Cricket: Stags give Ryder big tick

Jessie Ryder left a good impression on the CD Stags during the domestic white-ball campaign this summer.

Far be it for the Central Districts Stags coach, Heinrich Malan, to broach the subject of whether anyone, let alone Jesse Ryder, should be in the Black Caps' equation.

That, Malan said last night, was the job of New Zealand coach Mike Hesson but what CD did, though, was prepare players to progress to the highest level of cricket in the country.

From that perspective he is prepared to vouch for Ryder's involvement with the Stags this summer amid media reports that the 31-year-old former Hawke's Bay cricketer harbours aspirations to return to the New Zealand stable.

"Jesse's performed to the best of his abilities ... and I was very impressed with how he went about his business," Malan said, highlighting how well the lefthander had forged partnerships with fellow opening batsman George Worker when the Stags retained the one-day competition Ford Trophy early this year.

"The way Jesse rubbed shoulders with our young players and helped them really put him in good stead with us," said the South African coach who had Ryder for the glamour Georgie Super Smash Twenty20 competition as well but injury curtailed the allrounder's input for a lion's share of the campaign although Sri Lanka import Mahela Jayawardene injected some much-needed impetus, albeit too late.

Hesson reportedly has confirmed holding talks with Ryder, a changed man who "wants to play for the Black Caps more than anything".

The Herald on Sunday reported the former Napier Boys' High School student had approached senior Black Caps and management recently asking for another chance.

Ryder has had no publicised protocol transgressions since he and incumbent test player Doug Bracewell, of United Travel Taradale CC, stayed out late before the first test against India two years ago.

Unlike Bracewell, Ryder has not played for the team since. He opted out of a New Zealand A tour in November 2014 for "personal reasons".

However, Malan said CD were meeting Ryder in a fortnight to review his stint before he jets back to England and, should everything satisfy both the parties requirements, the big-hitting batsman would be "another string to our bow" next summer.

"When everything is tied down with Jesse then we'll let everyone else know about it," he said.

While Ryder was injured, Malan felt he had shown discipline in the way he had handled himself professionally.

"He was hitting enough balls in the nets to show he can compete and he showed a lot of maturity in regaining his fitness."

He had no doubt Ryder's mentality towards working his way back into contention would rub off on his young charges.

"A lot of the younger players will take that into their stride when they get injured because they will be able to tick all the boxes to bring themselves back to compete both mentally and physically."

Malan said Ryder was mindful he wasn't up to speed with his bowling while injured soldiered on.

"With bowling you can do all the running and strength work in a gym but, unfortunately, the only way you can be bowling fit is to lift your bowling load and Jesse did that."

Ryder's constitution, he felt, came to the fore when the Stags played the Canterbury Kings in the semifinal at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, in the Ford Trophy competition "and that tells the story in itself".

All the Stags had intentions of aspiring to the pinnacle of cricket in New Zealand and Ryder was no different.

Asked if Ryder had expressed interest in regaining his berth with the Black Caps, Malan said: "We gave Jesse the full support we give to all the other players in our squad and if he wants to play for the Black Caps then that's entirely his own decision so we will just have to respect that."