New Zealand Off Season 2014

[MichaelJ2000]

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

New Zealand Cricket News: Traffic flyover threatens Basin Reserve | ESPN Cricinfo

Shane Bond, NZ Fast Bowler/Cricinfo commenter/Grammatically challenged.

 

[Dan]

Typical fast bowler then.

Also Heef to rage at the flyover thing potentially going ahead. Worst infrastructure idea - you don't even have traffic congestion FFS.

 

[straw man]

97 for Williamson playing for Yorkshire overnight, pushing to retain his title from last season of most County runs without a century. WAG

 

[Bahnz]

It's interesting - Paul Ford always considered that the flyover issue was nothing more than a bunch of smelly hippies stymying progress for the sake of stymying progress (or words to that effect). It's certainily true though, that any potential effect on the batsman's sight of the ball would need to be very carefully assessed.

In other news, it's good to see Jeets giving the county championship a taste of the classic Plunket Shield tail-end piss-take .

 

[hendrix]

I'm not exactly a "save Te Aro" hippie but jesus the council really ****ed that up. Yes, a tunnel is expensive. But it's the best option, and was the whole point in putting the bypass in in the first place.

A flyover is just such a terrible idea in that area.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Especially when they are already building a tunnel down the road.

 

[hendrix]

Especially when they are already building a tunnel down the road.

exactly.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I'm not exactly a "save Te Aro" hippie but jesus the council really ****ed that up. Yes, a tunnel is expensive. But it's the best option, and was the whole point in putting the bypass in in the first place.

A flyover is just such a terrible idea in that area.

Well exactly. You come out of a tunnel to go over a bridge and into another tunnel. The whole idea is ******** given a tunnel would have cost only a $150m more and they're looking to build a completely unnecessary link road from Granada to Whitby for considerably more than that. Dump the link road, and spend the savings on tunnelling round the Basin and you'd still have dollars left over for a nice lolly scramble for the kids.

 

[Kippax]

True or false: Jeets scores more runs in Div 1 championship games than Ryder manages in Div 2.

 

[Bahnz]

Jeets on his decision to turn down a spot on the Caribbean tour:

"That was a tough decision," Patel said afterwards. "I've always said that playing Test cricket was the be-all and end-all for me, but I've other interests now. My family is the most important thing. For them to be safe and happy is most important.

"Would I have played in the Caribbean? Maybe. Maybe I would have earned a one-year central contract. But I have to look further ahead than that and I could have sat on the sidelines and wasted an opportunity to cement my position here. And I love it at Warwickshire. Being a Bear is special."

 

[straw man]

Patel's performances for Warks continue to amaze. Well done to him. The various explanations that I've come up with to explain his success (relative to other non-successes) over the last few years include:

- it's a big vote for consistent team selection and the benefit of being an automatic selection for your side. This may or may not be particularly important for spin bowlers.
- the ephemeral thing that is 'team culture' must be good at Warwickshire. Patel clearly gets confidence from this and knows how he fits into the side.
- it really helps a spinner like Patel if your team is on top of the match rather than behind (as NZ and Wellington frequently are)
- English pitches in the last few years have been reasonable for spinners
- it's still much tougher for a spinner at international level. I do imagine a fair few County players are poor, relatively speaking, against spin

I've always thought Patel looked to have some ability with the bat too, though frequently hasn't done himself justice with over-ambitious shots and apparent lack of application. Tenth time past fifty now for Warks so can probably conclude he's found the right balance between his unorthodox attack and effective defense and accumulation.

I don't blame him for knocking back the Windies tour and effectively retiring from internationals. Thirty Four years old today according to Cricinfo (HB!). Is now down with Craig Spearman and Andre Adams as NZers who never performed that well for us, went to England, developed their games and found a niche in the County system.

 

[RxGM]

To add to strawmans list there could be a few other factors (as he continue to be avergae for Wellington)
- Does the pronounced seam on the duke ball, enable him to be more of a force. I still think it is criminal that he was not added to the squad for the Headingly Test probably one of NZ's worst recent selection blunders above Nicol opening in tests and leaving BJ behind van Wyk for so long.
- Is the standard of cricket just lower in the CC than the PS?

 

[Dan]

- Is the standard of cricket just lower in the CC than the PS?

Not in Div 1, IMO. If he were running around Div 2 then the overall quality would, IMO, be below the Plunket. But he's doing it against the top English sides.

 

[RxGM]

Not in Div 1, IMO. If he were running around Div 2 then the overall quality would, IMO, be below the Plunket. But he's doing it against the top English sides.

I initially wrote that comment to be a dick I dont watch any CC beyond highlights to judge, but
Over the last few seasons Jeets FC average for wellington have been 40+ which is on a par with Craig, Ajaz Patel, Nethula, Sodhi, Martin, and behind Astle. Yet from what i read Patel is the best regular spinner in the county championship, player of the year for Warwickshire etc.

 

[SteveNZ]

I was focussing only on test match cricket, and happily concede that McCullum is a vital part of the ODI side. However in terms of test cricket, 2 performances - no matter how sensational - is insufficient evidence that something deeper has changed in McCullum's play. He's had hot patches before - he was superb in India in 2010 - but it's never been long before he's lapsed back into inconsistency and underachievement. He has a big opportunity to break that trend this year, but for me it's a case of the proof will be in the pudding.

No doubt. I've long been a critic of Brendon's Test batting but I honestly think last summer will be a turning of the corner for him, albeit at a very late stage in his career. I've always got the feeling that he very much wanted to be considered one of our country's greats, but wasn't able to find a way to do so - whether it was as an opener in either form, as a finisher in ODI cricket, and the fact he has been world-class in international T20s but no one (rightfully in my opinion) pays much heed to international T20s. I've never once believed the stuff that he's selfish, only cares about himself, loves the cash-grab in T20s etc.

I'd love to see him finish with a Test average over 40 and I think I will.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Not in Div 1, IMO. If he were running around Div 2 then the overall quality would, IMO, be below the Plunket. But he's doing it against the top English sides.

There is scant difference in the quality of the two divisions.

 

[Dan]

There is scant difference in the quality of the two divisions.

I reckon there's undoubtedly a gulf between the likes of Yorkshire and Warwickshire compared to Leicestershire, for example, but you're probably right in there not being a huge gap between the middle of Div 1 and the middle of Div 2, yeah.

 

[Kippax]

I initially wrote that comment to be a dick I dont watch any CC beyond highlights to judge, but
Over the last few seasons Jeets FC average for wellington have been 40+ which is on a par with Craig, Ajaz Patel, Nethula, Sodhi, Martin, and behind Astle. Yet from what i read Patel is the best regular spinner in the county championship, player of the year for Warwickshire etc.

The style of NZ domestic play (road road road, you declare, we smash 350 off 60 overs to win), is just a completely prank examination of spin bowling. It's more a test of how stodgy and unambitious you can be with your slow-mediums.

 

[Kippax]

Not in Div 1, IMO. If he were running around Div 2 then the overall quality would, IMO, be below the Plunket.

Yeah I think that's probably rubbish ftr. Let's imagine the Wuzids played five four-dayers against Essex in the UK. They'd absolutely come home from those with three losses, minimum. Here's Mark Footitt, coming in to bowl to some hit-through-the-line agribusinessman now -

Then on the return tour, I back Essex to manage at least three draws out of five.

Just think of the guys NZ cricket's held up to the world and toasted as something a bit special in recent years. Richard Levi, Hamish Rutherford, Peter Fulton, Luke Ronchi, Corey Anderson....**** me. These players are good for a pump and dump, and that's about it.