*Official* 2022 New Zealand Tour of England, Ireland, Scotland & Netherlands

[Fuller Pilch]

The clique of about 4 guys on here who have been posting every hour for the last decade have seriously lost perspective on the NZ cricket team, and probably it's from going over the same stuff with a fine tooth comb day in and day out for year after year. That would undoubtedly have a debilatating effect on critical thinking and deductive reasoning. Out in the real world, the perception is now that the team are more concerned with IPL contracts and worrying about the pitch than about actually knuckling down and playing good, hard cricket. And who is to say that the knowledgable NZ cricketing public is wrong?

It is now apparent that the increasingly soft head coach and selection group are behaving like headless chooks. Their bizarre treatment of people like Ajaz Patel and Matt Henry is now totally unfathomable. They profess to take a 'horses for courses' approach, but when the course suits the horse we find that the horse has been scratched from the race. The abiding sense is that we are back with a group that suffers from muddled thinking and are overly influenced by a clique of older players that are once again having an inordinate influence that goes well beyond what it should.

The disgusting loss to Bangladesh at home and consequent pathetic excuse making and whingeing about the pitch was really sickening to see. Devon Conway is now even starting to let his standards slip in this light-weight environment. It was notable he didn't push on some ocassions in the home summer, when he had the opportunity to nail really big scores. He is starting to get out in lazy ways, and you start to wonder if the lackadaisical and mentally soft habits of some of the other players are starting to infect his game as well.

The team desperately needs to find some new leaders, and get away from the soft spoken and mild mannered approach which sounds like it doesn't give a fig about losing. One bloke who is in the current leadership mix sounds like he has had a tracheotomy as he grunts out every strained word through gritted teeth. Lets find inspiring and articulate leaders who look like they give a damn about on-field results.

Could just be that injuries, bad form, and perhaps reduced motivation/hunger(finally won a world title) all came at a bad time along with superb performances by the opposition (Bangla batting and Ebadot's bowling, Erwee, Verryenne & Rabada, and now English bowling and Root) and we couldn't respond.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Really should have had a NZ A side touring England at the same time to give us selection options in case of injuries and poor form.

 

[Moss]

Yeah, this makes a pretty emphatic argument for Crowe being the superior player imo.

Having said that, trundler's grumbling about the 2018 series is absurd. That series was relatively low scoring, particularly the matches played at Abu Dhabi, and Kane's batting there was superb. Looked leagues above any other batsman on either side.

Think Trundler refuses to believe (concede?) that series actually happened. A lot of Indian followers generally overlook it too as NZ being only one of two teams to win in the UAE is a bit of a dent in the narrative that they’ve been poor travellers for the longest time.

Williamson was quite something in that 3rd test, but has just seemed sapped when on the road after the 2019 WC. Away records aside, hope he’s back to his best soon simply because he’s a joy to watch when on song.

 

[jcas0167]

****ed knees bring Crowe's final numbers down, no? KW is supposed to be in his prime. Besides, Crowe tamed the 2 Ws's reverse back when no one had a clue. Crowe still better IMO.

I don't really have a firm view on who was better, in part because as they are slightly different players. Crowe a number 4 and Williamson a number 3. Crowe would be my preferred player to watch just in terms of having such an elegant batting style. You are right about the reverse swing with Wasim and Waqar. Akram said Crowe was the best player of reverse swing they came across.

 

[SteveNZ]

Can we stop replying to Skyliner please.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

For @SteveNZ

Brush with Skyliner
(shamelessly adapted from REM)

I know you
I know you've seen him
He's a sad tomato
He's three awful overs
Critique all the bowlers
Hope I never meet him

He's a real man-child
Thinks they're all so lazy
I'd forgotten
He'd gone missing (He'd gone missing)
But he's soon back around
Another brush with skyliner

Batsman's in.
But he's over-rated
It's all too much pressure
More than I can take
What position should he bat?
What an attitude?
How can I convince him?
That we're still good too, yeah

I'd forgotten
He'd gone missing (He'd gone missing)
We all kidded ourselves
And, uh, never wished to see
Another brush with skyliner

He's a sad tomato
He's three awful overs
He's his own invention (he's his own invention)
A hard punch in the throat
Where can I make myself be?
Life is strange, yeah (life is strange)
Where can I make myself be?
To avoid his posts?
Make them be re-written
I'll do anything (I'll do anything)

I wish I'd decline
My brush with skyliner

 

[MW1304]

Not sure if it's been commented on already, but why has the insufferable racist **** been allowed to waltz back into the BBC team like nothing ever happened?

 

[MW1304]

Sorry for detracting from the absurdly good post above btw.

 

[SteveNZ]

He's three awful overs

So bloody good.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Not sure if it's been commented on already, but why has the insufferable racist **** been allowed to waltz back into the BBC team like nothing ever happened?

they didn't have an issue hiring a wife beater so why would they have an issue hiring a racist?

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Not sure if it's been commented on already, but why has the insufferable racist **** been allowed to waltz back into the BBC team like nothing ever happened?

Which one?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

The disgusting loss to Bangladesh at home and consequent pathetic excuse making and whingeing about the pitch was really sickening to see.

Nothing disgusting about this; Ebadot happened.

 

[kevinw]

Which one?

Michael Vaughan, I'm guessing? Wasn't he on AUS television after the Azeem Rafiq scandal broke anyway? The guy's a useless pundit. He wouldn't have been any loss. I've never understood why the TMS crew are so well-regarded in comparison with Sky (notwithstanding who they've lost recently).

 

[Neil Young]

Michael Vaughan, I'm guessing? Wasn't he on AUS television after the Azeem Rafiq scandal broke anyway? The guy's a useless pundit. He wouldn't have been any loss. I've never understood why the TMS crew are so well-regarded in comparison with Sky (notwithstanding who they've lost recently).

So well regarded by who? Coverage of both programs seems to be about equal. I enjoy both TMS and Sky, really. They both have their pros and cons. Tuffers' persona gets on my nerves a bit, but in general I am a huge fan of listening to cricket on the radio. CMJ more recently and Dennis Cometti from yesteryear are two of my all time favourites.

Heading to Trent Bridge this weekend. Looking forward to that.

 

[SteveNZ]

Michael Vaughan, I'm guessing? Wasn't he on AUS television after the Azeem Rafiq scandal broke anyway? The guy's a useless pundit. He wouldn't have been any loss. I've never understood why the TMS crew are so well-regarded in comparison with Sky (notwithstanding who they've lost recently).

His reaction to Bairstow's dismissal in the second innings was hilarious. Outrageously over the top nonsense. Vaughan is a modern day broadcaster - ideal for social media reaction. He says a lot of overblown, contrary, highly reactive garbage that gets people's ires up and implores them to respond in comments, in social posts etc. Perfect for the 'visibility' and 'engagement' of whoever he works for. Makes him look like a ****, and does nothing for his credibility, but his employers love it.

 

[ataraxia]

Jacob Duffy signs short-term Kent contract to ease club's injury crisis

New Zealander will play two Championship games with three frontline seamers sidelined

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Jacob Duffy signs short-term Kent contract to ease club's injury crisis

New Zealander will play two Championship games with three frontline seamers sidelined

www.espncricinfo.com

surprised he didn't go to Warwickshire

 

[jcas0167]

His reaction to Bairstow's dismissal in the second innings was hilarious. Outrageously over the top nonsense. Vaughan is a modern day broadcaster - ideal for social media reaction. He says a lot of overblown, contrary, highly reactive garbage that gets people's ires up and implores them to respond in comments, in social posts etc. Perfect for the 'visibility' and 'engagement' of whoever he works for. Makes him look like a ****, and does nothing for his credibility, but his employers love it.

I guess he may have also seen it as evidence to support his skepticism about McCullum's appointment and the approach he might be encouraging. He was making the point again in the TMS podcast after the match (I just discovered this is available on Spotify and Coney is on it) that you can be attacking but have to be smart about it.

That is great news for Duffy, he could benefit from a county stint.

 

[SteveNZ]

I guess he may have also seen it as evidence to support his skepticism about McCullum's appointment and the approach he might be encouraging. He was making the point again in the TMS podcast after the match (I just discovered this is available on Spotify and Coney is on it) that you can be attacking but have to be smart about it.

That is great news for Duffy, he could benefit from a county stint.

Oh no, I agree. It was just the way he worded it - 'pathetic' was such a laughable, tabloid way to label a shot. It was possibly ill-judged, but it was a decent nut and it's not like he lifted his head and swung for cow corner.

 

[Skyliner]

Comments from Stead white-washing poor performance, just what you’d expect from the bloke:

“Fifty runs off eight innings from them is not ideal….We just got caught on a pitch that was doing a lot more with the new ball than what we anticipated”.

Translation: Tom and the boys really wish they were back at Hagley.

Why on earth would anyone expect a Dukes ball to do a bit on the first morning of a test in England? The top order must have been shell shocked to find the ball was ‘doing a bit’.

Now he just needs to explain the poor shot selection & the second innings carbon copy failures.

‘Stead has ruled out Will Young switching to No 4 and Devon Conway moving up to open as a possible tweak’.

Yes, just bury your head in the sand Gary. Pig headedness is your solution, yet again.