**Official** Road to New Zealand in the West Indies 2012

[SteveNZ]

Originally Posted by Mike5181

Watling isn't getting the gloves for the test matches. He's replacing McCullum as the ODI and T20I keeper.

I'm almost certain he is.

He's not the finished article as a keeper by a long stretch but if he's keeping in all three forms, it gives him the best chance to do so.

[wellAlbidarned]

I dunno eh.

[Kippax]

Neil Wagner vs. Zimbabweans, Jan 2012 - YouTube

Wonder who's likely as Kane's county replacement now. Could still be Boult for a month say, then Southee. Seeing it's supposedly all our call, maybe Latham.

[African Monkey]

Originally Posted by Kippax

Neil Wagner vs. Zimbabweans, Jan 2012 - YouTube

Wonder who's likely as Kane's county replacement now. Could still be Boult for a month say, then Southee. Seeing it's supposedly all our call, maybe Latham.

Jesse Ryder maybe?

[Kippax]

Think a lot of people sort of secretly want Ryder for the tests in India in August, but his support team have got a 'do it on your terms, don't let them use you and grade you like a cut of meat!' hold on Jesse's thinking now. Time in the whites would be nice but it's mostly 20 and 40-over cricket for Glos in July, he'd get maybe five FC games before the India tour, eight if he stayed on.

I'm trying to remember if Jesse and Braces got on that well and Braces' mood after the hand through a window thing. He did finally get picked and played well for him I guess. Both kind of paranoid and pugnacious and prone to awkward gaffes socially, could be some mutual respect in that.

[Kippax]

Tim Southee's goal is to regain his test spot | Stuff.co.nz

"But I've only got myself to blame for bowling poorly, and I know it's not going to be easy with a lot of people now putting their hands up among the test bowlers."

Southee was named in the New Zealand Twenty20 and one-day squads and was confident he has already made big strides on the delivery problems that caused a loss of form that culminated in him being dumped following the first test in Dunedin where he recorded figures of 0-140 in 36 overs over two innings.

"I've still been doing some stuff via phone and email with [NZ bowling coach] Damien Wright, just on a couple of little technical things that crept into my game," Southee said.

"It was mostly a matter of timing – I was rushing to the crease and in doing so lost that swing and wasn't hitting the wicket hard.

"They're mainly little things and I'm confident it's not a major problem."

Southee indicated in his late-season first-class appearances with the title-winning Northern Knights that he was already finding a cure.

"It was good to go back and work on it at Plunket Shield level and not have the pressure of playing at test match level but still being able to practise it in a match."

At the end of the domestic season, Southee took a break and when he returned to training, batting practice was high on his to-do list.

"I've been doing a lot of work on my batting, which is something I've always wanted to do more work on, and with some time away from playing it seemed the ideal time."

Southee, who has a test average of 20.20, wants to evolve into a consistent lower-order bat who won't just be remembered for his swashbuckling 77 not out from just 40 balls, featuring nine sixes, on his test debut against England in Napier in March 2008.

"It's not going to happen overnight, but it would be a big help to the team."

[straw man]

Yeah saw that - I'll believe Timmee's batting is improving when I see it. At the moment it's nice that we have enough test bowling depth that we can afford to have him not even in the squad.

I see Guptill scored a century for his county as soon as the List A began - heh.

[Scaly piscine]

Really looking forward to seeing what Narine will do in Test cricket and to NZ's batting lineup.

[SteveNZ]

Brendon's been keeping to him, which won't make a blind bit of difference really as he'll not be in the ODIs or T20s, and probably out by the time Narine bowls.

We're going to really struggle on those decks against him.

[Kippax]

Sunil Narine 11 Wickets @ 14.45 vs. Australia - 5 Match ODI Series 2012 - YouTube

[wellAlbidarned]

Hah, love how the commentators couldn't pick him for ****.

[Flem274*]

I've just been thinking about what the Windies should do and tbh they need to prepare pacy wickets. We still love a good collapse against pacemen, but Shakib is the only spinner to tear this particular batting order apart. The last time we toured Sri Lanka and India it was the pacemen who did the damage. Murali, Mendis (back when he was still a msytery) and Harby played second fiddle to the likes of Thushara and Sreesanth.

Kaneria and Rehman have had some success against us as well, but Kaneria's was 7/100 odd iirc.

ODIs is another matter, but in tests it's the quality speed that we dislike.

I'm quietly looking forward to Taylor and Williamson dispatching a Windies spin duo.

In saying that, I'd give a spinner a twirl against Guptill first up since he prefers the quicker bowlers and as of the last time we saw him, is quite boundary reliant against spin. Since even Jeets takes a few wickets in CC though then CC pitches must have a bit in them for the spinners, so Guppy should be getting in some good practice.

I'd also have the spinner straight on if when Watling comes in if he plays.

The flipside to this is a pace bowling wicket also helps us immensely, since seam bowling is the one thing we do well atm, and getting rid of Bravo and Chanderpaul early is crucial. Some days some of our batsmen will fall over to Roach, Sammy and Rampaul on any kind of pitch provided they put the ball in the right place.

[wellAlbidarned]

We don't have a particular weakness against spin or pace, we're just **** against good bowling of any sort. So I'd say WI won't be putting all their eggs in one basket.

[Bahnz]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

We still love a good collapse against pacemen, but Shakib is the only spinner to tear this particular batting order apart. The last time we toured Sri Lanka and India it was the pacemen who did the damage. Murali, Mendis (back when he was still a msytery) and Harby played second fiddle to the likes of Thushara and Sreesanth.

I call bull****:

1st Test: Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Galle, Aug 18-22, 2009 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Colombo (SSC), Aug 26-30, 2009 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

1st Test: India v New Zealand at Ahmedabad, Nov 4-8, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: India v New Zealand at Hyderabad (Deccan), Nov 12-16, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

3rd Test: India v New Zealand at Nagpur, Nov 20-23, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Yes the seamers have been effective as well, but that speaks more to the vulnerability of our top 3 against the new ball than anything. The spinners have still usually been the ones taking the most wickets.

[Howsie]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

I've just been thinking about what the Windies should do and tbh they need to prepare pacy wickets. We still love a good collapse against pacemen, but Shakib is the only spinner to tear this particular batting order apart. The last time we toured Sri Lanka and India it was the pacemen who did the damage. Murali, Mendis (back when he was still a msytery) and Harby played second fiddle to the likes of Thushara and Sreesanth.

Kaneria and Rehman have had some success against us as well, but Kaneria's was 7/100 odd iirc.

ODIs is another matter, but in tests it's the quality speed that we dislike.

I'm quietly looking forward to Taylor and Williamson dispatching a Windies spin duo.

In saying that, I'd give a spinner a twirl against Guptill first up since he prefers the quicker bowlers and as of the last time we saw him, is quite boundary reliant against spin. Since even Jeets takes a few wickets in CC though then CC pitches must have a bit in them for the spinners, so Guppy should be getting in some good practice.

I'd also have the spinner straight on if when Watling comes in if he plays.

The flipside to this is a pace bowling wicket also helps us immensely, since seam bowling is the one thing we do well atm, and getting rid of Bravo and Chanderpaul early is crucial. Some days some of our batsmen will fall over to Roach, Sammy and Rampaul on any kind of pitch provided they put the ball in the right place.

Nah, if the pitches play like they did against Australia the Windies will go 5-0 in the ODI's and 2-0 in the test matches.