**Official** New Zealand in West Indies

[Hurricane]

Poor Guptil. I hope he takes some positives away from this inning. Unfortunately it may hurt his confidence.

Neil Wagner (lhb) 4 22 0 0 18.18 0 (5b) 4 (22b) 1 4 4* -

Cricinfo is saying he has face 22 balls when it should be 12.

Hope Wagner goes on to make at least 20 odd tomorrow.

 

[Flem274*]

Apparently Flynn was throwing up and **** before and after batting. Fair play to him then, good of him to stick in out there.

 

[Flem274*]

West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Antigua: 'We're on top' - Ross Taylor | Cricket News | West Indies v New Zealand | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[BeeGee]

Cricinfo is saying he has face 22 balls when it should be 12.

I get 22 from the commentary. I think you're counting from Guptill's wicket, not Taylor's.

 

[Hurricane]

^Shades of Dean Jones. Except someone must have given him a speech about ND players being soft rather than Victorians.

 

[Hurricane]

Why do you say that? I get 22 from the commentary.

Edit: You are correct I was lookign at the summary commentary from which you can mistakenly think Wagner comes in after Guptil's dismissal. He came in earlier.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Yes Guptill! No Guptill!

Stay Guptill!! Roll over Guptill!! Fetch the ball Guptill!!

BAD Guptill!! Tsk tsk.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

 

[Hurricane]

FMD without those two wickets at the end - we would be sitting pretty.

 

[Flem274*]

I told you we're going to win.

 

[Howsie]

Just switch McCullum with Flynn or Williamson.

Now everyone is playing in their normal spot.

Flynn probably has the game to make it as a test opener, by New Zealand standards anyway, but I still think he should be batting in the middle order at five or six if we want to maximise his run scoring potential. He's probably just a tad too loose at this stage of his career to be a consistent test match opener. Slot him in at five and let him play his natural game.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Flynn probably has the game to make it as a test opener, by New Zealand standards anyway, but I still think he should be batting in the middle order at five or six if we want to maximise his run scoring potential. He's probably just a tad too loose at this stage of his career to be a consistent test match opener. Slot him in at five and let him play his natural game.

But does McCullum have the game to really make it as a Test match opener? I know he's done well there previously but you'd think the best way to maximise his run scoring potential is to play him in the middle order too.

 

[Flem274*]

I'd definitely prefer Flynn no higher than three whilst McCullum and Guptill are in the side.

I can understand asking an experienced FC player like Flynn to bat at three instead of Williamson though. Flynn has the game to make the position his own anyway. Just has to be more Chanderpaul/Katich than Khawaja.

 

[Flem274*]

But does McCullum have the game to really make it as a Test match opener? I know he's done well there previously but you'd think the best way to maximise his run scoring potential is to play him in the middle order too.

Yes, I think he does in this day an age, Many sides have frisky openers. Sehwag, Dilshan and Gayle have their downsides, but even Hafeez plays a role for Pakistan.

I think he is better than Hafeez as an opener alone as well, and no one but himself is stopping him from the Dilshan/Gayle level.

Probably better than Sehwag in NZ and English conditions as well.

 

[Hurricane]

That Narine character sure gets some bounce. Flynn is to be forgiven for his dismissal. The ball just got very very big.

Some gorgeous shots by Guptil on the replay.

As for Flynn I would prefer him to be an opener I find his SR of 40 terrific for an opener but below par for a middle order player. Need to play with some intent or the game will get away on you. I realise that you typically talk about SRs with ODIs and not tests. But I think they are relevant. You wouldn't put Timmy Mac at number 4 for instance or he would kill you even in a test.

Williamson has a SR of 44
Taylor 58
McCullum 60
Brownlie 49
Vettori 58
KVW 48

 

[Flem274*]

Dravid, Kallis and Chanderpaul?

I suspect Flynn would be more free flowing in the middle order but the same at three, so I don't think strike rate will be an issue. He's played quick innings in all formats for ND, unlike McIntosh who stone walled for most of his career before randomly returning to Auckland after playing tests and hitting run a ball one day hundreds.

 

[Kippax]

Pleased those months taking the shine off a Duke for Derbyshire rather than hitting sclaffy half-middled DLF maximums probably paid off for Guptill after all. Chuffed to read about Wagner training with van Wyk and the Duke in Pretoria btw. Can't help but feel KvW and his diligent, peppy, Gary Player-like ways are going to prove more important to us over the next three years or so than we think. Almost worth teaming him as Hesson's deputy for the LO legs of tours, really double that leprechaun power.

Fittingly Guptill's reverence for an irrational tradition of the game actually ends up his undoing. Often wish our guys didn't care about the supposed magic of milestones quite so much (just recently, Vettori ran himself out in Brisbane, Ryder dubious, Williamson almost ran himself out, now this). As Cook perfectly illustrated it doesn't mean your side's safe by any means. "Take your name off your phone, so it's just...a number." as Tiger Woods would advise.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Same ****, different day.

 

[Mike5181]

Hoping for a big KW score for the second days play.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I have just had an epiphany - Kane Williamson looks like Matthew Bellamy