*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[SteveNZ]

What if he boshed sixes all over the park and won the game for the Sniffers though?

Didn't he score 150 for the Sniffers earlier in the season on a ground that would make Cornwall Park #3 look like the MCG (if you know, you know)?

I watched one ball of it on Youtube and again, had to self flagellate.

 

[SteveNZ]

Fair points.
Will Nicholls make the starting team? Not sure.
Yes every test match is important to the players. If Blundell scores plenty of runs and keeps doing so through the Windies matches then he's probably deserving of his place. If he doesn't then I think Walter will move him on where Stead would probably stick with him. The Windies have a pretty handy attack as they are demonstrating in the current series against Australia.

I think Walter's wording suggested he was a back-up batsman who could cover any position (although that's drawing a long bow for someone who's played 2 innings at 3 and none as an opener in 87 Test knocks). So he won't be in the side, unless there's injuries.

It's still a spot that should have gone to someone else, no matter how good Nicholls used to be. He's in poor form, has done nothing in the last 18 months as an international player - as much as Stead has tried to allow him - and there's just zero upside unless we believe Nicholls offers a significant amount in the squad.

 

[Skyliner]

NZC have handed Nicholls a central contract so if they don’t make any use of him at all then it would be a completely farcical situation. More-so that it already is I mean.

Windies bowled out for 27. Bugger. Will we ever get the ‘lowest test score’ monkey off our back.

 

[ashley bach]

Once they got to 26 it was good they got to 27

 

[RMBolton]

Seems Walter wants to run the rule over a wide group of players and is discounting no-one in his mission to put together a team that can 'conquer the test cricketing world' in 2026. So old stagers Ajaz, Conway, Blundell, and even Nicols are still in the mix *at this stage*. But then you have the selection of Fisher as a counter-point to that, a selection that seems pretty 'left field' to many. A similar thing is happening in the white ball arena where Sodhi is still in the mix, and then Neesham is one of the players added to the squad as cover.
I think a lot of players are going to get an opportunity as Walter casts his net wide. I don't think the likes of Hay, Abbas, Kelly and others are truly on the outer in any meaningful way. At this stage Walter is simply not going to be starting his tenure off by wielding the axe in too dramatic a fashion. Incumbents will need to keep performing if they want to hold on to their spots. It seems that Walter rates Jacobs and could be thinking of him as a '3 format' player, someone who could perform a similar role to Harry Brook in our test side. He sees Fisher as providing out-and-out pace that could trouble the Aussies on their own decks.

All speculation on my part. I am reborn as an optimist. I don't get the mopes when I see certain players selected as I trust Walter to follow his own processes and arrive at his own eventual conclusions.

I actually really like Fisher, & kinda prefer him over Sears for Tests, though it's to see him get a go & do well too. He's just that little bit more aggressive, & hey, the man has a FC SR of 39 (normal caveats aside).How many of them are lying around? I've liked the look of him since the 4-fer at Chinnaswamy.

I can sort of see Jacobs filling a Brook-style role, but he probably doesn't get a serious look in until Mitchell retires.

 

[Skyliner]

‘The composure shown by Jacobs, in his first match, was a highlight and Robinson was full of praise for his batting partner. "He's an amazing guy. You look at him and he's quite the big guy and you think he should hit a big ball and he sure does," Robinson said. "It was fantastic batting with him. What stood out for me was when he came out he was very calm and looked to really enjoy it. He looked completely comfortable out there and played a really really good knock. He's going to play a lot of cricket and it's very exciting watching him bat."’

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/tim-robinson-on-his-t20i-best-an-addicting-feeling-1495676

 

[ataraxia]

Phillips injured (right groin) and out of the tri-series and test series in Zimbabwe. Who should replace him in the test squad? It could be an opportunity for Ashok or Lennox, or maybe just Macewell or a batter.

Anyway it ruins the team's balance. Do we play four bowlers (+ Ravindra, Mitchell) or five?

 

[Mike5181]

Phillips injured (right groin) and out of the tri-series and test series in Zimbabwe. Who should replace him in the test squad? It could be an opportunity for Ashok or Lennox, or maybe just Macewell or a batter.

Anyway it ruins the team's balance. Do we play four bowlers (+ Ravindra, Mitchell) or five?

Jacobs?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Phillips injured (right groin) and out of the tri-series and test series in Zimbabwe. Who should replace him in the test squad? It could be an opportunity for Ashok or Lennox, or maybe just Macewell or a batter.

Anyway it ruins the team's balance. Do we play four bowlers (+ Ravindra, Mitchell) or five?

It is a really interesting one in terms of team balance.

Sodhi could also be a spin option.

If we play 5 bowlers Smith would have to play (Santner and Smith or vv at 7/8).

Macewell has been allowed to play in the 100.

If a batter I guess it would be have to be Chapman or Kelly, although Foxcroft with his offies is the most like for like. He played in the allrounder role for NZ A. Abbas would be a massive call, but could help for balance.

 

[NZTailender]

It'll probably be Chapman. I'm almost convinced the cost of flights influence selections sometimes.

 

[straw man]

Five bowlers pls

Latham
Conway
Young
Rachin
Mitchell
Blundell, I guess
Santner
Smith
Henry
O'Rourke
Fisher

ok this post was just an excuse to fit Fisher into a team.

Though tbh, he had a pretty crap season for ND last summer. He still has raw ability and he did look physically stronger when he played last season, but still didn't play much FC cricket and when he starts dropping short and wide things quickly go bad. NZ coaching team must back themselves to make something of him.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Five bowlers pls

Latham
Conway
Young
Rachin
Mitchell
Blundell, I guess
Santner
Smith
Henry
O'Rourke
Fisher

ok this post was just an excuse to fit Fisher into a team.

Though tbh, he had a pretty crap season for ND last summer. He still has raw ability and he did look physically stronger when he played last season, but still didn't play much FC cricket and when he starts dropping short and wide things quickly go bad. NZ coaching team must back themselves to make something of him.

If it is 5 bowlers I'd say Ajaz will definitely play.

 

[Immenso]

We'll probably have just 3 players under 32 years old in the starting 11 for the tests v Zim.

 

[Skyliner]

Thought they would have named the replacement player for the test squad by now.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Thought they would have named the replacement player for the test squad by now.

Might see how Chapman is looking in the nets. Brilliant run out last night. Also interesting they are giving Ravindra overs in the T20s as he may bowl more in the tests if Ajaz doesn't start.

 

[DougieRydal]

I heard Dylan Cleaver say that Ravindra aside none of the batsmen for the upcoming tests are under 32. It’s baffling that the opportunity to bring in a youngster or two for the touring squad was squandered.

 

[NZTailender]

Not bringing Mariu or Hay is just egregious imo.

Ashok too when you think about it.

 

[Bahnz]

Meh. No disrespect intended to Zimbabwe, I know they won a test v Bangladesh recently, but would there really be that much evidentiary value in debuting Mariu or Hay here? I mean it's disappointing in the sense that it indicates Walter is probably planning to stick with Blundell v WI later this year. But honestly I don't see the value in debuting a youngster against a ball quite this soft. If anything, it creates a situation where if Blundell fails it makes it easier to move on from him come summer.

 

[Skyliner]

England Men v New Zealand 2026

Thursday 4 June: 1st Rothesay Test – Lord’s, London, 11am
Wednesday 17 June: 2nd Rothesay Test – The Kia Oval, London, 11am
Thursday 25 June: 3rd Rothesay Test – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am

 

[NZTailender]

Meh. No disrespect intended to Zimbabwe, I know they won a test v Bangladesh recently, but would there really be that much evidentiary value in debuting Mariu or Hay here? I mean it's disappointing in the sense that it indicates Walter is probably planning to stick with Blundell v WI later this year. But honestly I don't see the value in debuting a youngster against a ball quite this soft. If anything, it creates a situation where if Blundell fails it makes it easier to move on from him come summer.

As far as batting cover goes, they're both a step in the right direction compared to Nicholls.

Like I don't disagree with you, but you'd hope they're not touring because there off somewhere developing over the winter in prep for the home season?