***Official*** New Zealand in the West Indies 2014

[WindieWeathers]

This series is sorta weird. I want NZ to win, obviously, but I want us to be properly tested by Windies, unlike the home series. I want us to earn it.
But I also don't want for it to be a disastrous series for WI because they've made some positive changes.

And

I think you may be a little over confident. In these conditions the WI are at least as good as we are.

We definitely have some inform quality bats and a much better new ball attack, but considering that this series will likely be a mixture of total roads and incredibly spin friendly pitches, we really shouldn't be worried about how the WI will perform.

Reckon we're 10x more likely get whitewashed here than they are.

LOL i've seen a few comments here that have given me a laugh ..Fellas, what transpired in NZ six months ago will have no bearing in what happens in this series...i would have thought that was obvious. Conditions are key for a reason..We went to NZ with a side in chaos...no Gayle, no Roach, no Taylor, half the side had no warm up match, Brathwaite had visa problems, Shilly's action had to get tested in Australia, Samuels carrying an injury and Bravo was forced to miss the third test aswell etc...it was just a mess.

But you know what guys? despite all the troubles we still drew a test match and then drew the one day series..now if we go back to the last time NZ toured the Caribbean it was t20s clean sweep, one dayers we won 4-1 and tests clean sweep....

In all honest NZ actually done worse in our backyard then we did in yours...so you don't have to worry about WI Hendrix..i along with many other WI fans are confident our guys will not be the same side we saw in NZ...especially in the kind of conditions that NZ have only won one test match in the last four series .

 

[Hurricane]

WW is being a bit OTT. But they are indeed the favourites.

 

[Howsie]

AndLOL i've seen a few comments here that have given me a laugh ..Fellas, what transpired in NZ six months ago will have no bearing in what happens in this series...i would have thought that was obvious. Conditions are key for a reason..We went to NZ with a side in chaos...no Gayle, no Roach, no Taylor, half the side had no warm up match, Brathwaite had visa problems, Shilly's action had to get tested in Australia, Samuels carrying an injury and Bravo was forced to miss the third test aswell etc...it was just a mess.

Right, no Taylor, you haven't had him for five years ffs. I still have no idea why you keep talking him up either. He was an average to below average test bowler when he was fit, is he all of a sudden just going to be good? Highly doubt it.

I can already see how this series will go for you WW. The Windies will get their ass handed to them yet again and the excuses will come out. No Narine, Gayle had no match practice and was injured, Roach coming of an injury, Taylor coming of an injury etc. Always an excuse.

 

[hendrix]

The point is that a loss for either team would be seen as rather disastrous:

a) WI should expect to beat NZ (whatever the rankings) based on home conditions and the change in personnel.
b) NZ should expect to beat the 8th ranked team given how comprehensive the home series was

Basically you could make either case, so a loss is going to be particularly bitter for whomever has to swallow it.

Whereas when we've toured England, India and South Africa recently, we were expected to lose (as were WI). A loss is more tolerable on those types of tours. But here I think a loss would be rather upsetting to either team.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Right, no Taylor, you haven't had him for five years ffs. I still have no idea why you keep talking him up either. He was an average to below average test bowler when he was fit, is he all of a sudden just going to be good? Highly doubt it.

I can already see how this series will go for you WW. The Windies will get their ass handed to them yet again and the excuses will come out. No Narine, Gayle had no match practice and was injured, Roach coming of an injury, Taylor coming of an injury etc. Always an excuse.

I'm just stating the facts my friend. NZ couldn't win in Bangledash and now you've got people saying they hope WI "compete" with NZ in OUR conditions? come on man!!

NZ hadn't won a series in several years but win a few and suddenly we're facing Australia 2001

We'll see what transpires..lets just hope it's a good series.

 

[WindieWeathers]

The point is that a loss for either team would be seen as rather disastrous:

a) WI should expect to beat NZ (whatever the rankings) based on home conditions and the change in personnel.
b) NZ should expect to beat the 8th ranked team given how comprehensive the home series was

Basically you could make either case, so a loss is going to be particularly bitter for whomever has to swallow it.

Whereas when we've toured England, India and South Africa recently, we were expected to lose (as were WI). A loss is more tolerable on those types of tours. But here I think a loss would be rather upsetting to either team.

And India should have expected to beat NZ comfortably just like they did at home the last time the two sides met...but that didn't happen did it? i don't subscribe to this "cricket maths" stuff..imo NZ shouldn't be "expecting" anything seeing as they haven't won away in years...including the recent tour of Bangledash.

 

[marc71178]

I'm just stating the facts my friend. NZ couldn't win in Bangledash and now you've got people saying they hope WI "compete" with NZ in OUR conditions? come on man!!

NZ hadn't won a series in several years but win a few and suddenly we're facing Australia 2001

We'll see what transpires..lets just hope it's a good series.

I love how you belittle NZ's recent results when the fact is that in the last 10 years WI have won a total of 5 Tests out of the 81 they've played against meaningful opposition.

 

[WindieWeathers]

I love how you belittle NZ's recent results when the fact is that in the last 10 years WI have won a total of 5 Tests out of the 81 they've played against meaningful opposition.

I'm not "belittling" their results...it's just a little banter..but really i'm just saying two series wins at home doesn't mean you should be "expected" to go everywhere else and dominate. If the rules were such then India would be winning everywhere.

 

[Maximas]

And a poor touring record doesn't mean home results will always suffer - see India/Australia trading white-washes

 

[marc71178]

And a poor touring record doesn't mean home results will always suffer - see India/Australia trading white-washes

True, but the fact remains that WI have had a terrible record everywhere for 10 years now - it's not like we're talking about a mini slump here.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Jerome Taylor.

Career average - 35.6
Hasn't played a test match for 4 and a half years.

Can anyone explain to me why he's going to make such a difference?

 

[Maximas]

consider the pacers who were getting a game in the NZ tour

 

[ImpatientLime]

I highly highly doubt he is going to be an improvement on what they dished up. The man has barely played any cricket in two years, no test cricket for 4 and a half.

Its like England fans touting Flintoff for a comeback.

 

[Maximas]

He played 8 games of domestic cricket just this season, and did you watch what was 'dished up' in NZ? It literally couldn't get any worse

 

[Athlai]

Your right WW, despite no evidence, WI are clearly the better team.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I found this little beaut on YouTube the other day - a review of the 1996 nz tour of the wi. Narrated by the incomparable Tony Cozier (who probably edges Richie B as my all time fav commentator), it is a quite a nice little stroll down memory lane and the chance to watch such great NZ test match bowlers as Justin Vaughan, Gavin Larsen, Chris Harris and Robert Kennedy.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GMelhUOR1eY

 

[WindieWeathers]

True, but the fact remains that WI have had a terrible record everywhere for 10 years now - it's not like we're talking about a mini slump here.

"Terrible" is ott imo...we did beat England in the caribbean the last time they toured here, Pakistan still haven't won in the caribbean and neither have SL. Plus we haven't been done 5-0 for a long time in a test series unlike some other sides so there has been some flickers of light in the dark cloud above us.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Your right WW, despite no evidence, WI are clearly the better team.

I think the "evidence" is WI beating NZ 2-0 in the caribbean the last time they toured here and it was as comprehensive as anything NZ done six months ago imo.

And what makes things interesting is we'll actually be playing with four bowlers this time...and not three plus Sammy.

 

[WindieWeathers]

I highly highly doubt he is going to be an improvement on what they dished up. The man has barely played any cricket in two years, no test cricket for 4 and a half.

Its like England fans touting Flintoff for a comeback.

Taylor is only 29 years old...that's five years younger than the likes of Ryan Harris. Yes he's missed some cricket for about three years but he came back this year and has played in both the one day comp and four day season without any problems...

And if NZ fans think this new attack will be anything like the attack they saw in NZ then ok...lets wait and see .

 

[Maximas]

Samuels has commented that he thinks patience will be the key to this series, sounds like a decent argument for Wagner if the pitches do indeed end up playing pretty slow and flat