*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Fuller Pilch]

I see Kane has just left the IPL for NZ for baby no 2.

 

[Jezroy]

I see that we are potentially playing a T20 tri series with Bangladesh and Pakistan in Chch this Sept/Oct. pre T20 WC.

Potentially.

 

[SteveNZ]

Meanwhile good runs for CDG 66 vs Kent and a solitary wicket.

They're batting him behind Sam Curran who averages 29 at FC level and 24 in Tests. Lil bit mud.

 

[SteveNZ]

there's a video up on cricinfo questioning if kane as a t20 batter should be a thing....questioning a guy who smacked 80 something in a world cup final just last year....lol

That only reflects poorly on whoever said that. He was also re-signed for $2.7m by Sunrisers based on averaging 45 in both the last two IPLs.

Mind you, I've poo-pooed Kane as a T20 batsman before and he's bit me in the arse.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I see that the Dukes balls have been going soft quickly this English season and lots more 500+ scores have been scored than normal. Do we need to play Ajaz?

 

[Immenso]

I see that the Dukes balls have been going soft quickly this English season and lots more 500+ scores have been scored than normal. Do we need to play Ajaz?

Plenty of reasons for it.
- It can/does spin in England, unlike most of NZ
- It's a 3 test series, which must seem like Mallory at the bottom of Everest for our 2-tests per series acclimatised pip-squeaks.
- 3 day gap between first and second tests
- Wagner decline
- lack of overs in the legs of the IPL players. e.g. Boult (is Southee IPL?)

A few reasons against:
- Patel mediocre form and fitness, one causing the other I suspect
- lack of overs in Plunket Shield (see above). Only 140 overs bowled. That's only 2 games worth over a month, then 6 weeks off since end of season.
- Requires rotating or dropping one of tried and true 4 seamers.

I think he will play at least one, maybe 2 tests.

 

[nzfan]

Nicholls out of the first test with the calf injury.

The massive runs you're seeing in county cricket of late is because the seam of dukes ball this season is flatter like a kooka ball. Not sure if the same batch will be used for test matches. Irrespective dukes offers way more drift, turn and bounce than a kookaburra turf.

England squad announced, severe lack of bowling options with most of their bowlers injured. Fair bit of youth in the batting lineup. The youth combined with Baz's coaching I wouldn't take the poms lightly this time around.

My XI for the first test in Nicholls absence is

Latham
Young
Kane
Conway
D Mitchell
Blundell
CDG
Kyle
Southee
Boult
Ajaz

If Boult does make the IPL finals for kkr then Henry replaces Boult.

 

[nzfan]

Although the couple of warm up games should give us some indication of form of players the first class status taken away doesn't help as everyone will take it a bit easy. They won't necessarily give 100% other than may be the fringe players.

 

[Flem274*]

I think Henry was our #2 bowler over the summer. I think others are still better in Asia, but in SENA I would retain him for now, especially in England.

Mitchell is a better player than Rutherford, so Young remains opening for now.

 

[Xix2565]

If Boult does make the IPL finals for kkr

He's with Rajasthan this year (along with D Mitchell and Neesham), Southee's the one with KKR who've just been eliminated.

 

[nzfan]

He's with Rajasthan this year (along with D Mitchell and Neesham), Southee's the one with KKR who've just been eliminated.

That's right the RR so likely Boult and Mitchell will be kind of undercooked for test match. Likely not starters.

 

[SteveNZ]

I wouldn't be picking Mitchell off the back of very little cricket and T20 focus at that.

I also don't know what world we've living in where Devon Conway to open doesn't make complete sense to everyone.

Conway averages 60+ as a Test opener, and at #3. Young averages 27 opening, and 44 at #3. In terms of absolute advantage to this side, I can't see any argument to why Conway doesn't open. Not a single one.

 

[nzfan]

But then Young has just played first class cricket in UK and has scored a lot of runs. If he was not going to open he wouldn't have opened for Norhants. Obviously he's been told to open. He is good enough to pick his spot in county and if he opted to open it would have come from the BCs

 

[Zinzan]

I also don't know what world we've living in where Devon Conway to open doesn't make complete sense to everyone.

Conway averages 60+ as a Test opener, and at #3. Young averages 27 opening, and 44 at #3. In terms of absolute advantage to this side, I can't see any argument to why Conway doesn't open. Not a single one.

He's arguably our best Test batsman atm in English conditions so there's a strong case to bat him at 3 and 4 remembering he was a manufactured opener, & now Taylor's retired & Young's been successful in opening in the county championship.

 

[SteveNZ]

He's arguably our best Test batsman atm in English conditions so there's a strong case to bat him at 3 and 4 remembering he was a manufactured opener, & now Taylor's retired & Young's been successful in opening in the county championship.

That was an overblown statement by myself, there's definitely arguments for it (hence why it'll happen).

I always like to go to the analogy of the one-off games against the aliens for the future survival of the world. If we were putting up our best XI to win a game, and the aliens sent out the England XI to play us, I reckon we'd bat Conway at the top for our best chance of winning. Especially at Lord's, where Anderson particularly and Broad would have done their homework, and Young might be a sitting duck for the ball that comes back. Might be the old set him up, set him up in the channel, then the in-ducker to find pads.

I reckon Conway > Young at opener is a wider advantage than Conway > Young at 4.

 

[Flem274*]

I'm being swayed. I'm pretty happy Young is opening in County - he'll learn more against the duke there then dominating at #4 when he's clearly one of the best players there - but he is the weaker opener of he and Conway (and batsman).

Ideally both would bat in the middle (and I'm still tempted to just do it in Nicholls' absence) but until a specialist opener pulls finger Conway is the best option for now. The other option is Daryl Mitchell does it for a series, and in return is guaranteed the allrounder spot when CdG retires probably very soon.

 

[Flem274*]

New Zealand to compensate Pakistan for aborted tour in 2021

Along with an undisclosed sum, New Zealand will play extra games when the two sides meet in Pakistan next year

www.espncricinfo.com

Oh ****. Off.

"We're so sorry for following the un-rejectable instruction of our government telling us Five-Eyes has identified a credible threat to our players and we should leave immediately, here have some of the money we're always sooking about not having."

I'm sick of the PCBs victim complex and supposedly reputable media like cricinfo pandering to it. NZC are essentially fining themselves for being ordered by the NZ government to put human beings above an elaborate game of catch.

David White is such a weak man. They should feel bloody lucky NZ are going back. I hope we break them.

 

[thundaboult]

That is pathetic

 

[nzfan]

A Pakistan bloke at work says the situation in his country is worse than before and no chance of it getting any better later this year. Chances are the series may not happen again. Looks like there are some terror acts ramping up of late and civil unrest according to safe travel. Will NZC pay compensation again to Pakistan if they don't opt to travel?

 

[Immenso]

Unsurprisingly, but disappointingly, Will Young didnt play fir Northants in their match starting yesterday.

Yanked out of real cricket to play some 15-a-side rubbish, be in camp with a temporary coach like Ebrahim who's attention to detail and desire to improve his players goes as far as not even knowing who his own province's second choice keeper is.