***Official*** Bangladesh in NZ 2021-22

[The Sean]

Really pleased for Trent Boult - my soft spot for left arm quicks is well documented, and he has always seemed a good bloke.

There's a nice symmetry now to the 300 wicket club by country:

- Six each for Australia and India
- Five each for England and South Africa
- Four each for West Indies and New Zealand
- Three each for Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Starc will ruin all that shortly you'd think, but it looks nice and neat for now.

 

[Days of Grace]

Can Wagner get to 300? It would be something to have three bowlers with 300 career wickets in the same team. I can’t think of many teams in the history of test cricket that have managed it.

 

[The Sean]

Can Wagner get to 300? It would be something to have three bowlers with 300 career wickets in the same team. I can’t think of many teams in the history of test cricket that have managed it.

I'd love him to, but as it stands it looks unlikely - he's on 232 now and is nearly 36. You'd assume the remaining 68 wickets would take at least another 15 Tests, and probably closer to 20 given his age and competition for wickets in this New Zealand side now. New Zealand are only scheduled to play another 10 Tests - including this current one - as part of the current WTC cycle (plus one more if they make the final), after which it will be mid 2023 and he'll be well into his 38th year.

That being said, I hope I'm wrong and he either lights up over the next twelve months to race to the mark or plays on like Jimmy until he's 52.

 

[The Sean]

As for three blokes on the same team with 300-plus wickets at the same time, I can't see that it would ever have been done before. I reckon the closest might have been Warne/McGrath/Lee but Lee didn't get to 300 until the year after McWarne retired.

There is a chance for Ashwin, Jadeja and Sharma to do it, depending on how much longer Sharma plays for and whether or not those three bowlers will ever again be selected in the same team.

 

[Days of Grace]

What was the highest aggregate of career wickets for any 4-member bowling attack in a test match? It was probably Australia in the 2005 Ashes with an attack of McGrath, Warne, Gillespie, and Lee.

At the conclusion of the 3rd test in Manchester:
Warne 603
McGrath 513
Gillespie 251
Lee 154

TOTAL: 1521

 

[The Sean]

You can just edge that out at the end of McWarne's final Test:

Warne 708
McGrath 563
Lee 231
Clark 47

TOTAL: 1549

 

[The Sean]

I can't imagine there's ever been any higher than that.

The current England side can get to 1,410 at the conclusion of the Sydney Test with Anderson, Broad, Stokes, Wood. Recall Moeen Ali to replace Wood and they run that Aussie side close, with 1,533!

 

[Daemon]

Anderson
Broad
Stokes
Woakes
Ali

could beat that I think

 

[The Sean]

Anderson
Broad
Stokes
Woakes
Ali

could beat that I think

Ah, but that's five bowlers.

And even at the end of the last Test they all played together - in August 2019 - they're still 130 wickets short.

 

[Moss]

Sure hope NZ get at least 1 more year out of Wagner. The India series, Boult's (relative) decline in 2020/21 and the fact that Jamieson is not the absolute finished article just yet have all shown that he's pretty much indispensable.

 

[nzfan]

Looks like NZ well and truly switched on today though the batting probably wasn’t as ruthless as it could have been. Feel for BD missing so many first choice players.

How was Blundell’s innings? Did it look like he’s recovered a bit of form/ confidence now or was it a case of BD simply bowling to his strengths?

Blundell finally looked his own self. He had to play his shots given the situation of the game and that got him going. Played some real good pulls and cuts. Strong back foot play mixed with rotating the strike. After a long time got to see him go about his business.

 

[nzfan]

Strangely though I'm switched off from this game. I missed the last test match but I guess would have been keen to watch a game that goes to the 5th day with all possible results. As much as the last test result hurt I guess it makes for an interesting view if both teams are competing equally. You'd want a hard fought game and your team to come out on top. That's the best result. If a test result is like already written by the 2nd day it doesn't make for a a good viewing.

 

[Skyliner]

It's a worry that NZ were not prepared to really grind for runs at the Mount, but are looking like a million dollars in all facets at Hagley.

The Hagley wicket has absolutely nothing in it for spinners, but apparently is a fantastic wicket. Maybe we need wickets with something for the spinners - even if only on the 4th and 5th days - so that we can progress Ajaz and build a team that can win in all conditions. Something is wrong when Ajaz is taking bags overseas but has zero wickets in tests at home.

A wicket like this ultimately just gives us a false sense of security about where the team is at. It says that if you have an attack made up of some medium pace swing & seam bowlers then that is enough: you can win handsomely with those and there is no need to have true variety in your attack.

It's a Phyrric victory here at Hagley in many ways; we get to beat the cr*p out of Bangladesh and celebrate the individual milestones on the NZ players, yet the disappointing and revelatory nature of the Mt Maunganui loss cannot be dispelled.

 

[Athlai]

It's a worry that NZ were not prepared to really grind for runs at the Mount, but are looking like a million dollars in all facets at Hagley.

The Hagley wicket has absolutely nothing in it for spinners, but apparently is a fantastic wicket. Maybe we need wickets with something for the spinners - even if only on the 4th and 5th days - so that we can progress Ajaz and build a team that can win in all conditions. Something is wrong when Ajaz is taking bags overseas but has zero wickets in tests at home.

A wicket like this ultimately just gives us a false sense of security about where the team is at. It says that if you have an attack made up of some medium pace swing & seam bowlers then that is enough: you can win handsomely with those and there is no need to have true variety in your attack.

It's a Phyrric victory here at Hagley in many ways; we get to beat the cr*p out of Bangladesh and celebrate the individual milestones on the NZ players, yet the disappointing and revelatory nature of the Mt Maunganui loss cannot be dispelled.

You're right. We should ban the Mount from hosting Tests

 

[nzfan]

It's a worry that NZ were not prepared to really grind for runs at the Mount, but are looking like a million dollars in all facets at Hagley.

The Hagley wicket has absolutely nothing in it for spinners, but apparently is a fantastic wicket. Maybe we need wickets with something for the spinners - even if only on the 4th and 5th days - so that we can progress Ajaz and build a team that can win in all conditions. Something is wrong when Ajaz is taking bags overseas but has zero wickets in tests at home.

A wicket like this ultimately just gives us a false sense of security about where the team is at. It says that if you have an attack made up of some medium pace swing & seam bowlers then that is enough: you can win handsomely with those and there is no need to have true variety in your attack.

It's a Phyrric victory here at Hagley in many ways; we get to beat the cr*p out of Bangladesh and celebrate the individual milestones on the NZ players, yet the disappointing and revelatory nature of the Mt Maunganui loss cannot be dispelled.

There's no easy fix unfortunately. Unless we are daring enough to drop few games at home but with the WTC I don't think any country will be willing to. Have had a look at Ravindra's bowling as well. That is more than serviceable overseas. With Ajaz as our main spinner and if we can have another spinner that can bat that'll be a reasonable recipe for success overseas. We don't need 3 spinners overseas. Just two, with one good and one reasonable will do for us. 3 pace bowlers overseas + 1 spinner + 1 medium pace all rounder + 1 spin bowling all rounder would be an awesome mix. That said when we say all rounders they need to be good at both facets not just one. That is quite hard to find. Darryl Mitchell is a good bat no doubt but can he bowl and take poles in those conditions? I think someone like Jimmy Neesham would be quite handy but for some reason NZC isn't too keen on him. He has test hundreds and has ability to take poles. Can comfortably bat at no.7 and provide some quick runs.

For the lot that wanted Ajaz he played in NZ last time around after he had a great time overseas but then returned no wickets and from memory did go for some runs too.... I guess Santner will be going told you so.

Batting is in good hands for few more years, bowling combination that can perform in all conditions is what we need. Having high hopes of Ben Sears to provide that little bit of extra pace and bounce on placid wickets. The kid was getting the ball to carry to Latham on Bangladesh decks and more than capable of bowling in long format. As much as I like Wagner, he will be the first of the quartet to move on.

 

[Flem274*]

Stop replying to cryliner

 

[kaetor]

It isn't even really about spin, the pitch at the Mount didn't suit our "slightly back of a length and nick them off strategy" and we looked unable to cope with the change.

I am unsure really what we should do. It's nice being dominant at home in a way, though the generally homogenous conditions does lead to a poor away record and blips when you get a pitch like the one in the first test.

Is it better to be a jack of all trades? Or a master of one?

 

[Flem274*]

NZ have a 2 from 3 record at the Mount, and with respect to the Bangbros, England and Pakistan were expected to be far more dangerous.

I don't think it's secretly some kryptonite home pitch that proves NZ have been pulling the wool over our eyes, especially since it's still a quicker deck than some of the UAE and SL pitches they've won on.

Bangladesh are allowed to play well.

 

[Skyliner]

Cam H on Cricinfo, stop copying my stuff:

Cam H: "It's hard to knock the bowling while it's successful, but..the lack of pace from the Kiwi bowling attack is a concern going forward. They're struggling to break 130km/h - and Jamieson and Wagner aren't too different. Having a four pronged attack of guys at the same mediocre pace could suggest a few struggles against better teams, in conditions that don't seam and swing around a bunch"

 

[Athlai]

Ferguson and Sears probably come in for Wags so it's not really a concern