Eden Park, and for one player now is his chance to impress.
One player in particular, James Franklin, knows that his future outside the twenty-20 is far from certain and now, more than ever, is his time to impress.
“I’d like to think that I can offer something in all three forms, but that’s up to the selectors who pick the team. I’m willing and able to play in all three forms and I’ve got my chance in twenty-20 at the moment, so I have to do well,” says Franklin.
Franklin has not featured in the big win against Zimbabwe this summer and is now at risk of being tagged a twenty-20 specialist.
“I’d like not to think so but if that’s the case then all I can do is try and perform at that level and try and push my case in other forms,” says Franklin.
Colin de Grandhomme got to push his case as a fielding sub in Napier, taking two catches and helping with a run out and Auckland's Ronnie Hira should join him in the team at a ground he has spent plenty of time as both a player and a young spectator.
“I’ve grown up, running around the boundary like kids do trying to get autographs and I think at that time Daniel Vettori was playing. He’s obviously not here but a few of the other guys are here like James Franklin and Jacob Oram so it’s exciting to be around the squad at the moment and playing good cricket,” says Hira.
The cricket is certainly too good for Zimbabwe and though the results have been lopsided the Blackcaps are not worried about the step up to South Africa.
I think things are looking pretty rosy at the moment, it’s just trying to maintain standards and progress as individuals and a team. There’s much stiffer competition coming around the corner with South Africa – they’re a hell of a good side,” says Hira.
And that is something that cannot be said of Zimbabwe.
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