Modern New Zealand XI (dayboo post 1980) second poll: Your Hospital Ward Occupants

[Flem274*]

Now we look for our three quicks. Hopefully they're still fit to play and not bowling at 115 clicks by the time we're done here. Keeping bowlers fit has never been a New Zealand thing. Down here we tell our young teenage Brent Arnel tearaways to harden up and keep bowling on those concrete indoor decks until they're medium pacers. Nonetheless we shall try.

If you had plans on being edgy and selecting two spinners then I'm sorry but you're wrong and if you must you can push for a Daniel Vettori #6 or even a shock Mark Craig #6 selection. There may be still time for a Todd Astle for opener campaign as well.

As usual some of the above will be available for selection if they miss out here.

Please choose THREE options.

 

[Flem274*]

My immediate thoughts are Bond, Southee, Boult and Cairns are the best four bowlers on this poll but three of them are opening bowlers and there is a very strong argument for five bowlers in this team which means Cairns or Oram can bat #6 or #7 and be the fourth seamer unless we pick both.

I think what I'd do is open with Southee and Boult then use Bond and Cairns in short sharp spells rather than in the classical third seamer role, and Vettori and Southee can bowl longer spells.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Shane O'Connor was better than a few of those named (certainly worthy of a nomination) and Martin Snedden was great at tying up an end

 

[Hurricane]

I've gone Shane Bond and Tim Southee to open with Ian O'Brien to bowl first change. You need a workhorse in there somewhere and with his ability to bowl into the wind he is one of the better ones we have had. Somebody else voted for him who I expect will be Heef when I click on the names.

 

[Hurricane]

Just looking at who people have voted for, I don't agree with the combination of Shane Bond, Tim Southee and Trent Boult. They may be the best three bowlers but they are not the best combination. Bond is a real threat to break down in the middle of the match unless you have someone who can take on a few extra overs. Now ultimately this team will have 4 seamers anyway if you pick Cairns somewhere else, but the 3rd seamer really needs to get through some donkey work and neither Tim or Trent are cut from the right cloth to really just suck it up and bowl all day as a 3rd seamer.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Imo

Positions 6-11 (top side)
Watling
Cairns
Vettori
Nash
Bond
Boult

6-11 (2nd XI) - or I pick BMac as a specialist bat at 5 and I pick Smith as keeper
BMac
Oram
J Bracewell
Southee
Doull
Morrison

6-11 3rd XI
Ryder
Craig
Smith (Parore if Smith in 2nd xi)
Tuffey
O'Connor/O'Brien
Martin

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Just looking at who people have voted for, I don't agree with the combination of Shane Bond, Tim Southee and Trent Boult. They may be the best three bowlers but they are not the best combination. Bond is a real threat to break down in the middle of the match unless you have someone who can take on a few extra overs. Now ultimately this team will have 4 seamers anyway if you pick Cairns somewhere else, but the 3rd seamer really needs to get through some donkey work and neither Tim or Trent are cut from the right cloth to really just suck it up and bowl all day as a 3rd seamer.

Disagree with this. If four front line seamers (say Cairns, Bond, Boult and Southee) and Vettori, I see no reason at all why you would need a third seamer to plod along. KW and Crowe are also likely to be selected. It makes no sense.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

That's why I'd pick Nash as third seamer (not that he plodded along). Also much better at batting than O'Brien and Southee.

 

[Hurricane]

Disagree with this. If four front line seamers (say Cairns, Bond, Boult and Southee) and Vettori, I see no reason at all why you would need a third seamer to plod along. KW and Crowe are also likely to be selected. It makes no sense.

As wonderful human beings as they are, full of modesty and good nature, they are all spearheads. You need a role player in there and I don't even see Cairns taking that on even if you told him that's your job.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

That's why I'd pick Nash as third seamer (not that he plodded along). Also much better at batting than O'Brien and Southee.

Yeah - I've been thinking about Nash. In the end though, the three best seamers seems to be Bond, Cairns and Boult. o those three, supported by Jesse Ryder, and Vettori as the spinner, with Crowe and KW to bowl some overs gives NZ the long batting order that it needs to be ATG competitive.

But if you're going with Cairns to bat 6 instead of Ryder/Astle/McMillan then Nash certainly warrants a contest with Southee for team selection. Southee v Doull is also a close battle, but Nash has runs on his side to win the three way battle.

 

[Zinzan]

Went for the obvious 3 of Boult, Bond & Southee, but was a hairs whisker away from choosing Nash over Southee. Huge fan a Dion Nash..and he was 100 times more gutsy with the bat than Southee would be in his wildest dream.

 

[Hurricane]

No love for Danny Morrison?

He was a Quality Quality bowler. Don't really know why he didn't end up with more wickets. Great servant to his country.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

As wonderful human beings as they are, full of modesty and good nature, they are all spearheads. You need a role player in there and I don't even see Cairns taking that on even if you told him that's your job.

Four frontline seamers and Vettori means there is no need for this role player. That is more bowling overs than the 1980's Windies had. 4 spear heads and a front line spinner (and KW are Crowe) - thats plenty of bowling to get through 90 overs in a day.

 

[Zinzan]

No love for Danny Morrison?

He was a Quality Quality bowler. Don't really know why he didn't end up with more wickets. Great servant to his country.

He was a fine bowler, but unfortunately for him, Boult, Bond, Southee, Doull, Nash & Cairns were all marginally better imo.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

He was a fine bowler, but unfortunately for him, Boult, Bond, Southee, Doull, Nash & Cairns were all marginally better imo.

Zinzan, lines it up, smokes it, and sends it out of the park for half a dozen. Oh its gone to the moon.

 

[Zinzan]

Zinzan, lines it up, smokes it, and sends it out of the park for half a dozen. Oh its gone to the moon.

Is that Danny commentating on my assessment of him? Wait there was no "DFL maximum" mentioned.

 

[Zinzan]

Not sure why Cairns was included in this poll and not one of the all-rounders spot, unless you're doing both.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Is that Danny commentating on my assessment of him? Wait there was no "DFL maximum" mentioned.

Its not the IPL Zinzan.

Its the Danny Morrison Generic Super Smash.

 

[NZTailender]

It's a pitty Jimmehs legacy of his post-injury career means that he has been left out of this poll. At his peak he was marginally behind Bond and more threatening than his left arm contemporary Boult.

 

[Zinzan]

It's a pitty Jimmehs legacy of his post-injury career means that he has been left out of this poll. At his peak he was marginally behind Bond and more threatening than his left arm contemporary Boult.

Franklin more threatening than Boult? You avin' a laff?

It's true that he was quite a useful swing bowler in his early years (peaking around 2005), but never anywhere near Boult in terms of being a threat to the opposition.