***Official**** Sri Lanka in New Zealand 2014/2015

[Blocky]

No but worse case, Taylor continues to be ****, McCullum's back goes completely and he retires from test cricket and we're suddenly down one, maybe two middle order players who both bat aggressively for us - or Neesham/Anderson both sink at test level and we decide Craig is our all rounder?

Darryl Mitchell hasn't kicked on as much as he should've and other than Brownlie who now wants to open, there aren't many people banging the door down for a chance.

 

[hendrix]

Bairstow has never even excelled as a test batsman bar a couple of fifties though. His struggles aren't an issue of the wrong type of qualities needed, it's simply not being good enough. Watling, Prior, Haddin, de Kock et al are all examples of people who are/were perfectly competent keepers and really good test number 7s.

I guess it should come down to the selectors in terms of long term planning. Watling failed as a Test opener before making the side as keeper.

If you're a team that lacks top order batsmen, de Kock might've been encouraged to just focus on his batting.

 

[Cabinet96]

Great keeping from Jayawardene. But his batting average is low enough to keep the purists happy.

 

[Flem274*]

No but worse case, Taylor continues to be ****, McCullum's back goes completely and he retires from test cricket and we're suddenly down one, maybe two middle order players who both bat aggressively for us - or Neesham/Anderson both sink at test level and we decide Craig is our all rounder?

Darryl Mitchell hasn't kicked on as much as he should've and other than Brownlie who now wants to open, there aren't many people banging the door down for a chance.

Very few sides in history can handle two or three of their best batsmen retiring/flopping at once smoothly.

 

[Flem274*]

What the **** has happened to Prasaana's keeping? Used to be the best around.

 

[Blocky]

Very few sides in history can handle two or three of their best batsmen retiring/flopping at once smoothly.

Sure, but very few sides in history don't have at least one or two solid options sitting outside of the fold ready to come into the 3,4,5,6 positions.

 

[hendrix]

No but worse case, Taylor continues to be ****, McCullum's back goes completely and he retires from test cricket and we're suddenly down one, maybe two middle order players who both bat aggressively for us - or Neesham/Anderson both sink at test level and we decide Craig is our all rounder?

Darryl Mitchell hasn't kicked on as much as he should've and other than Brownlie who now wants to open, there aren't many people banging the door down for a chance.

I think even if that were the case I'd go back to guys like Flynn, maybe even Guptill* in the middle order etc.

Don't worry I think he's terrible too but I just don't rate Ronchi as a Test bat.

 

[SteveNZ]

If you're Luke Ronchi - do you give away the gloves in four day cricket? His only chance in tests now is as replacement to 5/6 batsman.

Hell of a decision to make if you're still taking them in ODI cricket, and you have no medical reason to do so. Plus as someone said, you're only an injury away and BJ does have previous.

Has there ever been a better team-mate than BJ? Absolutely zero interest in the soft runs, only trades in hard stuff. Toured the world over and over carrying drinks, prepared to take on whatever role best befits the side, personable fella, never in trouble, leads by example in a training sense, super fit, seems to value the success of others as much as his own.

 

[eroticfishcake]

Whom do NZ play next?

 

[Blocky]

What the **** has happened to Prasaana's keeping? Used to be the best around.

117 overs in the field?

 

[Blocky]

Whom do NZ play next?

2 Tests against England in England after the WC.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Like I said, go review his technique in 2008 - there are highlights of some of his better innings online - same square technique, slouched over his bat, over-exaggerated movement of the foot to the off stump. It's his "natural" technique - you're quite right, you can't develop a technique that stays regular without a tonne of practice and muscle memory, which Taylor no longer has because he's not been training the technique he worked hard on with Crowe for a number of years.

I think I must be misunderstanding what you're saying, because his setup in 2008 was nowhere near as open as his setup in 2015. I've reviewed a reasonable amount of footage from 2008, and the initial setup is slightly open, not wide open like his current setup. This current incarnation is not his 'natural' technique - and I've even checked the photos I have of Taylor playing for CD against Wellington that I have from before his international days. Granted, I'm no batsman of any quality, but I can't see how you get from his "natural" muscle memory setup of 2008 being close enough to the 2015 setup for it to be some kind of regression. As you yourself suggested, listen to the commentators. From what I have heard (which is from the radio, not the TV) they have quite openly stated how poor he looks at the crease, but they have also talked about how it must have been worked on and developed because it is so dissimilar from his natural setup. The two views do not seem to share common ground.

I do think that the different setup appears to create (and even exacerbate) similar technical issues as he had early in his career, but that didn't appear to be the point you were making.

 

[Flem274*]

Sure, but very few sides in history don't have at least one or two solid options sitting outside of the fold ready to come into the 3,4,5,6 positions.

Hm nah we've seen over and again that no matter how good your newbies could be, losing your guns really hurts. The extreme examples are England in Australia and Australia themselves when they next play a team not called India with only Warner, Smith and Rogers as their good batsmen.

 

[Jono]

Whom do NZ play next?

I'd seriously love to see Aust or SA tour NZ.

 

[Jono]

2 Tests against England in England after the WC.

Ooh Boult and Southee in Eng will be awesome viewing.

 

[cnerd123]

NZ should win in Eng based on current form.

 

[SteveNZ]

Ooh Boult and Southee in Eng will be awesome viewing.

Bloody oath. Nothing like the Duke in early season English conditions used by quality swing bowlers. That's ***y cricket in my book.

Won't happen, but a four-pronged of Southee, Boult, Bracewell and Henry would be so good

 

[Zinzan]

Fred Goodall looks the same as he did on video footage 35 years ago.

 

[Blocky]

I think I must be misunderstanding what you're saying, because his setup in 2008 was nowhere near as open as his setup in 2015. I've reviewed a reasonable amount of footage from 2008, and the initial setup is slightly open, not wide open like his current setup. This current incarnation is not his 'natural' technique - and I've even checked the photos I have of Taylor playing for CD against Wellington that I have from before his international days. Granted, I'm no batsman of any quality, but I can't see how you get from his "natural" muscle memory setup of 2008 being close enough to the 2015 setup for it to be some kind of regression. As you yourself suggested, listen to the commentators. From what I have heard (which is from the radio, not the TV) they have quite openly stated how poor he looks at the crease, but they have also talked about how it must have been worked on and developed because it is so dissimilar from his natural setup. The two views do not seem to share common ground.

I do think that the different setup appears to create (and even exacerbate) similar technical issues as he had early in his career, but that didn't appear to be the point you were making.

Cmon mate, you're comparing spin against pace there.

 

[Flem274*]

NZ should win in Eng based on current form.

Anderson and Broad on their own turf will be too much for our batsmen imo. Taylor, Baz and Watling are poor starters, Neesham has a leaky defence and Rutherford is mud. You can't have that against world class bowlers with a duke.