Black Caps v South Africa
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@SynicBast In that innings v Sri Lanka, Hesson must've said to Ronchi, if you get one-fiddy today, you're in for life... #regrets
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Listened to the final 5 overs driving home form the pub quiz. Bryan Waddle was really pushing Guptill to bat 5 in the test matches as was Smithy earlier on the TV. Two biggest voices of the sport here in NZ saying the same thing so is it a big chance?
It would mean dropping Henry Nicholls who scored 98 and 53 in his last two test innings.
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@tubbyj said in Black Caps v South Africa:
Listened to the final 5 overs driving home form the pub quiz. Bryan Waddle was really pushing Guptill to bat 5 in the test matches as was Smithy earlier on the TV. Two biggest voices of the sport here in NZ saying the same thing so is it a big chance?
It would mean dropping Henry Nicholls who scored 98 and 53 in his last two test innings.
Eh, Bangladesh.
Nicholls does have a couple of decent scores to his name against decent opposition (aka, not Bangladesh) but I don't really see the point of persisting with him if there's a chance someone with more potential, like Guptill, might work in that spot. Personally I'd gamble on Guppy but who the fuck knows what goes on in the selectors heads.
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Personally I can't believe they haven't tried Guppy at 5 already, I've been calling for it since basically the beginning of his career. His hard hitting style has never suited opening, he was only there because we had decent enough options down the order and 0 options to open.
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So Guptill needs to play for Auckland in the middle order first.
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@Bovidae said in Black Caps v South Africa:
So Guptill needs to play for Auckland in the middle order first.
"Mike Hesson confirms he won the coaching lottery when he made McCullum Captain."
I'm sure the Proteas pace attack and fielders will give Henry Nicholls the same number of let-offs as Bangladesh did, so it'll be sweet.
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@No-Quarter said in Black Caps v South Africa:
Personally I can't believe they haven't tried Guppy at 5 already, I've been calling for it since basically the beginning of his career. His hard hitting style has never suited opening, he was only there because we had decent enough options down the order and 0 options to open.
They have. He averages 68 there. From 6 innings.
On the other hand he's also been tried at 6 for two inning and averages 2.
I guess I'm not surprised they're not picking him immediately in the lower middle order. He would have been dropped from opening much earlier if most of us had got our way and so he probably also needs to wait longer than us knee jerk selectors want as well. When and if he eventually gets picked in the middle order he needs to be given at least a dozen innings to succeed, so it's probably not the time to rush him in and then decide "that hasn't worked".
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@Bovidae said in Black Caps v South Africa:
If Hesson and Larsen are so driven by stats to justify their selections then Nicholls needs to perform vs SA to get continually selected.
Did anyone see Nicholls 98? From listening on the radio it sounded like he struggled....not exactly encouraging given who he'd be facing against S.A.....
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@MN5 I thought Nicholls looked OK until he got into the 90s when he got a major case of the yips. But the Bangles pace attack aren't the same quality as SA's. Latham has been struggling with the extra pace in the current series as a comparison.
I'll add Nicholl's last inning in SA will give him some credit in the bank.
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@Bovidae said in Black Caps v South Africa:
@MN5 I thought Nicholls looked OK until he got into the 90s when he got a major case of the yips. But the Bangles pace attack aren't the same quality as SA's. Latham has been struggling with the extra pace in the current series as a comparison.
I'll add Nicholl's last inning in SA will give him some credit in the bank.
Well I think it's a given that Nicholls will be at 5 in the tests given NZ cricket isn't really in a position to drop a guy who got 98 in his last dig.
Guptill sure is an enigma. I compared him to Michael Bevan ( another outstanding ODI batsman but ordinary test player ) but Bevan was competing against any number of very good to legendary batsmen in the five day format.....aside from KW and Taylor who exactly fits that Bill for the BCs?
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I don't really buy Guptil as a test batsman anywhere.
In ODIs if you loook at his strength its playing off the front foot straight through the ball. He drives on the up superbly, often for 6. He pulls incredibly well in front of square - off the front foot half the time. You try that as your "go to" in tests you are out pretty fast. Red ball moves more off the seam for far longer than a white ball. There are more fielders in place behind the bat, bowlers bowl shorter etc. Literally everything in test cricket is against a guy who's one textbook shot is a front foot straight drive on the up.
As for moving to the lower middle order. Yup totally, so long as he has fast feet & can get forward & back like lightning, because thats the key for every successful 5, they have to be able to cut late & fine, let the ball come on to them & move to the back foot fast to work it off their hip etc. Michael Clarke was outstanding at that.
Again, not sure thats Guppy...
