*Official* England in New Zealand 2019

[Prince EWS]

What Raval thing? Did I miss anything?

He smashed it, given lbw, didn't review.

 

[Moss]

Guptill was all but shot just before the India tour in 2016 when they gave him three tests before moving on to Raval at home vs Pakistan. Have a feeling it'll be a similar policy here though I would probably prefer giving Raval some time off to recover form and confidence.

 

[TT Boy]

Runs count as double. A Tony Greig classic.

 

[ataraxia]

Reminds me of recently reading that tailender Hedley Verity opened for England in a late 1930s Ashes when they were struggling to find a decent opening partnership and he put on the two best opening partnerships of the series. #wagnertoopen

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Reminds me of recently reading that tailender Hedley Verity opened for England in a late 1930s Ashes when they were struggling to find a decent opening partnership and he put on the two best opening partnerships of the series. #wagnertoopen

Send Boult out there, I’d pay to watch that.

 

[Flem274*]

the other opener in the squad is tastle

 

[Prince EWS]

Verity did open at lower levels tbf. He was more like a very rich man's Jack Leach with the bat (and the ball actually) than a Wagner or a Boult. If you're sending a spud out to open you definitely want him to soak up balls first and foremost, otherwise you might as well send out your #3 straight away.

I remember seriously advocating for (at the time) Zimbabwean #11 Raymond Price to open the batting for them in Tests, but Zimbabwe had a very weird balance at the time and he was opening domestically as well for similar reasons.

 

[ataraxia]

Hope Taylor can find some form now.

 

[straw man]

Guptill was all but shot just before the India tour in 2016 when they gave him three tests before moving on to Raval at home vs Pakistan. Have a feeling it'll be a similar policy here though I would probably prefer giving Raval some time off to recover form and confidence.

Raval has that lost and pained puppy dog look reminiscent of other recent NZ openers that started well and then failed, like Rutherford and Fulton, and which Guptill wore perpetually.

But he's obviously playing the first test in Australia at absolute minimum, so all we can do is hope he blocks the straight ones, edges a few runs and misses everything else.

 

[Moss]

Oh wow. Was a bit weak from Latham but well done to England for creating that dismissal.

This test is rather mirroring the previous one give or take a Mitch Santner hundred.

 

[Prince EWS]

the other opener in the squad is tastle

Now this could be a thing.

Open with Tastle, bat Lord Colin at 8.

Lets break cricket.

 

[straw man]

Clearly in trouble now. Wonder if Taylor will persist with his attacking approach or try play a longer innings. Even though 'runs count double' I'd prefer the latter, partly because he hasn't done that in a while.

 

[nzfan]

rachin has opened his entire life and young has been middle order until nz a experimented with him

it would be peak mid 00s nz to swap them, and easily the wrong decision

I hear ya but I feel taking a free flowing batsman and opening with him will put him under immense pressure to block. I saw some of the clips of him vs Archer/Broad in the warm up game he was pulling, back foot punching, even straight driving Archer down the ground of good length a ball most will defend. I seriously think he will have to sacrifice his flow and block forever playing in NZ conditions as an opener. Young is more patient and has far less shots than Ravindra. Also more experienced. We need an opener like Richardson, Jeet Raval, John Wright etc for home conditions... I can't remember we have ever had an opener that was flamboyant. Probably Fleming opened for a little while and then gave up as well.

 

[nzfan]

He smashed it, given lbw, didn't review.

You mean just now as in this inning? That's shocking.

 

[ataraxia]

Now this could be a thing.

Open with Tastle, bat Lord Colin at 8.

Lets break cricket.

No. Blundell/Raval at 8. The averages add up.

 

[Moss]

Clearly in trouble now. Wonder if Taylor will persist with his attacking approach or try play a longer innings. Even though 'runs count double' I'd prefer the latter, partly because he hasn't done that in a while.

Taylor really needs to play the senior pro role in Australia. He's been prone to mailing it in of late especially during overseas tours, hope he has one substantial away series left in him before Young and others are ready to step in.

 

[nzfan]

England bowling with one slip in place and they get Latham in that one slip....

 

[Prince EWS]

No. Blundell/Raval at 8. The averages add up.

Nah Mitchell is ahead of them now, and would bat ahead of Colin to allow Colin to just tee off.

1 Latham
2 Tastle
3 Williamson
4 Taylor
5 Nicholls
6 Watling
7 Mitchell
8 Lord Colin
9 Southee
10 Wagner
11 Boult

Lets do it. Martin Guptill, head of the Todd Astle Opening Batting Appreciation Society, would absolutely approve.

 

[Prince EWS]

You mean just now as in this inning? That's shocking.

Yes.

 

[straw man]

Taylor really needs to play the senior pro role in Australia. He's been prone to mailing it in of late especially during overseas tours, hope he has one substantial away series left in him before Young and others are ready to step in.

Tbh for difficult opposition/ difficult conditions he's ranked 5th in our top 6 in recent times, so yes please to a big series. Will doubtless find himself at the crease early a few innings too.