April 29, 2026 • 8 mins
After a hot start the Black Caps were unable to take a win in their opening T20 of three against Bangladesh.
They posted a competitive 182/6 but the home side chased it down with relative ease only requiring 18 overs.
They are back in action tonight in a must win game if they are to force a decider in the third match on Saturday night.
Wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Got a cricket for us now a Dane Cleaver about
a week keeper for the black Caps. They're taking on
Bong the Desh and the second T twenty International. They
need to win this to square the series and on
Saturday hopefully fight for that series. He played Dane Cleaver
in the match a couple of nights ago. He topped
(00:33):
score with fifty one and he joins a snag and
named Dane.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
How are you hey, guys? Yeah, I'm great, Thank you?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Are you sure I haven't lost a couple of ton
of weight sweating over and bung the Desh. It doesn't
look very comfortable over there out in the middle, mate.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Nah, she's pretty warm and sweaty work out there. It's
been a bit of getting acclimatized over the last couple
of weeks. I had a bit of time raining the
drinks to sort myself out. So so yeah, no, it's
not too bad. But those one days especially were very
long days to the boys.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, at least it's short and T twenty. Look, let's
look back a day or so ago to the first
up game which you lost. I know, I sat up
and watched it. Don't ask me why, but I do.
Up to one in the morning, you performed well. You
got yourself in a good partnership with Cartany Klark. Both
of you scored just over fitty kind of fell away
after that, you guys would have picked it apart by
(01:29):
now what happened out there? What went wrong?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You know, we got off to a good start. I
think the things that we wanted to sort of bring
to the twenty twenty campaign in terms of bringing in ten,
putting the balls under pressure, trying to put them off
their lengths and not let them settle in. They're obviously
pretty wily customers in their own conditions, So I think,
you know, the things that we were trying to bring
(01:54):
as a unit, we did. But these conditions, it can
be pretty tough in the back to middle half as
that ball gets a bit older, the spinners a pretty quality.
So I think we yeah, we just struggled to probably
put that two hundred plus score on at that back end.
But in saying that, I think, you know, there's a
(02:16):
few new faces that haven't been around for the ODI Eyes,
and they're just going to get better for the experience
and improved from that performance. I think, yeah, you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Are looking down the barrel of twenty to thirty maybe halfway.
But as you said, the traction didn't come from the
other players. Nick Kelly was captaining last minute situation with
Tommy lath and he managed to piece together some runs,
but after that it kind of lost traction. And you're
saying that in those conditions, So what does the ball
(02:46):
that actually do in those conditions? Does it sweats? Does
it turn into a sodden lump that the pitch respond to?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
That?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
How difficult? Why does it get difficult?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Now that's a great question. Yeah, it's very different to
New Zealand. You know, as most listeners will know, Like
in New Zealand, the ball stays pretty hard and the
work it's a pretty true, pretty good pace, so that
makes for pretty good hitting throughout the innings. Where over here,
just the nature of how much sweat there is on that,
you know, transferring from people's palms onto the ball, how
(03:19):
abrasive the surface is, how braceive the outfielder is. You know,
we get the throws in on the bounce pretty early.
As soon as it stops swinging. So by the sort
of like fifteenth over mark or sometimes even before that
ball is looking pretty chewed up, which you don't really
see in New Zealand at all, even you know, in
a fifty over game in New Zealand, even in a
(03:40):
four day to be fair, most of the work as
we play on so it just means that it's softer
and it just doesn't travel as far off the bat
and tends to stay a bit lower and also grip
more for the spinners. So it's just a different proposition.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, you've had that dress rehearsal. Now you know what's
up in front of you. How are you going to
alter things? How are you going to change it? So
you pick up victory same place tonight.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, Well, I think like from a batting spect that
we were happy with, you know, a large percentage of
what we brought as a unit. It's just tiding up
a few options here and you know, matching up some
of those bowlers we haven't seen before and you know
a lot of us very inexperienced at international level, so
first time facing a lot of those guys, so you
(04:28):
know we'll be better for the experience and hopefully just
natural improvement from a batting betting unit and then obviously
just tiding up a little bit of you know, bowling
at the back end when we come under pressure. And
again same thing like an experienced unit international level. So
it will just be about you know, taking those learnings
(04:50):
from this game and you know, executing a bit better today.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I'm sure that Matthew Fisher doesn't want to have this
bowling effort of his relitigated. That last over was horrendous.
You guys got around to Makay, You're going to have
days like that, aren't you. It just does not come
out of the hand. Probably it doesn't work. He got flailed,
is he okay?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, yeah, obviously as you can imagine. You know, he
was pretty disappointed. But you know he's a fantastic player,
and you know his first three overs were exactly what
we're after. They were quality, and you know that can happen.
You know, as I talked about the ball getting a
bit a bit sweatier, you know, coming back from a
different end. You know, he's just just got over here
(05:36):
into the tour, so you know, there are a lot
of factors that play there, and yeah, the outcome, you know,
might be a little bit disappointing for him, but you know,
there was some really good stuff and he's only going
to you know, improve from that effort, and of course
we're getting around him one hundred percent, back him to
do the job. You know in the next game.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
What does it feel like being the oldest guy in
the park as you were two nights ago.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, that's that's a different experience. I certainly don't feel
like the oldest. I think I'm still pretty young at half.
But but yeah, I know it's it's I mean, I
guess you don't feel experienced because you've only played a
handful of games, you know, for your country. But I
suppose I've played a lot of domestic cricket, so you
can fall back on those experiences, and you know, the
(06:22):
younger boys sort of, like you do, get to a
point where they do look up to you as someone
who's been around a long time. So you know, it's
a different it's a different experience, different proposition, but you know,
take it in astride, enjoy, enjoy every opportunity.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And talk to us about what's happening within the team,
and we sit because this is not the first eleven.
With all due respect, most of those guys are off
playing ipl I get there, but you're like the next
cabs coming through. You get a genuine feeling that you guys,
you create a ruckus, you can actually bust you away
into that top team. Is that the general thought process
behind the group right now?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Oh, I think we're just taking you know, one game
at a time, one series. I think, you know, the
over arching philosophy of black Caps group, you know, is
about growing, is about improving, about learning, using these experiences
to get better as a teams and as individuals. But obviously,
you know, that's the nature of cricket these days. It's
(07:20):
so fast moving, there's so much going on with all
the leagues and various things around the world. So I mean,
all you can be doing is you know, trying to
get better each day and putting your best foot forward,
and you know, if those opportunities come, you're obviously you know,
it's an amazing feeling, you know, putting on that fern
and playing for your country. So you know, for me,
it's like doesn't really matter, you know what age, what
(07:40):
age I am. You know, I'm enjoying playing my cricket
and I actually love playing for my country. So every
opportunity as a you know, pretty special one.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You know, Dane, that your average New Zealand male doesn't
give up hope of representing New Zealand in any kind
of sport until their early forties, So my hope is
well passed a lot more than I have made. Well done, Hey,
enjoy tonight. Thanks very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Always a pleasure, Thanks, Ausie, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Got a cricket for us now a Dane Cleaver about
a week keeper for the black Caps. They're taking on
Bong the Desh and the second T twenty International. They
need to win this to square the series and on
Saturday hopefully fight for that series. He played Dane Cleaver
in the match a couple of nights ago. He topped
(00:33):
score with fifty one and he joins a snag and
named Dane.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
How are you hey, guys? Yeah, I'm great, Thank you?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Are you sure I haven't lost a couple of ton
of weight sweating over and bung the Desh. It doesn't
look very comfortable over there out in the middle, mate.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Nah, she's pretty warm and sweaty work out there. It's
been a bit of getting acclimatized over the last couple
of weeks. I had a bit of time raining the
drinks to sort myself out. So so yeah, no, it's
not too bad. But those one days especially were very
long days to the boys.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, at least it's short and T twenty. Look, let's
look back a day or so ago to the first
up game which you lost. I know, I sat up
and watched it. Don't ask me why, but I do.
Up to one in the morning, you performed well. You
got yourself in a good partnership with Cartany Klark. Both
of you scored just over fitty kind of fell away
after that, you guys would have picked it apart by
(01:29):
now what happened out there? What went wrong?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You know, we got off to a good start. I
think the things that we wanted to sort of bring
to the twenty twenty campaign in terms of bringing in ten,
putting the balls under pressure, trying to put them off
their lengths and not let them settle in. They're obviously
pretty wily customers in their own conditions, So I think,
you know, the things that we were trying to bring
(01:54):
as a unit, we did. But these conditions, it can
be pretty tough in the back to middle half as
that ball gets a bit older, the spinners a pretty quality.
So I think we yeah, we just struggled to probably
put that two hundred plus score on at that back end.
But in saying that, I think, you know, there's a
(02:16):
few new faces that haven't been around for the ODI Eyes,
and they're just going to get better for the experience
and improved from that performance. I think, yeah, you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Are looking down the barrel of twenty to thirty maybe halfway.
But as you said, the traction didn't come from the
other players. Nick Kelly was captaining last minute situation with
Tommy lath and he managed to piece together some runs,
but after that it kind of lost traction. And you're
saying that in those conditions, So what does the ball
(02:46):
that actually do in those conditions? Does it sweats? Does
it turn into a sodden lump that the pitch respond to?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
That?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
How difficult? Why does it get difficult?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Now that's a great question. Yeah, it's very different to
New Zealand. You know, as most listeners will know, Like
in New Zealand, the ball stays pretty hard and the
work it's a pretty true, pretty good pace, so that
makes for pretty good hitting throughout the innings. Where over here,
just the nature of how much sweat there is on that,
you know, transferring from people's palms onto the ball, how
(03:19):
abrasive the surface is, how braceive the outfielder is. You know,
we get the throws in on the bounce pretty early.
As soon as it stops swinging. So by the sort
of like fifteenth over mark or sometimes even before that
ball is looking pretty chewed up, which you don't really
see in New Zealand at all, even you know, in
a fifty over game in New Zealand, even in a
(03:40):
four day to be fair, most of the work as
we play on so it just means that it's softer
and it just doesn't travel as far off the bat
and tends to stay a bit lower and also grip
more for the spinners. So it's just a different proposition.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, you've had that dress rehearsal. Now you know what's
up in front of you. How are you going to
alter things? How are you going to change it? So
you pick up victory same place tonight.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, Well, I think like from a batting spect that
we were happy with, you know, a large percentage of
what we brought as a unit. It's just tiding up
a few options here and you know, matching up some
of those bowlers we haven't seen before and you know
a lot of us very inexperienced at international level, so
first time facing a lot of those guys, so you
(04:28):
know we'll be better for the experience and hopefully just
natural improvement from a batting betting unit and then obviously
just tiding up a little bit of you know, bowling
at the back end when we come under pressure. And
again same thing like an experienced unit international level. So
it will just be about you know, taking those learnings
(04:50):
from this game and you know, executing a bit better today.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I'm sure that Matthew Fisher doesn't want to have this
bowling effort of his relitigated. That last over was horrendous.
You guys got around to Makay, You're going to have
days like that, aren't you. It just does not come
out of the hand. Probably it doesn't work. He got flailed,
is he okay?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Yeah, yeah, obviously as you can imagine. You know, he
was pretty disappointed. But you know he's a fantastic player,
and you know his first three overs were exactly what
we're after. They were quality, and you know that can happen.
You know, as I talked about the ball getting a
bit a bit sweatier, you know, coming back from a
different end. You know, he's just just got over here
(05:36):
into the tour, so you know, there are a lot
of factors that play there, and yeah, the outcome, you know,
might be a little bit disappointing for him, but you know,
there was some really good stuff and he's only going
to you know, improve from that effort, and of course
we're getting around him one hundred percent, back him to
do the job. You know in the next game.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
What does it feel like being the oldest guy in
the park as you were two nights ago.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, that's that's a different experience. I certainly don't feel
like the oldest. I think I'm still pretty young at half.
But but yeah, I know it's it's I mean, I
guess you don't feel experienced because you've only played a
handful of games, you know, for your country. But I
suppose I've played a lot of domestic cricket, so you
can fall back on those experiences, and you know, the
(06:22):
younger boys sort of, like you do, get to a
point where they do look up to you as someone
who's been around a long time. So you know, it's
a different it's a different experience, different proposition, but you know,
take it in astride, enjoy, enjoy every opportunity.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And talk to us about what's happening within the team,
and we sit because this is not the first eleven.
With all due respect, most of those guys are off
playing ipl I get there, but you're like the next
cabs coming through. You get a genuine feeling that you guys,
you create a ruckus, you can actually bust you away
into that top team. Is that the general thought process
behind the group right now?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Oh, I think we're just taking you know, one game
at a time, one series. I think, you know, the
over arching philosophy of black Caps group, you know, is
about growing, is about improving, about learning, using these experiences
to get better as a teams and as individuals. But obviously,
you know, that's the nature of cricket these days. It's
(07:20):
so fast moving, there's so much going on with all
the leagues and various things around the world. So I mean,
all you can be doing is you know, trying to
get better each day and putting your best foot forward,
and you know, if those opportunities come, you're obviously you know,
it's an amazing feeling, you know, putting on that fern
and playing for your country. So you know, for me,
it's like doesn't really matter, you know what age, what
(07:40):
age I am. You know, I'm enjoying playing my cricket
and I actually love playing for my country. So every
opportunity as a you know, pretty special one.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You know, Dane, that your average New Zealand male doesn't
give up hope of representing New Zealand in any kind
of sport until their early forties, So my hope is
well passed a lot more than I have made. Well done, Hey,
enjoy tonight. Thanks very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Always a pleasure, Thanks, Ausie, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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