*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Mr Miyagi]

Anderson is making good runs regularly now, but he's not even bowling after being tonked in the IPL and the blast. At all in recent games.

Corey Anderson | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPNcricinfo

Munro has finally come up with a match winning performance with a score of 63 and 2/20 off three overs;

South Group (N), Vitality Blast at Southampton, Jul 20 2018 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

de Grandhomme has had a very difficult time overall with the ball, last 1 game bowling just 1 over for 21 runs (to compare his current team mate Grunter Elliot has been quite effective with the ball).

I hope these guys find more success in the CPL before the UAE tour. The CPL was very good for Munro last year, as he displayed true batsmanship abilities and succeeded on difficult pitches.

Munro is bowling as handy as a 6th bowler is ever needed to, but struggling for runs. Anderson isn't bowling, and CdG's bowling is very very hittable, even for domestic Blast batsmen.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...hamptonshire-north-group-vitality-blast-2018/

CdG with 2 runs needed off 2 balls managed to get out. He did the hard part, it was 8 off 3 and he belted a 6. I personally would like to see him winning much more of these games. (Game ended in a tie and Birmingham will likely miss the finals).

 

[Mike5181]

Call me when the 2014-15 version of Anderson comes back.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Call me when the 2014-15 version of Anderson comes back.

From what I saw in the IPL, he isn't prepared to bang the ball in anymore post back surgery, which was his greatest strength in limited overs. Short, back of a length, Mitch McClenahan styled bowling. It is a simple plan, but very easy to set a field for and he executed it very very well and was thus highly effective.

He is constantly bowling fuller now, and he just isn't a skilled enough bowler to do this unless the conditions are set for hooping swing as he keeps missing his line or length too often and is getting punished.

The odds of the 2014/15 Anderson coming back are really getting slimmer all the time. I'm not even sure if on batting alone right now he can keep getting Blast, CPL and IPL deals. Maybe Blast, def not IPL.

He has to trust in his back surgery and bang the ball in, imo. Or he is destined to try and be a specialist bat, when NZC really need a limited overs allrounder of his 2014/15 calibre to actually win an ICC tournament.

 

[SteveNZ]

Call me when the 2014-15 version of Anderson comes back.

Don't wait by the phone.

When's the 2018-19 schedule due out? NZC had a preview post on their website about a month ago, still nothing.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12093033

New Zealand Cricket's reconnaissance for next year's World Cup has delivered significant gains midway through the English county season.

I really don't share Alderson's enthusiasm on this. Latham making some runs has been a welcome success. Ross did very well in his time in England (FC and LA).

But neither CdG nor Anderson have resolved their bowling issues, their teams are pulling them from the attack and in Anderson's case, no longer bothering with his bowling at all. Munro only made one good score (but bowling beautifully), Guptil only two, and Henry was dominating in the FC cricket. And Nicholls, who desperately needs more experience isn't over there.

NZC had clear problems a long way out from the Champions Trophy, and while Latham has made giant strides of progress to solving the wicket keeper issue, Munro, CdG and/or Anderson are still problems. Whereas last time it was Neesh, Anderson and CdG. And there has been no real progress made on who bowls with Boult and Southee, no matter where Milne, Henry, and Fergusson get some playing contracts.

[edit] Munro made 38 overnight, so hopefully he is finding form now.

 

[Hicheal Michael]

And there has been no real progress made on who bowls with Boult and Southee.

one of these is not like the other lol

 

[straw man]

Anderson is making good runs regularly now, but he's not even bowling after being tonked in the IPL and the blast. At all in recent games.

Corey Anderson | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPNcricinfo

Munro has finally come up with a match winning performance with a score of 63 and 2/20 off three overs;

South Group (N), Vitality Blast at Southampton, Jul 20 2018 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

de Grandhomme has had a very difficult time overall with the ball, last 1 game bowling just 1 over for 21 runs (to compare his current team mate Grunter Elliot has been quite effective with the ball).

I hope these guys find more success in the CPL before the UAE tour. The CPL was very good for Munro last year, as he displayed true batsmanship abilities and succeeded on difficult pitches.

Munro is bowling as handy as a 6th bowler is ever needed to, but struggling for runs. Anderson isn't bowling, and CdG's bowling is very very hittable, even for domestic Blast batsmen.

North Group (N), Vitality Blast at Birmingham, Jul 20 2018 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

CdG with 2 runs needed off 2 balls managed to get out. He did the hard part, it was 8 off 3 and he belted a 6. I personally would like to see him winning much more of these games. (Game ended in a tie and Birmingham will likely miss the finals).

Good to hear Anderson is scoring runs though I'd be interested in how he's scoring him too, e.g. whether he's starting really slow, how many of his boundaries he's hitting cleanly and how much he's dining out on poor bowlers. I remember seeing a few handy IPL scores that made me think he was playing well, but then I watched highlights and it was largely miscues and edges.

CDG certainly has a problem with finishing games off too. Needs to get that monkey off his back.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Good to hear Anderson is scoring runs though I'd be interested in how he's scoring him too, e.g. whether he's starting really slow, how many of his boundaries he's hitting cleanly and how much he's dining out on poor bowlers. I remember seeing a few handy IPL scores that made me think he was playing well, but then I watched highlights and it was largely miscues and edges.

CDG certainly has a problem with finishing games off too.Needs to get that monkey off his back.

Yeah, agreed.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/cricket/news/article.cfm?c_id=29&objectid=12094555

BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi on panel to decide the new NZC coach.

Seems odd for Watling to be in invited as a current test player. Bruce Edgar is also on the panel.

The contenders are: Canterbury coach Gary Stead, Central Districts coach Heinrich Malan and Scotland and former Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/cricket/news/article.cfm?c_id=29&objectid=12094555

Also Latham smacked 147 in county cricket.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/ECKO43209

 

[bill8164]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...-ajaz-patel-finally-gets-black-caps-test-call

 

[straw man]

Top domestic wicket-taker for three seasons, Ajaz Patel finally gets Black Caps test call

Makes sense as Santner still out with injury.

 

[Bahnz]

Tad surprised that there wasn't another batsman named in the squad - can't see CdG's bowling being of much value in the emirates. So presumably the attack will be 2 seamers and 2 spinners, with Southee and Wagner and Sodhi and Astle being the toss-up selections. Bit of a pity that we couldn't dig up a half-way decent offspinner to complement the leggies, but Patel deserves his place.

 

[Blain]

Test: Kane Williamson (captain), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.

ODI: Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Watling, Colin Munro, Taylor, Nicholls, Latham, de Grandhomme, Astle, Sodhi, Southee, Henry, Boult, two to be added from NZA/NZ T20 squad.

Twenty20: Williamson (c), Guptill, Munro, Taylor, Mark Chapman, Tim Seifert, de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Southee, Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Seth Rance, two to be added from NZA.

New Zealand A (for T20, 50-over and first-class matches against Pakistan A): Corey Anderson, Astle, Blundell, Tom Bruce, Chapman, Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Patel, Glenn Phillips, Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Wagner, Watling.

Ravindra cracks NZA but couldn't make the Firebirds last season.. Awesome. Good squads, Rance will get tapped in the UAE, if he's not swinging it a foot he's suspect. Yeah CDG aint a batsman, will be interesting to see how the test team lines up. Looks like they're betting on roads.

 

[Athlai]

Tad surprised that there wasn't another batsman named in the squad - can't see CdG's bowling being of much value in the emirates. So presumably the attack will be 2 seamers and 2 spinners, with Southee and Wagner and Sodhi and Astle being the toss-up selections. Bit of a pity that we couldn't dig up a half-way decent offspinner to complement the leggies, but Patel deserves his place.

Sly way of bringing Guppy back.

*injury*

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Tad surprised that there wasn't another batsman named in the squad - can't see CdG's bowling being of much value in the emirates. So presumably the attack will be 2 seamers and 2 spinners, with Southee and Wagner and Sodhi and Astle being the toss-up selections. Bit of a pity that we couldn't dig up a half-way decent offspinner to complement the leggies, but Patel deserves his place.

Why would Patel be an automatic choice ahead of Todd Astle?

Don't quite get why Watling has been included in the ODI squad.

That t20 squad looks very weak in the seam bowling as well as missing Santner's bowling let alone team balance. The attack was having issues earlier this year, when Boult and Santner were in the team.

Really think Santner will be a big blow for NZ in the limited overs stuff. Especially with Corey and CdG bowling pies in pyjamas. Good luck to whoever tries to balance the team if Astle does not find a higher gear.

Tests:

1 Latham
2Raval
3 KW
4 Taylor
5 Nicholls
6 Watling
7 Astle
8 CdG/Wagner
9 Sodhi
10 Patel
11 Boult

3 spinners leads to a long tail unless CdG plays to open the bowling with Boult.

7 CdG
8 Astle
9 Wagner
10 Patel / (Sodhi)
11 Boult

(this I like more even with CdG opening the bowling and hitting the seam, as I just don't have all that much faith in Sodhi in tests, and Wagner can still try bouncing people out on anything. and we know he is lion hearted enough to bowl long spells in the heat. KW to offer some off spin relief as third spinner. I just think Wagner should play, and NZ should try and have some batting depth.) Of course, pitch will dictate final opinion.

Major problem is whether CdG has learned to read wristies yet, or whether Yasir Shah and/or Shadhab Khan will eat him alive. But if CdG plays and bats well, we officially have a gun test all-rounder. The closest thing to a spare batsmen in the test squad is Blundell?! This is back to the Ronchi as a batsman tour days?!

 

[TheBrand]

I want Mark Craig back.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

I want Mark Craig back.

Yeah, his runs were useful. But even in the UAE, besides that Sharjah test, he was pretty easy for the Pakistan batsmen to tame.

He finished on the improve for Otago this past season, and at 31, wouldn't bet against him ever playing for NZ again if Jeetan's recall is anything to go by.

 

[TheBrand]

Yeah, his runs were useful. But even in the UAE, besides that Sharjah test, he was pretty easy for the Pakistan batsmen to tame.

He finished on the improve for Otago this past season, and at 31, wouldn't bet against him ever playing for NZ again if Jeetan's recall is anything to go by.

Yeah I agree, I'm just salty that his last test he played (the first test against India in India) was probably the best he's ever bowled imo. Was getting consistent drift and troubling the batsman as well as removing the bad ball per over. Then a side strained ruined him.

I just can't ever see a test side where we play both Sodhi and Astle. I'm going to probably eat my hat in the UAE but I'm yet to see what the selectors see in Astle tbh. Excited about Ajaz Patel though.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Yeah I agree, I'm just salty that his last test he played (the first test against India in India) was probably the best he's ever bowled imo. Was getting consistent drift and troubling the batsman as well as removing the bad ball per over. Then a side strained ruined him.

I just can't ever see a test side where we play both Sodhi and Astle. I'm going to probably eat my hat in the UAE but I'm yet to see what the selectors see in Astle tbh. Excited about Ajaz Patel though.

Batting balance for 8 and more wicket taking opportunities than Santner is my bet.

Astle troubled England when finally given a bowl, Sodhi still didn't despite his batting heroics.

Craig will always get drift when he cuts the ball as that puts more rpm on it, but it is overspin that he lacks that leads to variable bounce (overspin makes the ball drop faster and more forcefully in flight trajectory), as well as drift. That is what makes Lyon so much more of an off spinner than Craig.

Any pie chucker can roll their arm over and cut the ball and watch it drift and turn big when the pitch is biting. But that overspin movement is far more difficult to master, especially without chucking.

 

[TheBrand]

Batting balance for 8 and more wicket taking opportunities than Santner is my bet.

Astle troubled England when finally given a bowl, Sodhi still didn't despite his batting heroics.

Craig will always get drift when he cuts the ball as that puts more rpm on it, but it is overspin that he lacks that leads to variable bounce (overspin makes the ball drop faster and more forcefully in flight trajectory), as well as drift. That is what makes Lyon so much more of an off spinner than Craig.

Any pie chucker can roll their arm over and cut the ball and watch it drift and turn big when the pitch is biting. But that overspin movement is far more difficult to master, especially without chucking.

You have a point, but I think with Sodhi having already played in a 3 test series in UAE, I think he's going to find his feet faster this time around than Astle.

You're literally comparing Craig to the GOAT, which is such an unfair comparison imo. Up until that India test, Craig had barely got any drift at all and then on day 1 when he started troubling Rahane and Kohli, it was like poetry in motion. It was beautiful. I'm holding out hope that he'll get a recall in a couple of years a la Jeets as you say.