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

[WindieWeathers]

Bah - why can't we have 3 or even 4 tests against each other. Will gladly trade in some of those T20s and two ODIs for another test.

Windie if you are out there can you post your desired starting XI please.

Blimey i too was also under the impression that we were playing three tests? i guess i got it wrong, we also only played two against Pakistan so it's not like we're dissing you lot just because you're ranked lower than us!! , it's just the way the schedule goes,

Anyway as for our potential team, much will depend on how we go against two tough teams in Australia and England, personally i believe Sammy's time in the sun will be over by the time we play NZ, well i hope it is anyway!! , another bonus for us is all our IPL stars will be back for this series, so Narine is likely to make his debut against you lot and Gayle may be involved too, so our team could be..

Gayle/Brathwaite
Barath
Kirk Edwards
Darren Bravo
Chanderpaul
Deonarine/Pollard/Fudadin/Samuels
Ramdin (wk)
Rampaul
Roach
Edwards/Holder/Sammy
Narine/Bishoo

The number six spot is vacant right now after Samuels decided to go to the IPL so we're gonna have to wait and see if Deo, Polly or even the vastly improved Fudadin can claim that spot for themselves,

The more i look at our options the more hopeful i am of us rising up the rankings in the near future, Flem might think his team isn't relevant but us windie fans are starting to see signs of improvement, over the last 15 months or so we've beat Bang and drew with SL and Pak, our only defeats came against the then top two ranked India, add Gayle and Narine into the mix then i think we're gonna be a serious threat, especially on our own turf.

[Kippax]

Blimey i too was also under the impression that we were playing three tests? i guess i got it wrong, we also only played two against Pakistan so it's not like we're dissing you lot just because you're ranked lower than us!! , it's just the way the schedule goes

Three straight ODIs in St Kitts (population 50,000? ground capacity about 8,000) seems a bit more cynical or political than simply 'fitting in what the window allows' tbh. We'll see if the official release differs greatly from that leaked one, but they could cut two of those off (which surely no-one would miss).

[Flametree]

The number six spot is vacant right now after Samuels decided to go to the IPL so we're gonna have to wait and see if Deo, Polly or even the vastly improved Fudadin can claim that spot for themselves,

Is the other Bravo no longer in the picture?

[straw man]

Very positive article by Ashley Mallett on Williamson. He compares Williamson to a young Michael Clarke - I know a few people here have drawn that comparison before too.

[Kippax]

We're likely to be wanting these shortly.

Plunket Shield: Most Runs
Plunket Shield: Most Wickets

Ford Trophy: Most Runs
Ford Trophy: Most Wickets

HRV Cup: Most Runs
HRV Cup: Most Wickets

Also, I've noted the South African internationals are coming back into the NZC video vault, and (apart from the 2nd and 3rd Tests) are full ball-by-ball, rather than just dismissals and boundaries.

How to get into the vault -
*** Official New Zealand Domestic Cricket 2011/2012 ***

[Flem274*]

CD should seriously consider signing Kyle Jarvis for a full season. Quality seamer and won't get injured as often as our other bowlers.

Plus I have a bit of a man crush on him.

[Kippax]

Bracewell and Nethula will be in SL for the pre-Xmas rounds it looks, very good idea. He could be your domestic Philanderer to the other three in a best-case scenario.

Milne
Wheeler
Small
Jarvis

[Hurricane]

We're likely to be wanting these shortly.

Plunket Shield: Most Runs
Plunket Shield: Most Wickets

Ford Trophy: Most Runs
Ford Trophy: Most Wickets

HRV Cup: Most Runs
HRV Cup: Most Wickets

Also, I've noted the South African internationals are coming back into the NZC video vault, and (apart from the 2nd and 3rd Tests) are full ball-by-ball, rather than just dismissals and boundaries.

How to get into the vault -
*** Official New Zealand Domestic Cricket 2011/2012 ***

Awesome - my first time seeing the season stats all at once. Goodness Sinclair just keeps on going.

Terrific season for Rutherford.

[Bahnz]

Whatever else happens, if Gayle is back playing for the Windies, I expect our bowlers to get monstered. He's always loved playing against us, and I'm already having horrid flashbacks of him smashing Gillespie around.

Bring Rutherford in for the lolz.

[Flem274*]

We can actually bowl now, so it will be interesting.

Last time round our attack was O'Brien, Mills, Vettori, Patel and Franklin. Not an attack to wheel out on flat pitches.

[Flem274*]

Both sides look pretty terrible back in 2008.

[straw man]

Plunket Shield: Most Wickets

Heh, a statistical oddity - Boult and Wagner both took their wickets at strike rate of 48.1, with Wagner bowling twice as many overs as Boult for twice as many wickets.

Boult conceded fewer runs per wicket though.

Henry's 19 wickets at average of 23.2 stand out as well.

[Hurricane]

We can actually bowl now, so it will be interesting.

Last time round our attack was O'Brien, Mills, Vettori, Patel and Franklin. Not an attack to wheel out on flat pitches.

Even though that attack has lost its lustre - at its time it was probably as well regarded as today's attack.

Can't believe we are beginning to look like underdogs against the West Indies (reaction to Bahnz's post)

[Flem274*]

Even though that attack has lost its lustre - at its time it was probably as well regarded as today's attack.

Can't believe we are beginning to look like underdogs against the West Indies (reaction to Bahnz's post)

Nah. Apart from O'Brien it isn't flash. Mills hasn't had too much success as a test bowler, despite his heroics earlier in the year (wasn't far off being dropped iirc), Patel was still terrible, Vettori was Vettori and Franklin showed himself to be the 120kph half volley merchant we all know and love.

Martin, Bracewell, Gillespie mk II and Boult are a different kettle of fish.

[Hurricane]

Nah. Apart from O'Brien it isn't flash. Mills hasn't had too much success as a test bowler, despite his heroics earlier in the year (wasn't far off being dropped iirc), Patel was still terrible, Vettori was Vettori and Franklin showed himself to be the 120kph half volley merchant we all know and love.

Martin, Bracewell, Gillespie mk II and Boult are a different kettle of fish.

I hope they are - but they didn't look great shakes in the 3rd test.