NZ future players

[Tim]

Silly move? I think Ryder is awesome too but Rob Nicol has now played 2 full seasons of first class cricket & averages 45 with 3 hundreds & 5 fifties.

Both are the same age but Nicol now has some experience whereas Ryder has just played 4 or 5 first class games. So I don't think Nicol has done anything wrong either & thinking from a selectors view he will definately be in the frame for that #5 spot left open by Nathan Astle.

As for the opening position well I think McIntosh has taken it with both hands after another huge score.

Then again, i've just heard on the radio that Hadlee said that the selectors are monitoring all current form so I wouldn't write off the chance that both Nicol & Ryder could be picked at the same time, although thats extremely unlikely.
At a guess I think this will be the test squad in no particular order:

Fleming (c)
Bond
Butler
Hart (wk)
Richardson
McIntosh
Nicol
O'Connor
Vettori
Oram
Styris
Mason
Cumming/Jones
Sinclair

Earlier in the season I thought Michael Papps would have been a shoe-in but he's pretty much cancelled himself out over the last 5 matches or so. I see against C.D he was out for 0 so he must be a shattered man.

 

[Tim]

More centuries today but from two older hands.

Matthew Hart is 120* & Gary Stead made a timely 111 which could give his test chances a boost.

Matthew Hart is the key one for me, NZ are lacking a back-up spinner & so far this season Hart has averaged 37 with the bat with 1 century & 1 fifty, not including todays century so he would be handy to say the least for NZ down at #8 or #9. However he's only bowled 33 overs & taken 1 wicket which disappoints me because last year he was selected for the West Indies tour & if he had been bowling more then he would have probably guaranteed himself a spot for Sri Lanka.

 

[Kiwi]

Sorry, silly move is not the way you would put it. Because I know Jesse, i just want to see him in the team.
I don't think both Ryder and Nicol will go as you still do need some of the experienced players in the team. thinking about it, I wouldn't be suprised if McMillan does go becuase of that experience and without astle it would be a very inexperience top order.

I also don't think Sri Lanka is the best place to introduce guys to international cricket, but then they do have to start somewhere.

The form of several batters has been great in the last few weeks. The selectors certainly will not be short of ideas.

I also think Papps is out of the running now. He needed a good score in both innings and a duck in the first didn't help.

I think Matt hart is out of the equation too because he has not bowled enough and to fill the #8, #9 position u need a bowler, not just a batter. I was very suprised to hear he had only bowled 33 overs

 

[Tim]

I think McMillan & Lou Vincent are in serious jeopardy at the moment. The way they have been batting is nothing short of crazy, charging down the wicket & basically giving away their wickets for free.

I have been watching players like Cumming, McIntosh & Nicol & all 3 of them are good sensible batsmen, they use the full face of the bat & don't charge the bowler after just 3 deliveries.
I know there's a huge difference between tests & ODI's but I think McMillan is having an negative influence on the team despite him averaging 38 in tests, which by the way has dropped from 44 in the last year. Theres is nothing worse than watching one of your players go out there & play reckless shots or for him to come off once in every 10 matches.

 

[Kiwi]

Some spin bowlers that could be used to back up Vettori:

Morland (off spin) - otago 11 wick @ 55.09..EC = 2.54

Redmond(leg spin) - cant 13 wick @ 36.92 .. EC - 3.25

Sulzberger(off spin) - CD 14 wick @43.78 .. ER = 2.26

Walker(leg spin) - Auck 12 wick @ 40.25 .. ER = 3.52

Wiseman(off spin)- cant 18 wick @ 40.88.. ER=2.63

 

[Kiwi]

Looking at those stats thells me they are all close. None have good figures but redmond has the best average. I think he is out of the question as he has a drinking problem. well he used to. Don't know about it now.


I think Walker or Wiseman are the top contenders but Anything could happen here

 

[Tim]

Well what can the selectors do with that pile of crap?
I know the pitches have been seamer friendly but somehow NZ need to get spinners more involved or we will face this problem for years to come.

I'd say it would be Wiseman because at least he's taken 18 wickets plus he's a handy batsman aswell. He has alot of experience which would count for him.

Walker is just crap, I hope they don't pick him because Sri Lanka will pick him off.

 

[Kiwi]

If they are going to pick a leggie then i hope it is redmond but I really wonder if they are better with a slow bowler like Matthew Walker or Harris in the side.

NZ cricket need to take aside any young spin bowler and work really hard with them.

You never know, even Richardson might be in the running for the second spin position.

 

[Tim]

Nicol is an off-spinner, but he hardly bowls much for Auckland.

Maybe they should pick a spinner from the U19's & just hope that he turns out like Vettori did...he only played 3 matches for Northern Districts before he made his debut.

 

[Tim]

Tamara do you know anything about Luke Woodcock? I heard Garth Galloway the Otago commentator praising him before saying he had excellent footwork & shot selection.
I noticed he bowled 10 overs for 9 runs against Otago so i checked his stats & he is a slow left arm orthodox so maybe he's a future spinner. His best figures are 4 wickets for 3 runs.

 

[marc71178]

Some spin bowlers that could be used to back up Vettori:

Morland (off spin) - otago 11 wick @ 55.09..EC = 2.54

Redmond(leg spin) - cant 13 wick @ 36.92 .. EC - 3.25

Sulzberger(off spin) - CD 14 wick @43.78 .. ER = 2.26

Walker(leg spin) - Auck 12 wick @ 40.25 .. ER = 3.52

Wiseman(off spin)- cant 18 wick @ 40.88.. ER=2.63

I think those stats spell problems for NZ - the top spinner's average is 36.92?

It also tallies up with the high batting averages attained by some players...

 

[Tim]

Not really Marc,

The spinners have hardly bowled because its been a seamers paradise here for most of the season so when the spinners do come on they get hit out of the attack because the batsmen are relieved to play spin.

So I don't think spin is the major factor behind the influx of big scores, its more to do with the fact that either the pitches are more fair or the batsmen have grown some balls & toughed out the first 20 odd overs against the new ball.

 

[marc71178]

Either way, it certainly doesn't bode well for the future of NZ spin bowling if that's the sort of returns they're getting!

Puts them on a par with us!

 

[Tim]

Yes well I will agree with you there that the major concern is spin..despite the pitches not offering much, the fact that not even 1 spinner could do some damage is not good news.

Im not sure what the Under 19 spinners are like, but Im sure the NZ Academy is on to it at the moment..whether they're having any success is another matter.

 

[James]

Tamara do you know anything about Luke Woodcock? I heard Garth Galloway the Otago commentator praising him before saying he had excellent footwork & shot selection.

Luke Woodcock used to be in my cricket team. Was a wicketkeeper and lower order batsman. Not the best player but he seems to have come on a lot.

 

[Rik]

Either way, it certainly doesn't bode well for the future of NZ spin bowling if that's the sort of returns they're getting!

Puts them on a par with us!

Does it surprise you that a country with a similer climate to ours has the same problem with finding bowlers who produce their best results in a dry, dusty climate?

 

[Tim]

I think its more to do with the population.
To be honest, being a spin bowler in NZ is considered to be a pussies job. We have the rugby attitude that you either have to try & be a demon fast bowler or a physically dominating batsman.
So if you take that into account, and then our population size..we'll probably produce a decent spinner every 12 years or so when someone decides to buck the trend.

From what i've seen in the grade of cricket I play, there are quite a few good spinners around but they never get identified because there just aren't enough people around to pick them up & put them under the right coaching.

 

[marc71178]

Does it surprise you that a country with a similer climate to ours has the same problem with finding bowlers who produce their best results in a dry, dusty climate?

Not really I guess, but at least some of our spinners average the right side of 35 in CC!

And, don't forget, we have coming through a massive crop of alien leg spinners with 3 arms and 2 heads that are going to propel us up to number 1 side in the world!

 

[marc71178]

From what i've seen in the grade of cricket I play, there are quite a few good spinners around but they never get identified because there just aren't enough people around to pick them up & put them under the right coaching.

Hmmm, heard that statement before!

 

[Rik]

Not really I guess, but at least some of our spinners average the right side of 35 in CC!

And, don't forget, we have coming through a massive crop of alien leg spinners with 3 arms and 2 heads that are going to propel us up to number 1 side in the world!

Are they Ambidextrous?