*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[Spark]

that means the only way you'll ever have more confidence is if he bats on a searing greentop against steyn/morkel/harris/johnson which frankly is a ludicrous standard.

"he was ok, but what he really has to do is play one of the greatest innings of all time for me to really think he's in form"

 

[Pratters]

No, this is not the case. Till before the series v the West Indies, people were stating that if Cook keeps performing like this, they would like him dropped, including me. He has had a long period when he wasn't terrific. In the West Indies, Cook played too much moving across the stumps. This was fine for the West Indies as it didn't swing much there. Now he has played 1 inning which gives me confidence in him. However, I won't say the old Cook is back just yet. I will wait a couple of tests before I can come to more confidence seeing him in more English conditions. That's not the same as saying I want to see him in the most swinging conditions against the best fast bowlers.

 

[Spark]

Not sure whether viriya ignored his recent runs. However, for me, this is far more significant. It puts more confidence in him. I would like to see him score runs in more testing conditions, mind, but these are welcome runs.

so you sort of did.

 

[Pratters]

So between the conditions on offer and the extreme of

bats on a searing greentop against steyn/morkel/harris/johnson which frankly is a ludicrous standard.

there, is no other degree?

 

[Spark]

given the difficulty of batting on late day 3 and early day 4, pretty much. literally the only thing you've cited is that it was slow.

 

[Pratters]

late day 3 and early day 4 is not the whole two days though.

 

[Spark]

so? are you actually going to argue that the fact that he toughed out the good bowling and difficult conditions in order to enjoy the better conditions and more wayward bowling detracts from his innings somehow?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Quite a positive article from a bloke who usually loves to abuse NZ sport:


Reason: England allrounder Ben Stokes is the new Lance Cairns | Stuff.co.nz

Although I think he is much better with the bat than Lance Cairns.

I also learnt a new term - jam eater: Urban Dictionary: Jam eater

Huge game for Southee coming up.

Will probably be McCullum's last ever test in England (and possibly Taylor's too) as we won't be back for a long time, so they really need to get a win

Future England tours overseas and tourists to England | England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - The Official Website of the ECB

 

[Pratters]

so? are you actually going to argue that the fact that he toughed out the good bowling and difficult conditions in order to enjoy the better conditions and more wayward bowling detracts from his innings somehow?

You are good at your arguments.

 

[RxGM]

Future England tours overseas and tourists to England | England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - The Official Website of the ECB

The other part of this is the big worry, when England come here in 2017 they are only playing two tests.

Up till now england have always played a minimum of 3 tests against us. Really is a huge worry that NZ as a test playing nation is been further belittled by the triarchy

 

[Fuller Pilch]

New Zealand sweating on BJ Watling and Corey Anderson for second cricket test with England | Stuff.co.nz

Watling and Anderson in doubt. If they can't play I'd be tempted to gamble on this 6-8:

6 Santner
7 Ronchi
8 Bracewell

The top 5 will really have to stand up though.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ronchi would be the oldest test debutant for a while

 

[Jono]

Blokes, where does that Cook knock sit in his career best? Gotta be right up near the top surely?

 

[Moss]

New Zealand sweating on BJ Watling and Corey Anderson for second cricket test with England | Stuff.co.nz

Watling and Anderson in doubt. If they can't play I'd be tempted to gamble on this 6-8:

6 Santner
7 Ronchi
8 Bracewell

The top 5 will really have to stand up though.

Interesting thought but I doubt it would come to pass, they'll more likely bring back Ruds as opener and slot designated-backup-bat Guptill in the middle order.

Still, we have a precedent for something like this in the Sharjah test where Corey was at 5 and Vettori brought in as allrounder at 6. Good thing the top 4 stood up then.

 

[Bahnz]

Watling was evidently fit enough to bat in the first test. Imo there are a couple of possible scenarios:

If Watling is fit enough to bat but not fit enough to keep and Anderson is fit, then it becomes tricky. The most straightforward move would be to push McCullum up to open, knock Latham down to number 7 and bat Watling at 5 (whilst hiding him at fine leg or somewhere similar in the field). But Latham's keeping...well he didn't make any errors but his technique in terms of catching looked a bit sketchy and I'm somewhat nervous about asking him to keep again...admittedly Ronchi's keeping looked a little wonky in the World Cup too, so it's a tricky one.

If Anderson is out then it's more straightforward. Watling to 6, Ronchi in at 7 and everyone else the same. If both are out, then things become really tough. I guess Mitchell Santner could come in at 6 in that scenario - though that's far from ideal. I would probably almost prefer Will Young getting a game at 6 - but given that he's only been playing league cricket you can count that one out.

 

[Spark]

Blokes, where does that Cook knock sit in his career best? Gotta be right up near the top surely?

I can't think of a better one off-hand. One of his 2012 India knocks, maybe.

(which is why expecting him to play an even better one is silly)

 

[Moss]

If Anderson is out then it's more straightforward. Watling to 6, Ronchi in at 7 and everyone else the same. If both are out, then things become really tough. I guess Mitchell Santner could come in at 6 in that scenario - though that's far from ideal. I would probably almost prefer Will Young getting a game at 6 - but given that he's only been playing league cricket you can count that one out.

Is Elliott in the country? Though he's never looked the part in tests I can see them sooner calling up someone like him than bringing in a rookie at the eleventh hour.

Given they already have an extra batsman in Rutherford (who began the tour as incumbent) I don't see them looking outside the squad unless they really need someone who can bowl as well.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Would rather see:

1. Rutherford
2. Gup
3. Kane
4. Taylor
5. B-Mac
6. Latham +
7. Satner
8. Craig
9. Henry
10. Southee
11. Boult

 

[Moss]

I can't think of a better one off-hand. One of his 2012 India knocks, maybe.

(which is why expecting him to play an even better one is silly)

The Ahmedabad one was in a losing cause but it did make one hell of a statement, and turn a series. This one edges it though, taking the backdrop, bowlers and match situation into account.

 

[Spark]

Yeah as meritorious as Ahmedabad was, this turned a seriously dire situation into a matchwinning one. Can't get much better than that