***Official*** New Zealand in South Africa

[Ming]

Concur, Martin seemed to bowl the way I imagined he would coming into the test match, serving up tasty half volley's and bowling all over the place but Franklin's demise was rather more interesting, the guy seems to always go to pot after bowling a bad ball.

I disagree.

Certainly Martin wasn't as good as he was in his last spell, but he was still threatening at times. In the morning and lunch sessions, he was very impressive getting the move to jag around and causing all sorts of trouble for the batsman. He was our genuine strike bowler at that time.

 

[Dick Rockett]

As Matt (Blaze) said, try and keep this on topic guys.

If we manage to win this Test, it would have to go down as one of our best ever Test wins outside of New Zealand.

A South African commentator last night suggested we reverse our batting order, gave the example of when Australia did it in England when uncovered pitches were used and Don Bradman made 254* batting at No 7. Wouldn't that be amazing, Martin and Mills opening the batting

Why not? Danny Morrison and Martin Snedden opened for us against India many many years ago. Led us to a 10 wicket victory too

I'd have to say that the last test we won in SA (1995) was one of our best away wins. That was a very weak kiwi team, playing a very strong South African one.

 

[Blakey]

I'm all for giving our best batsmen as much chance to survive the new ball and crap pitch as much as possible but seriously with if they can only survive for x amount of balls i.e. 30-50 balls how on earth can the likes of Mills and Franklin?

What I'm saying is, how can they survive long enough to nullify the effect of new ball and the pitch? Mills and Franklin both got out late in our innings against an old ball (correct me if it was new as I'm not quite sure). Braces seems loath to change things when they are working vs rectifying things when they are not. I.e. was not keen on moving Brendon up the order when he was killing them simply because he felt he was performing his role perfectly. The reason people go on about how deep we bat and how the tails performs so well is because out top order craps out too often. Let the top order try and do their job, because as we know the lower order is more than capable of doing theirs.

 

[Sportsgirl]

I was just looking at the player rankings and Shane Bond is only 6 points behind Glenn McGrath who is at No.2 on the ODI bowler rankings. Dan Vettori is at No.5 on the list with 750 points ahead of Brett Lee who is on 729 which surprised me.

 

[Kippax]

Certainly Martin wasn't as good as he was in his last spell, but he was still threatening at times. In the morning and lunch sessions, he was very impressive getting the move to jag around and causing all sorts of trouble for the batsman. He was our genuine strike bowler at that time.

Would you spare Martin the axe if Bond's fit for the 2nd test?

I was wondering last night how many people think Mills has now bowled his way into a full-strength XI. Obviously Bond swinging it L-to-R means Mills would retain his position as the only one offering consistent R-to-L shape.

 

[Sportsgirl]

Would you spare Martin the axe if Bond's fit for the 2nd test?

I was wondering last night how many people think Mills has now bowled his way into a full-strength XI. Obviously Bond swinging it L-to-R means Mills would retain his position as the only one offering consistent R-to-L shape.

Could also depend on what the pitch is like, it could suit spin in which Jeetan Patel could come in instead of Martin. Patel would be better with the bat also.

 

[Kippax]

I'm all for giving our best batsmen as much chance to survive the new ball and crap pitch as much as possible but seriously with if they can only survive for x amount of balls i.e. 30-50 balls how on earth can the likes of Mills and Franklin?

It depends whether you think Fulton and Fleming can do more than our lower-order on a better-behaving surface. Their scores in the warmup game (and Marshall's whole career on misbehaving tracks) suggest to me it's a possibility.

I heard Vettori say he was disappointed by how recklessly our last 3 wickets fell in the 1st innings, but I think that was more a case of them trying to ride the wave before the second new ball than anything technical, like a boxer trying to add a flurry of blows before the bell ended the round.

As crazy as it looks, I'm struggling to say I'd bet money on this XI consistently putting less runs on the board than the current line-up on any surface.

Franklin
Mills
Fulton
Fleming
Styris
Oram
Astle
Vincent/Taylor
McCullum
Vettori
Bond

The mental toll it took on Franklin and Mills could lead to a dip in their bowling performance I guess. This is NZ cricket though, not unlike one of those remote islands where the paperboy doubles as the dentist.

The planning for new openers has been haphazard at best (Fleming getting cold feet literally, Fulton not opening for Cant or NZA, Marshall not opening for ND, Papps being forced into a technical change, etc.), we're going to be 40/3 more often than we'd like because that's what the planning deserves, so perhaps it's time to just find a way to run with it.

 

[Blaze]

Why not? Let's be inivative and try it I say...

 

[Macka]

Why not? Let's be inivative and try it I say...

Couldn't get much worse as it is.

 

[marc71178]

Wait...is this the Bangladesh country that nearly beat Australia? Surely not eh Marc...

No, it wasn't - it was a side from about 18 months or so ago.

 

[marc71178]

Mills is a better option than Marshall to open the batting atm IMO.

So who will replace him in the side or does he possess some incriminating photos of the coach and is thus undroppable?

 

[thedarkmullet]

I think that the problem with putting Franklin and Mills up first is the nullification of the true lower order batsman. The likes of McCullum and Vettori can't effectively score runs if they run out of partners at the other end.
Franklin and Mills may have talent but its still probably better placed down the order as they are now.

 

[Macka]

Daniel 'one wicket taking delivery' Vettori takes the last wicket. Unsurprisingly, an LBW...

 

[_Ed_]

Commentator "Marshall lucky to get away with that"...why? Missed the bat by a long way. Which in itself is worrying...

 

[_Ed_]

Great ball Ntini, and Fulton, the batsman "with the tools to open", is gone.

 

[Macka]

Mills in at 3! Ha! Bracewell has lost it now. Gone first ball. Pathetic. Really pathetic.

Fleming yet again showing his true colours, which would have him playing in an Aussie ODI shirt.

 

[_Ed_]

I quite liked the idea...but it didn't work.

 

[oz_fan]

Mills out. Ntini again.

 

[Blaze]

It was worth a shot IMO... I am not actually upset that we are 9-2... it is expected.

 

[Blaze]

I think our only chance is if Ntini breaks down.