*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2012

[Meridio]

We won't win, but we will be competitive before finally losing to a better team.

That's the way we roll: a shameful performance in the first match followed by a worthy loss in the second.

New Zealand since I have been watching them have never been good in the first match of a series or tour. Ever. Period.

So, why we don't play a warm-up before the test match to get the **** out of our system is beyond me.

Remember when we would tour Australia, get rolled by a state side, but be somehow competitive against an alltime great team in the first test?

If there is no warm-up before the first test in South Africa, then I will smash something.

AWTA. We'll put in a much-improved performance, probably losing by 4 wickets or so, giving us hope again; only problem being that it's a two-test series so we'll leave any form behind when the next tour starts. Rinse and repeat for the next 12 months.

[Kippax]

Mark Richardson, prepared rant

Shane Bond post-Test interview

[Flem274*]

I didn't expect a **** the BCCI in that rant. 10/10.

[Bahnz]

I don't think any changes should be made to the current batting lineup for the second test. However, if Williamson continues to struggle in SA (which he almost certainly will), I'd seriously suggest that Taylor just bite the bullet and move up the order by one. It might be tough, but he's our best batsmen, has sound defensive technique and has been coming in inside the first 15 overs a lot in the last few years anyway.

It's difficult to examine his statistical record in these cases, but a quick glance at his performances batting in the first innings of tests suggests that since 2009, he's averaged about 50 when coming into bat inside the first 15. Williamson can either take some time out of the national side, or move down to number 5/6.

[SilentOne]

Williamson should have stayed at 5 or 6 to begin with, he was never ready to bat 3.

[Hurricane]

Mark Richardson, prepared rant

Shane Bond post-Test interview

Great stuff Kippax.

Shane Bond certainly seems competent.

I didn't even know who our batting coach was so I had to google it. He needs to pull his socks up.

Bob Carter appointed Black Caps batting coach | Stuff.co.nz

[chaminda_00]

Great stuff Kippax.

Shane Bond certainly seems competent.

I didn't even know who our batting coach was so I had to google it. He needs to pull his socks up.

Bob Carter appointed Black Caps batting coach | Stuff.co.nz

WTF this guys is your batting coach:
Bob Carter | England Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo

Bond and Vaas are both better batsmen then him. Might as well let them coach the batting and bowling.

If this all the can hire for batting coach, Richardson should put his money where his mouth is and offer to coach the NZ batsmen for free.

[Daemon]

You don't have to be an elite player to be a good coach.

Though tbf, someone with international experience would definitely be a bonus.

[Flem274*]

If Mark Richardson had never set foot in a commentary box and talked cricket I'd back him tbh. He's self coached, knows how to score runs with sheer testicular fortitude, and came from a very modest base to be our most successful opener since John Wright. Shane Bond also cites him as one of the few New Zealand batsmen and the only opener who truly had the drive and work ethic to be a world class batsman. There's a hilarious anecdote in his book of Richardson standing under a tree in Barbados screaming his head off because he wasn't going to get another bat in the nets.

But then Richardson started commentating...

[Hurricane]

Crowe ftw.

[Bahnz]

Think Crowe probably has other things on his mind at the moment.

After an hour of pointless stats analysis:

On occasions where Taylor has come into bat inside the 1st 15 overs (chosen because this roughly equates to batting inside the 1st hour), Taylor averages 40.07. When he comes in after the first 15, he averages 41.44 (note this does not include Taylor's 2 tests against Zim or his first two tests in SA). So virtually no difference.

Removing the first 6 months of his career (up to the conclusion of New Zealand's 2008 tour of England), and Taylor's record when going in in the first 15 is slightly better (43.44 to 39.65).

So yeah, reckon there's a bit in that to suggest that Taylor could make a decent fist of number 3. If Williamson doesn't turn things around by the conclusion of the SA tour, Taylor should go up.

[Hurricane]

Yep my bad there (re Crowe)

[BeeGee]

Hmmmm.... I'm not convinced that changing the batting order will solve anything. As "Mystery" Morrison would say, it's like shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

The batsmen aren't improving once they get into the national side. If anything they seem to get worse.

I don't know who to blame, so I'll blame everyone. Sort your **** out, assholes!

[Mike5181]

Great stuff Kippax.

Shane Bond certainly seems competent.

I didn't even know who our batting coach was so I had to google it. He needs to pull his socks up.

Bob Carter appointed Black Caps batting coach | Stuff.co.nz

There's our first problem.

[otagoman]

Im tempted to go for a complete overhaul of our batting and starting over. McCullum is 31, Taylor is 28, Guptill is 26, Flynn 27, Watling 27.(We also need a decent spinner)

Why not completely rebuild, only really Guptill is young enough to turn the promise into something.

The culture of the team is probably crap with the McCullum and Taylor camps, so why not get rid of the both of them. Williamson is a hard worker, hopefully the other young guys would follow his lead.

Worker
Rutherford
M. Bracewell
Williamson (C)
Latham (WK)
Anderson
Neesham
D. Bracewell
Southee
Boult
Johnston

With Milne, Wheeler, Guptill, Sodhi being squad players