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

[Bahnz]

It does subtly imply that NZA were cheating by having 9 current and former internationals in the side.

 

[Flem274*]

Reasonable standard of cricketer in each team. Half the time these games can be a bit of a joke but these two sides are strong.

 

[Flem274*]

Also great to see Kuggs has improved every time I watch him bowl. When he first went down to Wellington he was a very messy cricketer and even last season with ND he wasn't bowling as well as he did the other day. Regardless of whether he makes international cricket, constant improvement from players is what we want to see.

English fans - how far away is Roland-Jones from your side and do you rate him? All I know about him is he has a nice career record and is h4x in ICC 2012.

 

[Immenso]

NZ A cricket teams are usually very weak. Glad too see they picked a strong squad for the format (even a 35 year old) and played proper hard cricket. Then lets assess the individual performances in a proper environment. Rather than the micky mouse approach of Bradburn's opener-less tour last year and Buchanan's strike-bowler less series the season before.

Who is the coach this tour?

Shame that the intensity now drops big time with a Scotland series, then some 3 day games. Such a shame there isn't a 'test'. Not much value in the remainder of the tour except some familiarity in UK conditions for those who may tour next May. Although August v county 2nd XIs not much like a test in May.

But, well done. Used to get humiliated in those quad series in QLD. So well done for winning a tournament.

 

[Flem274*]

i think bradburn is coach of this one too? explains the pets like devcich, but then if it's him he got the results so well done (you one eyed ****).

we don't have a 35 year old on tour? brownlie is 30.

edit: elliott. doh.

 

[Flem274*]

hope we go into the three dayers with a top 5 of latham, rudds, macewell, brownlie, mitchell. only one colin remains for those games so im guessing WPWB at 6 and CdG at 7.

three spinners on tour and i think we only have two three day games. could be seeing spin twins in both matches then.

 

[hendrix]

It does subtly imply that NZA were cheating by having 9 current and former internationals in the side.

It's an incorrect assessment though. Ravi Bopara, Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow are as well established as anyone in the NZA side, and guys like James Taylor and Toby Roland-Jones have been there or thereabouts for a wee while now. Particularly if we're talking ODIs, guys like Latham, Rutherford, Bracewell, Henry, Sodhi, Watling and even Munro have never been first choice.

 

[Flem274*]

Watling should be first choice.

Watling, Baz, Anderson for 5-7. I'll never drop this. Watling never deserved to be dropped in the first place after he was shunted up to open away from his successful middle order berth and failed.

 

[Bahnz]

It's an incorrect assessment though. Ravi Bopara, Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow are as well established as anyone in the NZA side, and guys like James Taylor and Toby Roland-Jones have been there or whereabouts for a wee while now. Particularly if we're talking ODIs, guys like Latham, Rutherford, Bracewell, Henry, Sodhi, Watling and even Munro have never been first choice.

Well Latham and Henry I would say are both very much on the cusp of grabbing a more permanent role in the LO side, and Watling will never be far away either.

But yeah, guys like Munro, de Grandhomme, Rutherford, Devcich and Sodhi were all really picked as band-aid options during injury crisis/low profile overseas tours, and none of them were ever likely to hold on to their places for more than a few games.

Elliot and Bracewell belong in a 3rd "Properly tried, tested and binned" category. Guys like them probably wouldn't play for a lot of other A-teams - though then again England did pick Bopara for this series.

 

[Howsie]

Elliot and Bracewell belong in a 3rd "Properly tried, tested and binned" category. Guys like them probably wouldn't play for a lot of other A-teams- though then again England did pick Bopara for this series.

 

[Prince EWS]

Elliot and Bracewell belong in a 3rd "Properly tried, tested and binned" category. Guys like them probably wouldn't play for a lot of other A-teams - though then again England did pick Bopara for this series.

Bopara is actually in their first choice ODI lineup. Giving him this series because he's not involved in the Test setup and it's better opposition than county cricket, I suppose.

 

[Bahnz]

You might be right on Bracewell, but given how completely underwhelming he's been in every format since the Hobart test, I could see him disappearing back into FC cricket without a trace if he played for Aus, SA, India, England etc.

 

[Howsie]

You might be right on Bracewell, but given how completely underwhelming he's been in every format since the Hobart test, I could see him disappearing back into FC cricket without a trace if he played for Aus, SA, India, England etc.

Perhaps, though in all probability he would never have been selected in the first place. As it is though he would definitely make that England Lions team. And seeing the teams both India A and Australia have put out over the past few weeks you'd struggle to covince me he couldn't make either of those teams. I haven't seen many of the South African pacers playing in that tournament so I wouldn't have a clue with them.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Prince EWS]

Was wondering if Cricket Scotland were going to set that up this time. Nice.

 

[Kippax]

Yeah you can rewind those streams to find the best action as well, can't you. Or watch the video well after the game's finished, if you want.

Scotland squad for opening match in Ayr on 15 August:
Matt Machan (capt), Hamish Gardiner, Craig Wallace, George Munsey, Richie Berrington, Josh Davey, Michael Leask, Majid Haq, David Murphy, Safyaan Sharif, Iain Wardlaw, Alasdair Evans.

Leask is back, for some more Colinising.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah you can rewind those streams to find the best action as well, can't you. Or watch the video well after the game's finished, if you want.

Yep. Or just start an hour late if you miss the start.

 

[Prince EWS]

Leask is back, for some more Colinising.

Will probably bat in the top six and only bowl a couple of overs if he plays tbf. Scotland view his talents a bit differently to Northants.

 

[Kippax]

You've made him sound like a Moneyball no-rounder to me. I expect him to completely flatten his trajectory under Bradburn and get a cheeky seven overs in.