***Official*** New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa 2016

[Flem274*]

Anderson has an NZ A ton ftr, same game in India that Devcich trolled his way to a maiden FC ton when NZ A were in strife.

Santa has to tour India, if nothing more than as a deterrent against the sorts of decks India have been using of late. Santner bowling dead straight will take advantage of those conditions in a way Sodhi, Craig etc won't. I'd also be happy with just he and Kane as the spinners. If it turns he'll be fine/NZs best chance since he's reasonably accurate.

I was a Nicholls doubter behind my sort of support for him (can't help but like an unfashionable cricketer no one else rates) but really, we all have to change our tunes now. It will be a very long time before he's greeted by that mixture of perfect bowling and bowling conditions again, and he was superb. Would have scored 275 at Napier.

I am not giving out kudos to Nicholls despite saving our bacon.

You're an idiot.

 

[Flem274*]

From a South African point of view, I guess you'd be pretty stoked. Steyn and Philander were perfect, Rabada, Quinto and Bavuma are the three juniors and were fantastic, Even Duminy showed some bottle.

I guess van Zyl was a bit dire but he can get bundled off to domestix when AB returns.

 

[StephenZA]

I am interested to see what NZ are going to do about Guptill for Indian tour? Do you guys think he is going to keep his place or will they try somebody new? Because that would be a hectic baptism of fire? What about moving KW to open against the probable spin of Ashwin?

 

[Kippax]

You forgot Jacob Duffy

Yeah "forget Jacob Duffy". That's what the most recent half dozen Otago coaches are putting out there as the good oil. Sorry Hendo.

Next instalment from small town Otago's production line? "Forget Nathan Smith". Turning down Wellington & Kippax will prove the start of the rot with that one.

 

[StephenZA]

From a South African point of view, I guess you'd be pretty stoked. Steyn and Philander were perfect, Rabada, Quinto and Bavuma are the three juniors and were fantastic, Even Duminy showed some bottle.

I guess van Zyl was a bit dire but he can get bundled off to domestix when AB returns.

Great to have Steyn and Philander back... the naysayer saying SA cricket is going to perish never seem to realize that we always seem to bring out young talent, with QDK, Rabada and Bavuma putting hands up. I remember when Donald was retiring people in SA were saying we would never find a replacement... then along came Steyn!

Anyway, Duminy and Faf scoring runs is good but also causes many headaches as if they had performed badly it may have been easier to just bring in the new blood of de Bryun. Now who knows? And after the terrible period they`ve had is this going to be a break through or will they just go back to dire? Many questions. Only saving grace is if we great the flat roads of Aus then I can still see them performing well, particularly with their past performances in Aus.

van Zyl must go back to domestic FC, I think he will go the way of Ingram great FC cricketer can`t cut it at international level.

 

[Flem274*]

Great to have Steyn and Philander back... the naysayer saying SA cricket is going to perish never seem to realize that we always seem to bring out young talent, with QDK, Rabada and Bavuma putting hands up. I remember when Donald was retiring people in SA were saying we would never find a replacement... then along came Steyn!

Anyway, Duminy and Faf scoring runs is good but also causes many headaches as if they had performed badly it may have been easier to just bring in the new blood of de Bryun. Now who knows? And after the terrible period they`ve had is this going to be a break through or will they just go back to dire? Many questions. Only saving grace is if we great the flat roads of Aus then I can still see them performing well, particularly with their past performances in Aus.

van Zyl must go back to domestic FC, I think he will go the way of Ingram great FC cricketer can`t cut it at international level.

what do you think the team will be? something like..?

cook
elgar
amla
AB
faf
bavuma
QdK
philander
rabada
steyn
piedt

or do you get funky and throw duminy at #8 if he's bowling well and you're worried piedt will just get murdered like every other touring spinner? morne morkel horses for courses?

 

[Prince EWS]

Duminy's bowling isn't really a thing anymore, since his last injury. He's not even good enough to play as the fifth bowler at the moment IMO, let alone the fourth. If Duminy's the fifth bowler then you're playing four bowlers.

 

[StephenZA]

what do you think the team will be? something like..?

cook
elgar
amla
AB
faf
bavuma
QdK
philander
rabada
steyn
piedt

or do you get funky and throw duminy at #8 if he's bowling well and you're worried piedt will just get murdered like every other touring spinner? morne morkel horses for courses?

This is the most likely team I think, baring no 'interference'. Extra options Duminy in for Faf, I can also see an outside chance of them bringing in Parnell for Faf giving an extra bowling option to AB on the flat Aus wickets. And even though nobody in the SA camp really wanting to talk about it, the way in which QDK played as opener may be perfect in Aus and drop Elgar (very unfortunate if this happened). The point is we have many options and there is no easy choices for the middle order as you cannot predict how somebody will go on match day and no one choice is obviously better than any other.

 

[Hurricane]

You're an idiot.

At least I understand batting which you obviously don't. He got out to a very fast half volley in the first inning. That was not indicative of someone who will succeed long term.

 

[Hurricane]

Also Flem ever since some ANCIENT debate between us over whether Kane would take 180 wickets in his career, you have been snippy with me. You were wrong in that debate he will never take 180 wickets. And even if he did take 180 wickets it would be at a sad bowling average of over 50 so no one would care and the comparison between him and Hadlee would come down to Hadlee as a bowler vs Kane as a batsman.

But wait - not only were you in the wrong in that debate - but I tried to apologize anyway in case I had been dismissive and you wouldn't have a bar of my apology and preffered to hold a grudge. Let it Go!

 

[Marius]

what do you think the team will be? something like..?

cook
elgar
amla
AB
faf
bavuma
QdK
philander
rabada
steyn
piedt

or do you get funky and throw duminy at #8 if he's bowling well and you're worried piedt will just get murdered like every other touring spinner? morne morkel horses for courses?

I like that team, but as stphndbsn says (you really need a name that's easy to spell) who knows if there will be any 'interference'.

Morkel will be first bowling reserve I reckon, along with Parnell. Not sure if they'll take another spinner, but if they do it'll be interesting to see if they take a flyer on Shamsi.

 

[hendrix]

Yeah "forget Jacob Duffy". That's what the most recent half dozen Otago coaches are putting out there as the good oil. Sorry Hendo.

Next instalment from small town Otago's production line? "Forget Nathan Smith". Turning down Wellington & Kippax will prove the start of the rot with that one.

You're going to have to elaborate on this.

Who's saying this? Is he not going to make the Volts?

 

[artvandalay]

I think height is pretty important for a bowler in Australia so picking Morkel is pretty important, they don't need Piedt in the team considering finger spinners don't do well there anyway. 3 seamers isn't enough to share the workload on those Australian roads, they got away this game because it was relatively low scoring.

 

[NZTailender]

This series was a perfect storm for South Africa in more ways than one. In their very first innings when they all got starts but threw it away they looked pretty lost and like they had the weight of the last 12-18 months on their shoulders.

And then Steyn and Philander come out in our first innings and just knocked Latham and Guptill over easy and looked generally awesome. They looked a whole different side in this match. Even Faf remembered how to bat eventually.

This is the kick in the bum they needed and responded poorly, unfortunately at the expense of the Black Caps who were found wanting. Nicholls showed some gut but really how often will he do there? Not convinced of him as a Test batsman at all, and I'm finally over Guptill in long format. Goodbye.

 

[Kippax]

You're going to have to elaborate on this.

Who's saying this? Is he not going to make the Volts?

Nah no issues there. Just having a slight dig at Otago not exactly being a sophisticated and steady pair of hands that are guiding and nurturing their better young talents up to Test cricket spec. You know, seeing Wellington's always the whipping boy on that score.

 

[Marius]

Just had a look at the overall squad to refresh my memory.

Apart from Rabada, Steyn, and Philander, we still have Morris, Parnell, and Abbott. Include Morkel and that in itself is not a bad Test bowling line-up. I'm feeling slightly more positive about our Test side than I was a few months ago.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Steyn said of his future: "I just want to play. I don't know if I will wake up in a month and can't do it anymore or if I will wake up in four years and can't do it anymore.


"I just really enjoy playing Test cricket. I love it. It's what I feel I have been put on earth to do.

"I do not know when to pull the plug or when the time to make that decision will come but if I am still making batters jump around and the pace is there, I will carry on doing what I am doing."

 

[harsh.ag]

This is the most likely team I think, baring no 'interference'. Extra options Duminy in for Faf, I can also see an outside chance of them bringing in Parnell for Faf giving an extra bowling option to AB on the flat Aus wickets. And even though nobody in the SA camp really wanting to talk about it, the way in which QDK played as opener may be perfect in Aus and drop Elgar (very unfortunate if this happened). The point is we have many options and there is no easy choices for the middle order as you cannot predict how somebody will go on match day and no one choice is obviously better than any other.

Dropping the captain for Duminy/Parnell. Interesting.

 

[hendrix]

Nah no issues there. Just having a slight dig at Otago not exactly being a sophisticated and steady pair of hands that are guiding and nurturing their better young talents up to Test cricket spec. You know, seeing Wellington's always the whipping boy on that score.

Phew.

Yeah it's a worry.

If he were an emerging rugby player that ABs would have him hooked up with a personal trainer in the offseason, as well as 2-3 mentors and a couple of skills coaches.

 

[StephenZA]

I like that team, but as stphndbsn says (you really need a name that's easy to spell) who knows if there will be any 'interference'.

Morkel will be first bowling reserve I reckon, along with Parnell. Not sure if they'll take another spinner, but if they do it'll be interesting to see if they take a flyer on Shamsi.

Been commented on already People either shortening to stphn or just using stephen!

Just had a look at the overall squad to refresh my memory.

Apart from Rabada, Steyn, and Philander, we still have Morris, Parnell, and Abbott. Include Morkel and that in itself is not a bad Test bowling line-up. I'm feeling slightly more positive about our Test side than I was a few months ago.

Have been surprised at how negative everybody was over the SA side. SA was not going to just turn into a terrible cricketing nation overnight. We had a really bad year last year, but if you look at it in context, we went to India and were given absolute rank turners (having just lost Kallis and Smith), Amla had his worst year in ten years (after getting captaincy!) And we lost most of our front line bowlers to injury... our confidence was shot coming into a series against an England team playing well. We still had batting issues and our front line bowlers were still missing (I can`t see Stokes doing what he did against the experience of Steyn and Morkel).
Now you can see Amla back in form, a little more confidence in the batting coming out, a proper opener in Cook. Faf and Duminy showing some form and our frontline seamers available and suddenly we are not the terrible cricket nation. If we had a really good quality allrounder then I could see SA getting back to number 1 quickly, right now we struggling to balance the team.

LO team is crap (not that I`m that worried to be honest) I would like us to go ahead pick a few allrounders in the team (Pretorius, Morris, Parnell, Wiese, Andile whoever) and just give everybody a license to go out and score runs, only need 1 off Hash, QDK, or AB to come off to get a good LO total. With Rabada, Morkel and Tahir as primary bowlers.