October 18, 2024 • 8 mins
The Wellington Firebirds begin the new domestic cricket season by hosting Canterbury in the Ford Trophy at the Basin Reserve on Sunday.
The Firebirds won the four-day Plunket Shield last season, but finished last in the Ford Trophy, and coach Shane Jurgensen outlined the team's plans for the summer ahead to Adam Cooper on the All Sport Breakfast.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The weekends.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Finally here let's kick it off the All Sport Breakfast
with Rutherfand and Bond Toyota and King Toyota News talk,
zedby of course eight well The new domest the cricket
season is underway this weekend. A slightly different scheduling this
year with the Ford Trophy fifty over one day format
opening at this season. So for our Wellington Firebirds it
is an opening match against Canterbury tomorrow at the Basin Reserve.
(00:24):
Let's have a look at the new season now with
us on the line as Wellington five Birds coach Shane Jurgensen. Morning, Shane,
good to chat again talking crickets are all set to
go for the new campaign.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, we have a great week last week against Auckland,
a couple of warm up games and then the week
before we had a middle wicket session that lasted most
of the day, so you know, really excited to see,
you know that the boys get out there last week
and we've had a pretty action packed, busy sort of
six weeks, a lot of moving parts within the squad
(00:57):
and guys you know obviously involved with the black Caps
and they've come back and it's great to see them
as well. And then we've got guys that have you know,
the existing sort of Firebirds members and also some young
players that have filtered in and out throughout the winter.
Really and it's been awesome experience to coach these guys.
And yeah, looking really looking forward to the first game
(01:19):
and yeah, it's awesome and the weather has been amazing
and for our preparation, so hopefully it continues for tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, great news. Obviously, during the off season, as you said,
Ruts and Ravendra been sears and more recently Nathan Smith
getting that the call ups to the national contracts. How
does that change things for you and the Flybirds.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Oh, it just means more people, more people to coach on,
which is which is amazing, you know, like it just
provides more opportunities for guys. And yeah, that gave us
the opportunity to offer more to more contracts and that
is great because we want to have the ability to
have depth. And last year we had some injuries with
(02:01):
our fast bowlers sort of at the back end of
Super Smash and heading to the back into the season
we had to manage things. So just having that freedom
to offer another opportunity for a player working hard to
get a contract and be a professional cricketer is great
and it's awesome for our players to be and also
our staff to be working hard towards not only just
(02:23):
trying to win trophies for Wellington but develop players to
be up for selection for the New Zealand cricket team.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
How often are we likely to see the likes of
those regular black Caps in action for the Firebirds through
the summer.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, projections are sort of as they stand are pretty good,
mainly after sort of middle December onwards. So as it stands,
you know, we could have Tom Bundle for most of
the season after the Third Test against England, so I'm
sure he would love to have more white ball opportunities
(02:59):
and probably deserve those opportunities. But as it stands, we
might have Tom Bundle for the second half of the year. Unfortunately,
Ben fears injury will loan itself to maybe with his
return have spending some time with us and hopefully the
back end of the Super Smash, I'll make a lot
of the Super Smash. We could have the players available
(03:19):
so that are currently away, so it could be an
exciting back back end of the Super Smash.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, wonderful La Nathan Smith sort of potentially had a
slight niggle. We chatted to him when he got that
contract a month or so ago. How he sort of
placed to start the campaign this weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, coming along nicely. We've just got a few you know,
We've had to have a few sort of hoops to
still jump through for him, and we're just going to
see how he sort of pulls up today. But looking
likely he will start for us. And yeah, we've got
a sort of a plan around him over the Ford
Trophy because we want to put him in the best
situation with his opportunities that might be coming up for him,
(03:59):
that we need to make sure that he's ready to go.
And I think it's really important to start of the
season not just for Nathan, but for all our fast
bowlers that or players in general. That we don't want
to start the cricket season with any sort of lingering
injuries because because what can happen is you that just
won't go away. So that's that's what's really important. So yeah,
(04:20):
we've got a couple of little things that we needed
to check on with Nathan, but he's progressing really nicely
this summer.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Reads it on a great note with the Plunket Shield
title last year, do you sort of pick up from
where things left off then or is the reset button
been set for a brand new season.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, it's certainly a reset button. I think. Take a
lot of positives and what happened and the Plunket Shield's
certainly been floating around the dressing room for us to
see and remind us of. You know, what we want
to aim for and you know, we want to try
and push our potential success in all in all formats.
So but no doubt you take some confidence from that
(04:55):
and and the behaviors and the attitudes and the way
that we train, but also you want to keep learning
and growing and that's basically what we've been trying to
achieve over the last sort of six week of the preseason.
And guys have worked really hard over the winter. You
know a lot of guys have been playing overseas having
great cricket experiences and learning, but also guys have stayed
(05:17):
behind and when that priority was their fitness and getting
their bodies right. And then we've had guys that have
gone on trips away to sort of India as well
and learn about playing spinball. So there's been a real
sort of you know, a mix of what guys have
been working on.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, and traditionally Red Bull cricket has started the summer
with the plunket shield, so you've got the fort trophy
to start things off. Does that make it easier just
to sort of, I guess, ease everyone into the season
sort of fitness and workload wise.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Oh, definitely. It sort of certainly allows opportunities. I think
we're sorry about the laugh, but you know, the pressure
is definitely off a little bit in terms of red
ball cricket and getting bowlers used to bowling potentially anywhere
between third to forty overs the game. But at the
same time, we got three games in a week, so
(06:08):
we've got a game Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, which is exciting.
We hopefully have a good, good run there and so
you've still got to monitor the bowling. But with the
extra on top of the workload that Red Bull is required,
with time on feet, time at the crease, time bowling
(06:29):
you also had with the flip side with white ball
cricket and fifty over cricket. Is the intensity so that
the fielding's got to be on the mark. You've got
to be focused. You've got to be ready to go
as a batting unit. You know, the fifty over format. Yes,
it's a sort of a shorter format that you've still
got time at the crease. You've still got three hundred ball,
so that game is a different tenpo can always change.
(06:51):
And as I said, the fielding and the skill set,
you've got a slightly high maybe not as many over
as the bowl, but you've got a slightly higher intensity
of a workload when it came to yorkers and bounces
and all the types of balls that you bowl as
a fast baller. So yeah, certainly, you know it's exciting
to start with this format early, and I know the
guys here are pretty excited at doing it and doing
(07:12):
something obviously a little bit different compared to the previous years.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And Ford Trophy last year probably not the one that
was the successful one for the five birds obviously made
the playoffs and T twenty is the Plagate Shield title
down the peaking order of bet and Ford Trophy? Do
you target that a bit more sort of wanting to
want you to be a bit more competitive in the
fifty overstuff.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Oh, definitely we'd like to. And last year there was
times when we probably should have won games and we
had the opportunity to win games and if they slipped
out of our hands. And I think we can learn
from those and just keep learning and developing our young
sort of bantning group that was at times exposed last year. Well,
(07:52):
hopefully you know, we would have learned from those. We've
been working on those aspects and areas to work on
individually and as a collect over the last six weeks
and during the winter, so you know, with those learnings
and hopefully we can take that into these first initial
games and we'll get a really quick read on it
after three games in a week on how we're going.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Brilliant Shane, appreciate your time. Has always said all the best.
Getting the season underway, Shane Jurgensen, Wellington fire Birds coach,
beginning their new season under Ford Trophy one Day competition
at the basein Reserve tomorrow at ten thirty, starts against Canterbury.
For more from News Talks b listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
(08:35):
go with our podcasts on Irradio
The weekends.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Finally here let's kick it off the All Sport Breakfast
with Rutherfand and Bond Toyota and King Toyota News talk,
zedby of course eight well The new domest the cricket
season is underway this weekend. A slightly different scheduling this
year with the Ford Trophy fifty over one day format
opening at this season. So for our Wellington Firebirds it
is an opening match against Canterbury tomorrow at the Basin Reserve.
(00:24):
Let's have a look at the new season now with
us on the line as Wellington five Birds coach Shane Jurgensen. Morning, Shane,
good to chat again talking crickets are all set to
go for the new campaign.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, we have a great week last week against Auckland,
a couple of warm up games and then the week
before we had a middle wicket session that lasted most
of the day, so you know, really excited to see,
you know that the boys get out there last week
and we've had a pretty action packed, busy sort of
six weeks, a lot of moving parts within the squad
(00:57):
and guys you know obviously involved with the black Caps
and they've come back and it's great to see them
as well. And then we've got guys that have you know,
the existing sort of Firebirds members and also some young
players that have filtered in and out throughout the winter.
Really and it's been awesome experience to coach these guys.
And yeah, looking really looking forward to the first game
(01:19):
and yeah, it's awesome and the weather has been amazing
and for our preparation, so hopefully it continues for tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, great news. Obviously, during the off season, as you said,
Ruts and Ravendra been sears and more recently Nathan Smith
getting that the call ups to the national contracts. How
does that change things for you and the Flybirds.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Oh, it just means more people, more people to coach on,
which is which is amazing, you know, like it just
provides more opportunities for guys. And yeah, that gave us
the opportunity to offer more to more contracts and that
is great because we want to have the ability to
have depth. And last year we had some injuries with
(02:01):
our fast bowlers sort of at the back end of
Super Smash and heading to the back into the season
we had to manage things. So just having that freedom
to offer another opportunity for a player working hard to
get a contract and be a professional cricketer is great
and it's awesome for our players to be and also
our staff to be working hard towards not only just
(02:23):
trying to win trophies for Wellington but develop players to
be up for selection for the New Zealand cricket team.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
How often are we likely to see the likes of
those regular black Caps in action for the Firebirds through
the summer.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, projections are sort of as they stand are pretty good,
mainly after sort of middle December onwards. So as it stands,
you know, we could have Tom Bundle for most of
the season after the Third Test against England, so I'm
sure he would love to have more white ball opportunities
(02:59):
and probably deserve those opportunities. But as it stands, we
might have Tom Bundle for the second half of the year. Unfortunately,
Ben fears injury will loan itself to maybe with his
return have spending some time with us and hopefully the
back end of the Super Smash, I'll make a lot
of the Super Smash. We could have the players available
(03:19):
so that are currently away, so it could be an
exciting back back end of the Super Smash.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, wonderful La Nathan Smith sort of potentially had a
slight niggle. We chatted to him when he got that
contract a month or so ago. How he sort of
placed to start the campaign this weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, coming along nicely. We've just got a few you know,
We've had to have a few sort of hoops to
still jump through for him, and we're just going to
see how he sort of pulls up today. But looking
likely he will start for us. And yeah, we've got
a sort of a plan around him over the Ford
Trophy because we want to put him in the best
situation with his opportunities that might be coming up for him,
(03:59):
that we need to make sure that he's ready to go.
And I think it's really important to start of the
season not just for Nathan, but for all our fast
bowlers that or players in general. That we don't want
to start the cricket season with any sort of lingering
injuries because because what can happen is you that just
won't go away. So that's that's what's really important. So yeah,
(04:20):
we've got a couple of little things that we needed
to check on with Nathan, but he's progressing really nicely
this summer.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Reads it on a great note with the Plunket Shield
title last year, do you sort of pick up from
where things left off then or is the reset button
been set for a brand new season.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, it's certainly a reset button. I think. Take a
lot of positives and what happened and the Plunket Shield's
certainly been floating around the dressing room for us to
see and remind us of. You know, what we want
to aim for and you know, we want to try
and push our potential success in all in all formats.
So but no doubt you take some confidence from that
(04:55):
and and the behaviors and the attitudes and the way
that we train, but also you want to keep learning
and growing and that's basically what we've been trying to
achieve over the last sort of six week of the preseason.
And guys have worked really hard over the winter. You
know a lot of guys have been playing overseas having
great cricket experiences and learning, but also guys have stayed
(05:17):
behind and when that priority was their fitness and getting
their bodies right. And then we've had guys that have
gone on trips away to sort of India as well
and learn about playing spinball. So there's been a real
sort of you know, a mix of what guys have
been working on.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, and traditionally Red Bull cricket has started the summer
with the plunket shield, so you've got the fort trophy
to start things off. Does that make it easier just
to sort of, I guess, ease everyone into the season
sort of fitness and workload wise.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Oh, definitely. It sort of certainly allows opportunities. I think
we're sorry about the laugh, but you know, the pressure
is definitely off a little bit in terms of red
ball cricket and getting bowlers used to bowling potentially anywhere
between third to forty overs the game. But at the
same time, we got three games in a week, so
(06:08):
we've got a game Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, which is exciting.
We hopefully have a good, good run there and so
you've still got to monitor the bowling. But with the
extra on top of the workload that Red Bull is required,
with time on feet, time at the crease, time bowling
(06:29):
you also had with the flip side with white ball
cricket and fifty over cricket. Is the intensity so that
the fielding's got to be on the mark. You've got
to be focused. You've got to be ready to go
as a batting unit. You know, the fifty over format. Yes,
it's a sort of a shorter format that you've still
got time at the crease. You've still got three hundred ball,
so that game is a different tenpo can always change.
(06:51):
And as I said, the fielding and the skill set,
you've got a slightly high maybe not as many over
as the bowl, but you've got a slightly higher intensity
of a workload when it came to yorkers and bounces
and all the types of balls that you bowl as
a fast baller. So yeah, certainly, you know it's exciting
to start with this format early, and I know the
guys here are pretty excited at doing it and doing
(07:12):
something obviously a little bit different compared to the previous years.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And Ford Trophy last year probably not the one that
was the successful one for the five birds obviously made
the playoffs and T twenty is the Plagate Shield title
down the peaking order of bet and Ford Trophy? Do
you target that a bit more sort of wanting to
want you to be a bit more competitive in the
fifty overstuff.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Oh, definitely we'd like to. And last year there was
times when we probably should have won games and we
had the opportunity to win games and if they slipped
out of our hands. And I think we can learn
from those and just keep learning and developing our young
sort of bantning group that was at times exposed last year. Well,
(07:52):
hopefully you know, we would have learned from those. We've
been working on those aspects and areas to work on
individually and as a collect over the last six weeks
and during the winter, so you know, with those learnings
and hopefully we can take that into these first initial
games and we'll get a really quick read on it
after three games in a week on how we're going.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Brilliant Shane, appreciate your time. Has always said all the best.
Getting the season underway, Shane Jurgensen, Wellington fire Birds coach,
beginning their new season under Ford Trophy one Day competition
at the basein Reserve tomorrow at ten thirty, starts against Canterbury.
For more from News Talks b listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
(08:35):
go with our podcasts on Irradio
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