**Official* West Indies in New Zealand 2025

[Fuller Pilch]

Ex-Black Caps Commentary XI

John Wright
Glenn Turner
John Morrison
Martin Crowe
Jeremy Coney
Chris Cairns
Ian Smith
Sir Richard Hadlee
Gavin Larsen
Simon Doull
Danny Morrison
12th man: Bob Cunis

Don't remember Wright or Larsen commentating but, from the rest, Sir RJH and Bob Cunis were just insanely poor.

Coney and Smith stand poles apart in that list imvho.

Richardson and Shane Bond are decent.

Scott Styris is good - one of the best Kiwis. I've also heard Mitchell McClenaghan commentate games from Pakistan - not too bad.

Also, John Bracewell is really good on radio and Chris Harris promising.

 

[jcas0167]

Yep, horrible luck for Blundell but it's the change that has looked the most overdue. Thanks Tom for being excellent for a few years and especially some memorably centuries.

I guess it's premature to write Blundell's cricketing obit, but I really hope Hay takes his chances and excels in the next two tests.

Injury has been the main way into the side for a while. Jamieson when Wagner was out (actually that might have been parental leave) and Ravindra obviously at the WC a couple of years ago.

 

[Immenso]

Wright didn't have the voice for commentary. But he did it for TVNZ for a season or two in mid-90s after retirement.

TVNZ also had Geoff Howarth and Jeff Crowe do it for at least one season after retirement. The ol' CH9 get in the ex-test captain approach.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Hopefully GP is back for the 2nd test and bats 6, allowing Hay to debut at 7.

 

[straw man]

Always looks easier to bat when the sun is shining.

Also WI pace down compared to the first innings.

 

[ataraxia]

I was morbidly interested in how long Blundell would last before being dropped. But now it feels like the stage is thankfully if unfortunately set for Hay to perform and Blundell to never be picked again. The most fortuitous injury in a while.

 

[Neil Young]

Lol, it'll shock everyone to know that Glenn Turner was a miserable prick on the microphone.

I didn't actually mind Turner. Insisted on mispronouncing Botham every time. That was good for a laugh at least.

 

[Neil Young]

Yeah, I was trying to cast my mind back to put the current comms in context of the historical standards. I guess the past non-specialist equivalents to Sumo have been Peter Williams, Geoff Bryan and Nisbo. Williams probably the most colourful of that era.

Williams and Nisbo were fine and at least knew something about cricket. Which Geoff Bryan clearly didn't. I liked Bryan as a presenter, though.

I liked Peter Sharp also. Even if he was the very epitome of a one-eyed Cantab.

 

[Prince EWS]

I didn't actually mind Turner. Insisted on mispronouncing Botham every time. That was good for a laugh at least.

How did he pronounce it?

 

[ataraxia]

Looking like this could be a classic big 3rd innings. On the other hand, the palpable lack of a middle order in this batting lineup means that a couple of wickets puts WI right in the fray.

 

[Neil Young]

How did he pronounce it?

To rhyme with Gotham.

Odd, but amusing.

 

[anonymouskefe]

Hopefully yesterdays comments are enough for tvnz to get rid of sumo listening to coney and smith on the radio yesterday was night and day

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

To rhyme with Gotham.

Odd, but amusing.

I was hoping for Bot-ham.

 

[Neil Young]

I was hoping for Bot-ham.

Now THAT would have been funny. Billy Ibadulla would have smacked him into line, however.

 

[straw man]

Bah god that's one of the biggest wides I've ever seen from Shields.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

We’re already out of the game. Sun is out. Lots of runs out there

 

[ashley bach]

Conway 33*
Latham 33* @SillyCowCorner1

 

[ataraxia]

Lol he middled the **** out of that one.

 

[Starfighter]

It has Ian Bishop for this series though and he's probably the best the world.

No he's not.

 

[Skyliner]

In Bothams autobiography he had an anecdote about being in India and having some bloke run up to him yelling “Iron Bottom! Iron Bottom! I love you!” I forget exactly how the story ended, perhaps with Botham reacting with violence.