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New Zealand 'A' Tour of U.K., 2014

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year
Sun 27 July NZ A arrive
Thu 31 July v Northamptonshire Northampton
Sat 2 Aug v Warwickshire Edgbaston

Tri Series
Tue 5 Aug NZ A v SL A Taunton
Wed 6 Aug Lions v SL A Taunton
Fri 8 Aug Lions v NZ A Bristol
Sat 9 Aug NZ A v SL A Bristol
Mon 11 Aug Lions v SL A Worcester
Tue 12 Aug Lions v NZ A Worcester

Fri 15 Aug v Scotland, Cambusdoon New Ground, Ayr
Sun 17 Aug v Scotland, Cambusdoon New Ground, Ayr
Thu 21 Aug v Scotland, Grange Cricket Club, Edinburgh

Mon 25-Wed 27 Aug 3-day v Kent Canterbury
Sun 31 Aug -Tue 2 Sep 3-day v Surrey Kia Oval
Wed 3 Sep NZ A depart

England Lions squad: James Taylor (Nottinghamshire, captain), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ravi Patel (Middlesex), Tom Smith (Lancashire), James Vince (Hampshire), David Willey (Northamptonshire)

Sri Lanka ‘A’: Ashan Priyanjan (Capt), Kusal Perera, Mahela Udawatte, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chathuranga de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Gamage, Danushka Gunathilaka, Ishan Jayaratne, Lahiru Jayaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Priyamal Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ramith Rambukwella, Vishwa Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera.

New Zealand 'A': BJ Watling (c), Hamish Bennett, Dean Brownlie, Colin de Grandhomme, Anton Devcich (returns after one-day matches), Grant Elliott, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham, Adam Milne Doug Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro (returns after one-day matches), Hamish Rutherford, Ish Sodhi (returns after one-day matches). Added to the squad for the two three-day matches: Todd Astle, Mark Craig, Michael Bracewell
 
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Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year


Cricket: Opening berth there for taking - Cricket - NZ Herald News

Michael Bracewell has an 'open' invitation to seize a test spot next month.

The New Zealand A team's tour of England begins this week with the Otago left-hander, along with test incumbents Tom Latham and Hamish Rutherford, in contention to open in two three-day matches against Kent and Surrey.

With New Zealand's middle order established, Dean Brownlie has also volunteered his services but remains a No5 or 6 option for now. Bracewell, who batted at No 3 for Otago last summer, is seen as a logical opening option, given Kane Williamson has a mortgage on first drop for the foreseeable future.

The tour starts with nine one-day matches to examine who might earn peripheral places in next year's World Cup squad. Bracewell joins the squad for the first-class itinerary later on.

In last season's Plunket Shield, the 23-year-old scored 845 runs at 52.81. His total of four centuries, at a conversion rate of 80 per cent once he reached 50, was matched only by Jesse Ryder and James Franklin.

Latham secured one opening spot on the West Indies tour with three 50s from six innings and an average of 48 but Rutherford is struggling for form.

Martin Guptill and Jeet Raval will come into consideration but Bracewell has first dibs.

Success should see him pencilled in for the three November tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. His stance and high backlift produce a strong driving game backed by solid defence and a sixth sense as to the location of his off stump.

"One good season doesn't make you a successful first-class cricketer," Bracewell says. " It'll be good to get further experience in English conditions having not played first-class cricket here."

This is where Bracewell's modesty needs a prod. He has played in England's second XI competition as part of the Marylebone Cricket Club's Young Cricketers after earning the right to be New Zealand's representative on the Lord's groundstaff in 2009, a prestigious role whose alumni include Martin Crowe and Ross Taylor.

"It helped me learn what it takes to become a professional,"he says. "I was there for the Ashes when 'Freddie' Flintoff took his only five-wicket bag in a Lord's test. It was amazing. We also helped out at practices. Seeing how players went about their prep was eye-opening.

"I was lucky enough to play two games on the main ground and the lunches were also something I'll never forget ... outstanding."

Bracewell, from a family renowned for their exceptional sporting accomplishments, is spending the English summer playing at the Downend club in Gloucestershire, the county coached by his uncle John Bracewell. Downend is a suburb of Bristol, and the 1848 birthplace of William Gilbert Grace. The club's home is called the WG Grace Memorial Ground.

"Apparently he lived across the road and played a couple of games there," Bracewell says of cricket's most famous bearded doctor. "The groundsman told me there's one particular area that dries quickest and that's where he used to train."

Grace is not the only former test cricketer Bracewell has come across this season. The Lashings celebrity invitation side played a fixture last month. They turned out an XI featuring former internationals Herschelle Gibbs, Saqlain Mushtaq and current England international Michael Carberry. Bracewell bowled Gibbs and made 52 off 25 balls before falling at long on as one of Saqlain's five victims.
 

Blocky

Banned
So Bracewell who bats #3 is seen as a logical opening option despite not playing any test cricket - but Kane, who bats #3 isn't seen as logical?

Logical isn't obviously something New Zealanders understand.
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Have never looked forward to an A tour as much as this one. If Henry, Bennett and Brownlie don't perform I'll be ****ing gutted.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
So Bracewell who bats #3 is seen as a logical opening option despite not playing any test cricket - but Kane, who bats #3 isn't seen as logical?

Logical isn't obviously something New Zealanders understand.
There's no opportunity cost to Brownlie opening because he's not in the side if he's not opening. If you move Kane then you weaken another position.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
So Bracewell who bats #3 is seen as a logical opening option despite not playing any test cricket - but Kane, who bats #3 isn't seen as logical?

Logical isn't obviously something New Zealanders understand.
Which clearly makes you a New Zealander.
 

Blocky

Banned
There's no opportunity cost to Brownlie opening because he's not in the side if he's not opening. If you move Kane then you weaken another position.
The opportunity cost is the fact that we sacrifice yet another young player to a position we can't get right and hope somehow they claw their way back - for every BJ Watling, we've seen a dozen Flynn's and Fulton's
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
The opportunity cost is the fact that we sacrifice yet another young player to a position we can't get right
No, that's what you'd be doing if you opened with Williamson.

Brownlie is 30 years old and increasingly unlikely to get another extended run in the middle order with the emergence of Anderson and Neesham; you don't really lose anything by encouraging him to open.
 

Blocky

Banned
No, that's what you'd be doing if you opened with Williamson.

Brownlie is 30 years old and increasingly unlikely to get another extended run in the middle order with the emergence of Anderson and Neesham; you don't really lose anything by encouraging him to open.
Sorry, we both misread each other - I was talking about Bracewell.

Brownlie, worth a shot at opening - sure. I'd be for that.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Sorry, we both misread each other - I was talking about Bracewell.

Brownlie, worth a shot at opening - sure. I'd be for that.
Yeah my fault; I misread your opening post. Opening with Bracewell definitely has its own faults, I agree.
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
I just don't buy the idea that Kane Williamson is the only talented young batsman in the country with the ability to succeed at the top of the order in the long term.
I said over a year ago that Latham was superbly talented and had the technique to play as a Test opener. I think that's likely to succeed.
I think other young batsmen with that type of talent should be encouraged by that example.

So while I do agree with Blocky that we need the best, most talented batsmen in our lineup no matter what, I'd look at it from the other way around. Get those young batsmen the opportunity to succeed at the top of the order. Rutherford failed yes, but that doesn't mean that others will.
 
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Blocky

Banned
Exposing Latham to any of the top three bowling attacks at the moment would probably result in a meager series, but that's OK - we can sustain a few series while he develops in that role, but it was pointed out above - there is a log jam in capable middle order talent in the country at the moment, therefore we need to try and play our top six batsmen (seven with BJ) capable of performing consistently at test, at the moment, in rank of order of the likelihood of them hitting 50 or more in an innings if we exclude Ryder.

Williamson
Taylor
Watling
Neesham
McCullum
Latham
Anderson

So if we take those seven and decide we need to play them, you either have McCullum as an opener, or Williamson as an opener, correct? Unless we don't pick Anderson/Neesham in the same side - but I think ultimately we'll see in the next two years both of them are batsmen who bowl, rather than all rounders.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
The opportunity cost is the fact that we sacrifice yet another young player to a position we can't get right and hope somehow they claw their way back - for every BJ Watling, we've seen a dozen Flynn's and Fulton's
Does that say more about us sacrificing them or the quality of the names you just mentioned?

And what's the opportunity cost of Bracewell opening? 20 avg opening v 30 in the middle order, if we're being realistic? I can think of half a dozen that are better prospects to bat 4 or 5, and we have a better 3 already. So really, is there any opportunity cost at all?
 

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year
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WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids have received a massive boost with Colin Munro given permission by New Zealand Cricket to play in Saturday’s NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final with Surrey Lions at the Kia Oval.

Munro was due to join up with New Zealand ‘A’ for their triangular series with England Lions and Sri Lanka ‘A’.

But the Rapids have been given the green light to play Munro against Surrey — subject to New Zealand not being struck by a series of injury setbacks.

Rapids director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “New Zealand Cricket understand our cause and they think it would be a good idea if Colin could play in the quarter-final for us.
The ECB has announced a revision to the tour itineraries for New Zealand ‘A’ and Sri Lanka ‘A’ ahead of their forthcoming triangular series with England Lions.

New Zealand ‘A’ and Sri Lanka ‘A’ will now meet in a 50-over tour match at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, August 2.

This fixture replaces previously scheduled 50-over matches between Warwickshire and New Zealand ‘A’ and Glamorgan and Sri Lanka ‘A’ which were due to take place this Saturday at Edgbaston and Cardiff respectively.

The change was agreed with New Zealand Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket after Glamorgan and Warwickshire qualified for the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals and it became clear that neither county would be able to field a full-strength side in their tour matches.
 

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year


NZL A 30/1 (5.4 ov, TWM Latham 0*, AP Devcich 13*, MA Chambers 0/15) | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

http://twitter.com/RonSwann76

An early wicket for Northants as Hamish Rutherford is lbw to Matt Spriegel for 9. 19-1 in the fifth over

Alec Swann @RonSwann76 · 37m
New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch looks good, the outfield rock hard and they're facing a weak attack. 300+

Alec Swann @RonSwann76 · 39m
NZ A - Latham, Devcich, Rutherford, Elliott, Munron, De Grandhomme, Watling, Bracewell, Sodhi, Henry, Bennett
Haha, "Munron".
 

Flem274*

123/5
That batting...

200 all out if they get Watling and the Colins' cheap imo. Latham the only trustworthy player in the top order and he's gone.
 

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