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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
I'd have Fleming there, but the gloves would probably go to Ian Smith. McCullum has a very good record though.
TBH have seen bugger all of Smiths keeping, but I generally think McCullum's keeping recently has been superb (obviously better than he started) and after 20+ Tests McCullum has the same amount of centuries and fifties as Smith had after 60+.


Fleming is there because he's our leading run scorer and best captain.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
What do you mean? Jock Edwards as keeper and then Germon and Parore... well, they'd make pretty good slip catchers. You won't find much better middle orders in the history of test cricket than the trio of Greatbatch - Rutherford - Congdon. Brucey was a great opening bat, and what better bowlers to open up for you than Heath and Ian Butler? Having Dion Nash as first change is just a bonus.

The team is completed by Chris Pringle. A New Zealand team without a dibbly-dobbly seamer that can also bat just isn't a New Zealand team (see also Shane Thomson, Lance Cairns and Shayne O'Connor)

NB. Shayne O'Connor couldn't bat.
 

Days of Grace

International Captain
So we've got:

Sutcliffe
Turner
Donnelly
Crowe
Reid (c)
Cairns
McCullum (wk)
Hadlee
Vettori
Bond
Cowie

I might be inclined to stick in Fleming ahead of Reid. Reid was a good all-rounder, but we already have an excellent one in Cairns. Even without Reid, the team would have four very good seam options.
 

Days of Grace

International Captain
I see that on Cricinfo, NZ's summer schedule has been announced. Bangladesh and England to tour, followed by NZ's tour to England in May 2008
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Alright schedule for us, touring SA, Aus and then hosting England and Bangladesh. Not sure about March tests though tbh.

At least we get a good chunk of international matches.
 
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Macka

U19 Vice-Captain
Alright schedule for us, touring SA, Aus and then hosting England and Bangladesh. Not sure about March tests though tbh.

At least we get a good chunk of international matches.
Yup. No offence to any Sri Lankan fans, but thank Christ we're not playing them this year...
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Looks as though Papps and How will open in South Africa.


Bracewell, who has secured his job for two more years, believes a priority should be for Wright to work with Jamie How and Michael Papps during the Test tour of South Africa in November. "We are going to have inexperienced openers so I would love to have John for that South African Test series, because that is where we are going to be vulnerable," Bracewell told the Dominion Post


At least they're not middle order players being made to open. But at the same time, Cumming was solid in his last test while How was abysmal. I guess it's a looking to the future thing?
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
How and Papps were awesome last time around in South Africa, neither one of them scored more than 22...

Should do ‘better’ this time though. The series is going on when historically the wickets should be less favourable to the seamers than it was when New Zealand last toured in May 06.
Can see NZ piling on 400-500 in the first innings then 70-140 in the second. :(
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Well the emerging players tournament is over an has turned up some interesting things. I've managed to get some statistics for the tournament, though they're incomplete as I couldn't find the scorecard for one of the games.

Anyway, the bowling form has been encouraging, especially for James McMillan and Hamish Bennett, while Nathan McCullum turned in some good performances as well.

Bowlers
McCullum: 9 wickets at 26.44
McMillan: 8 wickets at 20.88
Bennett: 8 wickets at 20.88
Scott: 7 wickets at 26.29
Nicol: 6 wickets at 24.83
Adams: 5 wickets at 34.2
O'Brien: 3 wickets at 38.33

Disappointing from O'Brien, but I get the feeling he was always going to struggle in international cricket anyway. If McMillan can stay fit, I reckon he might be a bolter for the 20/20 World Cup, while Scott looks like a useful one day left armer and Bennett seems to have improved his accuracy quite a lot.

The batting however is very troubling. Of the entire side, only the much derided James Marshall managed to average over 30.

Batters
Marshall: 223 runs at 31.86
Broom: 172 runs at 24.57
Elliot: 163 runs at 27.17
McCullum: 123 runs at 20.6
Redmond: 115 runs at 19.17
How: 108 runs at 18
Hopkins: 102 runs at 20.4
Nicol: 64 runs at 12.8

Not very impressive. Admittedly, Cumming and Ryder were missing from the side but it still doesn't paint a pretty picture. Pretty good stuff from Elliot though on his first trip with the A-side.

So, what can we make of this tour? Who has a chance to make it into the blackcaps?
 

Fiery

Banned
Well the emerging players tournament is over an has turned up some interesting things. I've managed to get some statistics for the tournament, though they're incomplete as I couldn't find the scorecard for one of the games.

Anyway, the bowling form has been encouraging, especially for James McMillan and Hamish Bennett, while Nathan McCullum turned in some good performances as well.

Bowlers
McCullum: 9 wickets at 26.44
McMillan: 8 wickets at 20.88
Bennett: 8 wickets at 20.88
Scott: 7 wickets at 26.29
Nicol: 6 wickets at 24.83
Adams: 5 wickets at 34.2
O'Brien: 3 wickets at 38.33

Disappointing from O'Brien, but I get the feeling he was always going to struggle in international cricket anyway. If McMillan can stay fit, I reckon he might be a bolter for the 20/20 World Cup, while Scott looks like a useful one day left armer and Bennett seems to have improved his accuracy quite a lot.

The batting however is very troubling. Of the entire side, only the much derided James Marshall managed to average over 30.

Batters
Marshall: 223 runs at 31.86
Broom: 172 runs at 24.57
Elliot: 163 runs at 27.17
McCullum: 123 runs at 20.6
Redmond: 115 runs at 19.17
How: 108 runs at 18
Hopkins: 102 runs at 20.4
Nicol: 64 runs at 12.8

Not very impressive. Admittedly, Cumming and Ryder were missing from the side but it still doesn't paint a pretty picture. Pretty good stuff from Elliot though on his first trip with the A-side.

So, what can we make of this tour? Who has a chance to make it into the blackcaps?
You've doubled up on Bennett and McMillan's bowling figures there mate, (unless of course they are in fact exactly the same)
 

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