Watching Vincent swing wildly and subsequently getting caught behind after we lost Astle early in the previous match simply angers me.
Part of the top order problems is that numbers 3, 4 and 5 have been far from settled. I have no idea why they are persisting with Vincent so high, he is a 5 or 6. And also his role in the team once again has me scratching my head. If he is being used as a pinch hitter, why not put Andre Adams up there? He was tried there in the VB Series of 2001/2, and has shown his talent to hit consistently well.
Sacrificing a top order batsman is beyond me.
If NZ have serious aspirations for the World Cup, which is sneaking up quite quickly, the top order is surely our number one area to sort out. Astle and Fleming are both proven performers, but i can count only a handful of times they have put on a 50+ opening stand.
The other thought is to try McCullum up there, and shift Astle or Fleming down one.
I can't help wondering what difference Chris Cairns would have made. Although out of form, admitted by himself, his sheer influence would surely have tipped the scales in our favour with those run chases. He may not have scored runs, and it is debatable, however his calmness under pressure is something we have lacked. Bowling at the death our other Archilles heel - Cairns is our most experienced and successful current bowler, and you can't help thinking what his mixture of slower balls and guile might have achieved.
If Bracewell is talking about 'building for the World Cup', then what is happening with Jeetan Patel? To me he is nowhere near the standard required. He has played one game and was dropped for the rest of the matches. If Cairns is in his WC plans, then surely the more match time he has the better?
In fact, Bracewell justified Cairns' sacking with the selection of James Franklin, suggesting that his swing bowling would be more of an asset than the aging allrounder. Franklin has since appeared in one match, which was rained out. If you are selecting your best players, then why has Franklin not been used more often?
Cairns is at home, played club cricket and training in nets.
Ample preparation for the Australians eh?
Jacob Oram hardly shone in Zimbabwe either. The fact that the plane journey caused his back stiffness suggests that he wasn't fully fit to start with. With Styris suffering niggling injuries, our lack of allrounder depth has been brutally exposed.
This tour has thrown up more confusion for me than anything else.
