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

[Flem274*]

Don't be hating on Bates.

[Mike5181]

Originally Posted by Kippax

We have a sources say... itinerary, published March 4.

Jun 30: 1st T20I, Lauderhill, Florida
Jul 1: 2nd T20I Lauderhill, Florida
Jul 5: 1st ODI, Sabina Park, Jamaica
Jul 7: 2nd ODI, Sabina Park, Jamaica
Jul 11: 3rd ODI, Warner Park, St Kitts
....2 more ODIzzzz in St Kitts.....

Jul 25-29: 1st Test, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
Aug 2-6: 2nd Test, Sabina Park, Jamaica

Two tests? I thought we were scheduled for three tests?

[straw man]

Originally Posted by Kippax

The Windies have deigned to host four tests against an ideally-matched team like NZ in two decades. Does strike you as really vain and ridiculous.

In fact I think of the Windies as a bit like Rihanna, trying to avoid some homely-looking guy's 'it's a really good song; we don't need sex to sell this!' duet.

Yeah the Windies have often struck me (in the last 10 years) as thinking they're far too mighty to be playing little old NZ and should be up there with the big boys, even though results suggest the complete opposite.

IMO ICC should mandate that if teams are only separated by 10 points or so on the test rankings then series should be 3 tests minimum.

[straw man]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Don't be hating on Bates.

Could be all that stands between Bracewell playing far more ODIs than he should and forgetting how to bowl in test matches. Bates 4 NZ ODI captain

[Howsie]

Originally Posted by Flametree

If they take 15 in the squad I'd expect the 11 from the last SA test plus Watling, Boult, Nethula and one other seam bowler. The last spot was Wagner's but it now seems to be free. So Brent Arnel then...

Mitchell McClenaghan a big chance for your token WTF New Zealand selection I reckon.

[Mike5181]

Doubt Arnel will play for NZ again.

[Hurricane]

Our selectors have been a bit fickle with Sam Wells. If he was good enough to get selected as 12th man for a test you would think he would make a larger 15 man squad.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Mike5181

Doubt Arnel will play for NZ again.

One thing I have learned since following the fortunes of the blackcaps more closely is that if you bang at the door long enough you will be selected as long as you havn't had 3 or 4 goes before or are over (insert Andre Adams age here). And Arnel has only had 2 chances now.

Coles Notes version: IF he takes some 5fers next year he might be back.

[Howsie]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Our selectors have been a bit fickle with Sam Wells. If he was good enough to get selected as 12th man for a test you would think he would make a larger 15 man squad.

If he was any good he probably wouldn't have fallen behind Andrew Ellis either tbf

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Howsie

If he was any good he probably wouldn't have fallen behind Andrew Ellis either tbf

then don't pick him in the first place - it seems like a capricious pick (been trying to work that word into a post for a while now)

[Hurricane]

Flem - can you add a poll to this thread (complete with irrelevant third option) on who will win the series - genuinely interested in if CW agrees with Windie.

[Mike5181]

Not entirely sure what our ODI team would look like at the moment.

[straw man]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Our selectors have been a bit fickle with Sam Wells. If he was good enough to get selected as 12th man for a test you would think he would make a larger 15 man squad.

Wells also went back to Otago and didn't score many runs or take many wickets. Unfortunately Andy Ellis is the highest performing allrounder who bowls medium pace in NZ domestic this year, by quite a distance (I'm not counting Franklin).

There are quite a few other players in this mould around however most are not particularly established eg.
Boam
Neesham
Wells
CDG
Munro
KNB (though I struggle to call what he does to get the ball to the other end 'bowling')

Selecting Wells based purely on perceived potential just shows that the selectors are looking hard for this sort of player imo.

[Kippax]

Matt Henry fans can take a bit of heart here I think -

matt henry ‏ @matthenry523
back on twitter boys! cant believe i didnt get picked for the dunedin game?! #easiest 5fer of my life bobby!!!!1
9:42 PM - 18 Mar 12 via web

Originally Posted by Howsie

Mitchell McClenaghan a big chance for your token WTF New Zealand selection I reckon.

Haha, yeah I agree with Howsie on this. I was actually thinking shorter forms (vying with McKay perhaps) in a bid to add a bit of penetration up front, hoping for swing with the white ball or a bit of unwanted bounce for the Windians.
http://nzcpooch.blob.core.windows.ne...e/1_002_01.mp4
http://nzcpooch.blob.core.windows.ne...6/2_003_02.mp4

The way his 'rains it pours' numbers leap off the page (8/23, 5/30, 6/44 etc) will help him as well I think.

[Flem274*]

Hope the Windies put out

Gayle
Barath
Edwards
Bravo
Chanderpaul
Nash
Baugh
Sammy
Rampaul
Bishoo (he's still gun right?)
Edwards

Pretty solid looking team. We have the better bowling but they have the batting.