***Official*** England in New Zealand series 2013

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah all I remember is a sketchily slogged 30-and-out. That and being 10 years late trying to play Pattinson.

I agree that I'm sure he does care deep down, but he kinda needs to practise showing it in domestics. It's difficult to suddenly change batting habits you've been sticking with for the last few years.

[Zinzan]

Any once again the NZ cricketing brains-trust out-do themselves. A statement about McCullum moving down the order right when there's suddenly a prospect of both Taylor & Ryder returning ?.

Ironically, if there ever was a time to move McCullum down, it was the 2nd test in SA where he would have provided more value against the slightly older ball, but that would have been too sensible. Best to wait until our best two test batsmen return.

I can't see where he would fit below

4 Taylor
5 Ryder
6 Brownlie
7 Watling
8 Vettori/Bracewell

[Athlai]

This is what tricked me ftr

Cricket*Video | Black Caps, 20/20, Test Cricket | TVNZ - TV News Video | TVNZ

[Scaly piscine]

People are seriously suggesting leave Ronchi out?!?

Have Kiwis forgotten just how ****ing ****e their batting is?

Ronchi averaging low 30s would still be better than almost your entire line up.

[Kippax]

Originally Posted by Days of Grace

What radio station is this, mate?

I got that Ryder will take or leave ODIs or T20s but would like to open in them if so, and he will see how he fits into the test team.

LiveSPORT Home - LiveSPORT

Yeah, Ryder says in that interview he'll try to build an innings in his first FC game back doesn't he. He also gives big props to the hands-off laissez-faire policies of Siddons though, who said last month he "can't have the 160" without a few slog heave pulls that get caught at third man.

Siddons only knows him as the bloated caricature the casual interest T20ers demanded as well obvs, not back when he talked about looking up almanacs and wanting to be the fastest Kiwi to 1000 test runs.

Actually, I wonder if Rob has the 2002 U19 World Cup and could give us a short 5 minute nostalgia hit. Leighton Burtt, Richard Sherlock, pre-bloat Jesse etc....

[Prensel]

Originally Posted by Scaly piscine

People are seriously suggesting leave Ronchi out?!?

Have Kiwis forgotten just how ****ing ****e their batting is?

Ronchi averaging low 30s would still be better than almost your entire line up.

If he can open, I welcome him!

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Scaly piscine

People are seriously suggesting leave Ronchi out?!?

Have Kiwis forgotten just how ****ing ****e their batting is?

Ronchi averaging low 30s would still be better than almost your entire line up.

Prentending I would want him for a moment, he's shown nothing except one paced biffing in domestix. Remember this is the competition where Colin "whats the offside" Munro and Carl "whats a short ball" Cachopa average more than him, and Jesse Ryder is playing the same biffing game and doing it better.

A bit of perspective.

There's only room for him as a biffing opener, and tbh it's at the point where we may as well select either a biffer, a specialist fielder or an epic blocker for that position because trying to bat properly isn't working. He isn't a proper batsman, and after watching a lot of him I'm pretty confident he wouldn't provide more than our full strength batting order if he was selected to bat 3-7. The team we sent to SA is a different story ofc, but even then I'm skeptical he wouldn't have just been another Franklin or Munro.

He gets credit for smashing Southee around the park, but for every million mile an hour ton in the James Franklin Averages 50 Shield there's a suite of ducks.

[Days of Grace]

Ian Smith's XI
Watling
Ryder
Williamson
Taylor
Brownlie
McCullum (c)
Ronchi (wk)
Spinner
Bracewell
Southee
Boult

If I can get past how wrong it looks for Ryder to be opening in tests, and how unfair it would be for Watling, that's a pretty strong lineup and the best we have potentially put on the park for a long time.

At this stage if Ryder is to be in the middle order, Brownlie will have to make way unless BJ opens and Ronchi keeps.

[Scaly piscine]

Originally Posted by Prensel

If he can open, I welcome him!

Your top order is ****e. Your middle order is ****e. Your lower middle order is ****e.

Pick people who can bat or might be able to bat. The number of available cricketers who can fulfil that criteria is a lot less than 6 or 7.

[Johnners]

Originally Posted by NZTailender

Jeez this photo trips me out. Something so unnatural about it

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Scaly piscine

Your top order is ****e. Your middle order is ****e. Your lower middle order is ****e.

Pick people who can bat or might be able to bat. The number of available cricketers who can fulfil that criteria is a lot less than 6 or 7.

You forgot Ronchi is also ****e, or have you found access to a highlights website that only works in NZ? Have you ever actually seen the bloke bat or are you just reading the scoreboard?

Thought so.

When he starts outscoring Franklin and friends he can demand a spot in the lower middle order.

[Daemon]

yeah, pujara's left shin

[Flem274*]

Btw I saw some talk about how Redmond, McIntosh etc would be better than Guptill right now. I don't think the minimal difference in batting would offset Guptill being a world class fielder. Rather than select another tried and failed specialist if we're going to make changes either a fringe middle order batsman needs to step up and have a go or we put Tastle, Franklin, Munro, NcCullum etc up there as a placeholder who offers something across most disciplines. Rutherford is too raw for the whites imo, though all he probably needs is another FC ton and he's in.

[Scaly piscine]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Prentending I would want him for a moment, he's shown nothing except one paced biffing in domestix. Remember this is the competition where Colin "whats the offside" Munro and Carl "whats a short ball" Cachopa average more than him, and Jesse Ryder is playing the same biffing game and doing it better.

A bit of perspective.

There's only room for him as a biffing opener, and tbh it's at the point where we may as well select either a biffer, a specialist fielder or an epic blocker for that position because trying to bat properly isn't working. He isn't a proper batsman, and after watching a lot of him I'm pretty confident he wouldn't provide more than our full strength batting order if he was selected to bat 3-7. The team we sent to SA is a different story ofc, but even then I'm skeptical he wouldn't have just been another Franklin or Munro.

He gets credit for smashing Southee around the park, but for every million mile an hour ton in the James Franklin Averages 50 Shield there's a suite of ducks.

And how many chances have you given these people who've managed to score runs?

Ronchi has already played some international cricket and given his background he's not going to horribly flawed or a medium pace bully. He'll be decent at least. A blazing ton and three failures is fine at NZ's stage given how bad their batting is.

[Scaly piscine]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

You forgot Ronchi is also ****e, or have you found access to a highlights website that only works in NZ? Have you ever actually seen the bloke bat or are you just reading the scoreboard?

Thought so.

When he starts outscoring Franklin and friends he can demand a spot in the lower middle order.

That's like saying England should have only picked guys who can outscore Hick or Ramprakash. It's a nonsense.