**Official** New Zealand in Australia Thread

[Loony BoB]

I also think Mark Richardson needs to be a bit more proactive with the bat and looking for more singles to keep the scoreboard ticking over and not build up pressure on himself and his team.

Something about Mark makes me think that pressure is something he rarely feels. If he does feel it, he does an incredible job of not doing something silly when it happens.

A year or so ago I would have said that this would be a damned tight competition, however now I'm not so sure. I think we are capable of winning, but I wouldn't be as confident about it as I was back then.

I never really could believe how long it took them to move who I believe is the best batsman in the NZ OD squad into the test side - Marshall. If you compare him with other OD batsman when they had played the same amount of games (using PWC rankings), he's right up there with the best of them - he compares well with Tendulkar, Ponting, Gilchrist, Graeme Smith, Kallis... not a bad group to be ranking with. I'd say Sehwag and Gayle, but looking at their rankings they had a slow start anyway. To keep him away from tests for quite some time... well, I'm not sure if it will pay off in some way that the coaches intended, but I hope it does. I personally felt that Marshall could have been extremely influential during the England tests. Ahhh well.

As for the orders shown by Craig, I'd go with the top one, but I personally feel McCullum should be above Oram for the lower one. McCullum is far more a batsman than Oram, who should concentrate on bowling as that's what he's there for (predominantly). I used to hate Butler, but I'd probably put him into the first test at the very least because I feel that if he fires, he'll fire well - a lot better than the likes of Mills or Martin. Another bonus for Butler over Mills is that Butler wasn't in the squad England played against. I wouldn't be surprised if the Aussies are taking most of their notes from the England team.

It should be interesting. I'm really glad they're showing the tests over here.

 

[anzac]

sorry I've posted my thoughts on the BAN thread prior to this opening.........

 

[anzac]

However..............

Craig - I'd prefer your 1st lineup but not with Sinclair to open - The Gabba has been the best pitch in AUS for the last several seasons for pace & bounce & Sinclair's weakness would come to the fore.........I also think the selectors will NOT deviate from their 5-5 ratio for such an important series so I'm expecting to see something like your 2nd selection.

Sinclair & Fleming are the only other squad members to have shown the application to occupy the crease and build big scores...........

Like TEC I'm also bemused by the selectors use of Sinclair, or lack thereof. While I understand the reasons for his being dropped, I fail to see the logic of his recall v RSA, followed by his call up into the ENG squad as a replacement & then not using him, particularly if they still had the same concerns. And I don't think the ENG pitches were the usual type of green swining seamers as expected............

As much as I'm a Marshall supporter & think he will do well in AUS conditions, I still have reservations in conditions where he has to make the pace & would have no hesitation in substituting him for a player with better suited credentials.........

I'm concerned Martin hasn't had much of a bowl since ENG & has not played in BAN as yet. This would suggest that Mills & Butler would be ahead of him in the selection race - final decision could come down to the weather - Mills will need conditions to suit swing (moreso than Franklin???), & if both are selected then my bet would be the intention would be to bowl 1st so as to have best conditions for the depleted attack.

Bottom line - I can't see NZL getting close without intervention from the weather. I don't agree with a 5 man batting lineup & we do not have a bowling attack to speak of - let alone a settled one. The closest we will come to these bowlers having played together as a unit previously would be the 3rd Test v ENG (Franklin, Oram, Martin, Vettori & Mills) & Mills only bowled 6 overs b4 injury.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I agree with NZ not having a bowling attack to speak of after watching most of the England v NZ series. NZ desperately need Vettori to bowl like he used to, slow and with flight, he was a much bigger threat against England on the occasions he did this (you can see the difference with Giles now he has started to give the ball air instead of his one-day mode flat stuff). With Vettori bowling well NZ have a chance, without the best they can hope for is a really bad 3-day game pitch to win on or a drawn game.

 

[anzac]

and when talking about getting spin bowlers to give it air & slow it down, the irony is pitches like today where the Faster & Flatter they fired it in the better the reward................

 

[Loony BoB]

I'd be surprised if we do as badly as we did in England, to be honest. I'm really hoping that was a one-off that had a lot more to do with the Duke ball... I really hope so, because if it wasn't the Duke ball then I can't understand why in the world Martin (amongst others) lost so much speed.

 

[anzac]

I agree re the Duke balls situation, but I'm equally concerned that 5 batsmen won't post a big enough total V AUS for these bowlers to work with, let alone the fact that the bowling attack was in better 'form' going into ENG than they are now..............Martin basically hasn't been seen & is supposedly our main 'strike' option along with Butler whom he replaced v RSA..............

 

[Loony BoB]

I personally would say that Franklin is currently our main strike option alongside Oram. For some reason Oram doesn't do as well in tests as he does in OD's, but he's still good overall. Martin had such a horrific time in England that I would put him below Mills. At least Mills had the excuse of only having six overs. Martin, though... I don't know. I never saw the amazing ability with him. I think anyone can have one series where everything goes well, but it only takes one series for another team to pick up on a bowler's weaknesses.

To be fair to Martin, though, every other bowler is in the same boat right now. Either average (if not below average) or has only had one good series recently. You could say we have nothing to lose in that area... and I think we'll end up like we always do - one bowler standing out and the rest all struggling. I think that if we win this, it will be more down to one bowler or else down to intelligent cricket. The batting lineup isn't fantastic, but at the same time it's not horrible either. We did have a spot of trouble in England but in England we were also on pitches that favour bowlers in some of the matches.

Man, it's pretty tough to call just where we are in the world right now. :S

 

[tooextracool]

Something about Mark makes me think that pressure is something he rarely feels. If he does feel it, he does an incredible job of not doing something silly when it happens.

i think the problem is that he puts pressure on all the other batsman batting with him. it also restricts the other opener to being at least a semi defensive one who doesnt need get bogged down when the runs arent coming so quickly.
as far as NZ's chances this series are concerned, unless vettori happens to have got back to his best, i think the bowling is just not good enough for them to even come close to competing.

 

[Arjun]

Why open with Sinclair? Fleming had a better time opening, he opens in ODI's and he's a more reliable player than that one-innings wonder.

 

[Mister Wright]

IMO, bowlers like Martin and Tuffey will prove cannon fodder against the Australians.

I think Tuffey will surprise a few people.

 

[age_master]

he could do well, but i rakon he will have to get wickets early otherwise he will get hammered the whole series

 

[age_master]

im gonna tip one more thing, shane warne will score a century in the series

martyn looks hard to beat for the most runs, as for most wickets, could be anyone, probably Gillespie though.

 

[Craig]

im gonna tip one more thing, shane warne will score a century in the series

Providing he is fit, and that appears to be no certainty for the Adelaide Test.

 

[Craig]

just wondering, why was sinclair dropped in the first place?

Because of the brilliant decision to go on a tour llike England with only 14 players. Needless to say, the players went down injuried all the time.

Brilliant thinking Bracewell

 

[Craig]

I think Tuffey will surprise a few people.

I don't think Tuffey was picked IIIRC?

 

[Craig]

What about the chances of playing two spinners at Adelaide?

If that was to happen, then a five man bowling attack is important IMO.

 

[Macka]

Tuffey isn't in the squad, however there is talk he could be fit for the 2nd test. Wiseman shouldn't play against Australia - he will be smashed everywhere. Martin should start over Mills and Butler. Butler isn't all that quick (actually Martin was just as fast against SA), and Mills isn't up to it.

Sinclair opening is a huge joke. Fleming should of taken responsibility and opened like he did in England.

'Sinclair doesn't move his feet, where should we bat him?'
'Oh we should open with him them.'
'Has he done it before?'
'Well, no but what the heck it's only Australia. We'll probably just drop him afterwards again anyway'

Brilliant. Great work.

 

[anzac]

i think the problem is that he puts pressure on all the other batsman batting with him. it also restricts the other opener to being at least a semi defensive one who doesnt need get bogged down when the runs arent coming so quickly.

I seem to recall saying something similar on another thread earlier in the season - about Rigger being difficult to bat with as a partner because he is so defensive & holds the strike for so long..............

in some ways he reminds me a bit of Boycott - great opener & record, but not always good for the team (not suggesting that Rigger bats for Rigger as Boycott had been known to do)................

seems a bit stiff to be saying that about our most consistant Test batsman................

 

[anzac]

I personally would say that Franklin is currently our main strike option alongside Oram. For some reason Oram doesn't do as well in tests as he does in OD's, but he's still good overall. Martin had such a horrific time in England that I would put him below Mills. At least Mills had the excuse of only having six overs. Martin, though... I don't know. I never saw the amazing ability with him. I think anyone can have one series where everything goes well, but it only takes one series for another team to pick up on a bowler's weaknesses.
Man, it's pretty tough to call just where we are in the world right now. :S

IMO Franklin isn't a genuine 'strike' bowler - I'd put him more in the same category as Oram. Someone went so far as to detail him as only being good with the new ball - which fits with some of his performances............but at least he offers some variety from RMF.........

IMO the only 'strike' seamers in the squad are the likes of Martin & Butler, with a question mark next to Mills for when conditions suit...........