New Zealand Tour of West Indies May-July 2014

[SpitfiresKent]

Mark Craig is proving that he is no mug with the bat, but his bowling his gone down hill ever since that first test.

 

[Chewie]

Don't you think that Williamson will get burden a bit with added responsibility of bowling which might hamper his run with the bat? I am not a fan of having two allrounders in the test team at first pace but Munro's stats are too good or is it they do not show the real picture? One of the reasons of why I would not have two bits and pieces cricketers in a test team is technically you are unsure what holds next after #5 in your lineup.

I would ideally want 5 good batsman, an allrounder and a gloveman in the top 7. I know both McCullum and Watling have come good with the bat but only other dependable test batsmen in the NZ lineup are Taylor and Williamson. I feel it will be too much to depend on the quartet every time. I think NZ should leave Neesham at #7 as a 'chip in' batsman and that is about it. Not too many changes required on that front for them.

I agree with the 5 good batsmen, all-rounder and wk in the top 7. It just happens that one of our best batsman can roll the arm over if required. He'd be the sixth bowler so wouldn't be required to bowl that often. I wouldn't call them bits and pieces cricketers at all. Neesham is showing much better composure than the other batsmen.

Munros stats are inflated primarily by his 269*. I don't feel like he'd fit in well in the test team because he doesn't really offer anything with the ball and his batting can be hit and miss

 

[Samuels]

I agree with the 5 good batsmen, all-rounder and wk in the top 7. It just happens that one of our best batsman can roll the arm over if required. He'd be the sixth bowler so wouldn't be required to bowl that often. I wouldn't call them bits and pieces cricketers at all. Neesham is showing much better composure than the other batsmen.

Munros stats are inflated primarily by his 269*. I don't feel like he'd fit in well in the test team because he doesn't really offer anything with the ball and his batting can be hit and miss

I certainly your understand your point about Williamson's ability to bowl but I personally think that there is no need for NZ to mark him as an 'allrounder' particularly with the purple patch he is in with the bat. That allrounder tag might subconsciously hamper his concentration for the matches. Btw, why is Nathan McCullum out of the squad? Is he injured? If so, where are Jeetan Patel and Bruce Martin? Craig has not at all looked impressive thus far and I highly doubt he will fare any good against us with the ball.

 

[ferg512]

I certainly your understand your point about Williamson's ability to bowl but I personally think that there is no need for NZ to mark him as an 'allrounder' particularly with the purple patch he is in with the bat. That allrounder tag might subconsciously hamper his concentration for the matches. Btw, why is Nathan McCullum out of the squad? Is he injured? If so, where are Jeetan Patel and Bruce Martin? Craig has not at all looked impressive thus far and I highly doubt he will fare any good against us with the ball.

Nathan McCullum would be my best bet but it looks as though hes pigeon holed as a short form cricketer. Patel and Martin have both had numerous chances and both were pretty horrid. Our spin bowling stocks are so bad I'd probably leave Craig there just because of the fact he can make some runs.

What on earth does Rutherford have to do to get dropped? I'll probably look silly but chances are he'll make another < 20 score in the second innings. He needs a full domestic season with Otago this summer and then see where hes at after that, because its beyond a joke his dismissals the last two tests have been horrendous. Where is Guptill, heck even Brownlie?

 

[Lebanna]

I certainly your understand your point about Williamson's ability to bowl but I personally think that there is no need for NZ to mark him as an 'allrounder' particularly with the purple patch he is in with the bat. That allrounder tag might subconsciously hamper his concentration for the matches. Btw, why is Nathan McCullum out of the squad? Is he injured? If so, where are Jeetan Patel and Bruce Martin? Craig has not at all looked impressive thus far and I highly doubt he will fare any good against us with the ball.

I believe Jeetan Patel chose to play championship cricket instead of for New Zealand. Doing quite well too I think.

 

[Chewie]

I certainly your understand your point about Williamson's ability to bowl but I personally think that there is no need for NZ to mark him as an 'allrounder' particularly with the purple patch he is in with the bat. That allrounder tag might subconsciously hamper his concentration for the matches. Btw, why is Nathan McCullum out of the squad? Is he injured? If so, where are Jeetan Patel and Bruce Martin? Craig has not at all looked impressive thus far and I highly doubt he will fare any good against us with the ball.

I don't think that sort of tag really affects him at all. He's the sort of person that takes it in his stride.

The selectors do see McCullum as a short form bowler and not really a test bowler. I can kind of understand why, given how he bowls in those sort of games; it's not really suited for test cricket. He tends to bowl a lot of darts and builds pressure on the batsman.

Patel wanted to stay in England playing county cricket, I believe because his wife recently gave birth or something. Bruce Martin is old and has had chances and not really taken them so they want to aim for the younger players now.

Craig should really be batting 8. You need someone who can survive for periods of time there and Southee can't.

Rutherford is probably our future opener, but I do agree that he needs more time before playing test cricket. Guptill should probably be there. Brownlie is moving to ND next season and is going to try his hand at opening which should be good. Shows his intention to improve and fill a role where NZ needs someone. Him and Flynn opening for ND should be good and provide some health competition between them

 

[Haynes123]

for the life of me I cannot understand ramdin's captaincy and team selection, holder was bowling well but only given 10 overs? Shillingford is clearly a passenger now after his doosra is gone.

On the other hand, I think if new Zealand can get a real quick bowler this new Zealand team will go from strength to strength.

 

[abhi_jacko]

I guess this would count as a gutsy declaration by the Kiwis. Especially considering that WI scored 317 in the first innings thereby proving that they can score that many runs on current form. Of course the difference will be the conditions in which WI will be batting now and the pressure of a last day, 4th innings chase

PS: IF NZ win, I bet on Shane Warne etc. taking digs at Cook again

 

[War]

Well the windies pre series decision to not pick Narine, for Shillingford who has lost his edge without the doosra & the strange choice of picking just 5 batsmen in this test has clearly come back to haunt them.

If WI can take anything from this series, is compared to the horrible cricket they played in Jamaica in last year in NZ & IND - they have shown in the last two tests that they could be learning to play test cricket a little better again.

NZ continue to make strides as a test unit, just got a to find an opening partner for Latham & manage how their use their spin stocks which clearly doesn't have a world beating option yet.

 

[ChinamanSpin]

Well done to New Zealand. I think Brendon McCullum is the best captain in world cricket and he showed some good decisions in both his declarations and in the field. An exciting series that showed that three tests is always better than two.

 

[Aalay]

This is the best catch I have ever seen. Absolutely brilliant from Trent boult.

https://vine.co/v/MPaWAUvKnlA

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

that is ridiculous.

(I thought the ICC had, stupidly mind, stopped those types of catches counting though)

 

[ferg512]

Thank god that useless T20 series is over. Kind of glad we just took it as a joke and gave Williamson the captaincy, these are basically practice matches anyway.

 

[Lebanna]

This is the best catch I have ever seen. Absolutely brilliant from Trent boult.

I hate to say it but strictly speaking according to the laws of the game, that was a six. He is allowed to catch it, through it up as he falls over the rope and catch it on this side of the rope as long as his last contact with the ground is inside the rope.

In this instance, if you watch the catch slow motion replay, he catches it (not a problem) throws it up while still inside the boundary (not a problem) lands outside the boundary, turns and dives to catch it. Unfortunately his last contact with the ground is his right foot which is on the wrong side of the boundary hence a 6.

That said - superb awareness and effort that actually deserved to take that catch and not be ruled a six so not complaining on that regard.

IIRC there was an instance in an England game (I think v australia over the winter but it might have been the WI series before it) where they turned a four or a catch into a six after the innings for the same reason.