RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban
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As good a place as any for this. Guptill won't be dropped soon when his likely replacement isn't selected in the squad to tour India.
Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Doug Bracewell, Luke Ronchi.
So Neesham is back until he gets injured again and Raval and Henry have been dropped.
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No idea how to link articles on the new software but Gav Larsen said something along the lines of "All Rounders" like Neesham and Bracewell bringing some balance to the side. Um excuse me but what the fuck Mr Postman ???? The Neesh I can accept ( although his bowling needs work ) but in what universe does a guy who hasn't scored a 50 after 27 tests be classed as an all rounder ? Craig, Sodhi, Southee and Boult have all managed what he can't.
Hoping Watling stays as fit as possible and is doing lots of stretching cos fuck having Ronchi anywhere near the team. Is there no young up and comers in NZ ?
Craig ? well he benefits from the "we're touring India, let's get enough spinners in the team" selection policy.
Tough tour, as always so much will depend on KW and Taylor. Hope everyones guts can stand a tour of the sub continent too.....
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The Big Show goes baaang. First T20, and Aus score 263 in their innings, with Maxwell getting 145 off 65, Of course Sri Lanka were never in the hunt chasing a total that big
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Is it a straight shoot out between Neesh and Santner for that 6-7 spot in the batting line up or is there room for both of them ? With 15 wickets in 7 tests Santner has done ok so far and that tally is positively Murali/Warne like for a BC spinner. Is Neesh gonna be fit enough to offer a genuine bowling option to the team ?
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@MN5 said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
Is it a straight shoot out between Neesh and Santner for that 6-7 spot in the batting line up or is there room for both of them ? With 15 wickets in 7 tests Santner has done ok so far and that tally is positively Murali/Warne like for a BC spinner. Is Neesh gonna be fit enough to offer a genuine bowling option to the team ?
In India - in fact probably anywhere - I'm inclined to think Santner is locked in as the number one spinner.
From the last test, I think Neesham would take Bracewell's place, but they'd want him most likely to bat at six, BJ slips down to his regular seven and Santner at eight. That's really strong - as long as Jimmy is actually good enough to bat at six.
Then - if you want two specialist spinners for a dustbowl track in India - you can slot Ish or Mark Craig in - for either Neesham or, possibly, Southee. Say...
Latham, Guppy, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, Neesham, BJ, Santner, Ish, Wagner, Boult
Three seamers, two specialist spinners plus Kane and Guppy as part-timers. It's slightly light on pace, but no shortage of workhorses and options.
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So you reckon Southee isn't the lock that he has been for the last few years ? iffy form or not I personally can't see him being dropped. JN as third seamer seems a drop in quality from what we've been used to once one of Boult or Wagner gets replaced.
The Neesh has had a very good start to his test batting career but whether that's a sign of things to come is another matter. I'd hate to see him do an Oram and get worse as his career progresses from concentrating on the bowling too much. Big Jake ended up at 8-9 towards the end of his ODI career, pretty sure N McCullum surpassed him for fucks sake.
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@MN5 said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
So you reckon Southee isn't the lock that he has been for the last few years ? iffy form or not I personally can't see him being dropped. JN as third seamer seems a drop in quality from what we've been used to once one of Boult or Wagner gets replaced.
I can't really see him getting dropped, either - most likely he'd play and Jimmy wouldn't from the team I've picked above. But it's possible - depending on how much batting firepower they were willing to forego for a bit of extra seam firepower. If it's really not going to help the seamers then surely one of them should sit.
Right now, if you had to choose between Boult, Wagner and Timmy for a test in India - surely it would be Tim who got the boot.
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@Chris-B. said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
@MN5 said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
Is it a straight shoot out between Neesh and Santner for that 6-7 spot in the batting line up or is there room for both of them ? With 15 wickets in 7 tests Santner has done ok so far and that tally is positively Murali/Warne like for a BC spinner. Is Neesh gonna be fit enough to offer a genuine bowling option to the team ?
In India - in fact probably anywhere - I'm inclined to think Santner is locked in as the number one spinner.
From the last test, I think Neesham would take Bracewell's place, but they'd want him most likely to bat at six, BJ slips down to his regular seven and Santner at eight. That's really strong - as long as Jimmy is actually good enough to bat at six.
Then - if you want two specialist spinners for a dustbowl track in India - you can slot Ish or Mark Craig in - for either Neesham or, possibly, Southee. Say...
Latham, Guppy, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, Neesham, BJ, Santner, Ish, Wagner, Boult
Three seamers, two specialist spinners plus Kane and Guppy as part-timers. It's slightly light on pace, but no shortage of workhorses and options.
I like that team but as MN5 says they're unlikely to drop our "senior pace bowler" Southee from the lineup, no matter how much he deserves it.
& how the fuck is Ronchi anywhere near the test team?? I thought that was the ODI squad when I saw his name. Surely there's a promosing youngster that can go along and learn from BJ.
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@mariner4life said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
The Big Show goes baaang. First T20, and Aus score 263 in their innings, with Maxwell getting 145 off 65, Of course Sri Lanka were never in the hunt chasing a total that big
That's massive. TBH I'm surprised we don't see more 250+ scores in T20s with the way the game favours batsmen now.
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@MN5 said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
My point exactly. I don't follow NZ domestic cricket but where have all the plucky batsmen/keepers gone ? Ronchi shouldn't have a shit show of making the squad.
I reckon this guy (http://www.espncricinfo.com/plunket-shield-2015-16/content/player/625964.html) will be there in the future. I actually doubt the others would do any better than Ronchi. I just think Latham should be able to cover that squad. Taking a reserve keeper around who is never going to play seems like a bit of a luxury in a 14 man squad.
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@No-Quarter said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
& how the fuck is Ronchi anywhere near the test team?? I thought that was the ODI squad when I saw his name. Surely there's a promosing youngster that can go along and learn from BJ.
Hesson has a long memory.
He hasn't forgotten that Ronchi has a test average of 59.5, so Luke is sort of there as top order batting insurance.
If Guppy or Nicholls proves a total bust, BJ will go up the order and Ronchi will slot in to bat at seven. As in this test....
ENG vs NZ Cricket Scorecard, 2nd Investec Test at Leeds, May 29 - June 02, 2015
Get cricket scorecard of 2nd Investec Test, ENG vs NZ, New Zealand tour of England 2015 at Headingley, Leeds dated May 29 - June 02, 2015.
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@No-Quarter said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
& how the fuck is Ronchi anywhere near the test team?? I thought that was the ODI squad when I saw his name. Surely there's a promosing youngster that can go along and learn from BJ.
Common sense would be that you include Raval as a specialist batsman in the squad and use Latham as your reserve WK, if needed. A wasted opportunity here.
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@Siam said in RSA vs NZ, 1st Test, Durban:
Ha ha lovin that ronchs still gets a trip and allowances. I used to play against him in club stuff in Perth. For an aging club cricketer he's having a blinder! 😃
I'm pissed off he's there and I shouldn't laugh....
....but I did
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Given Neeshams fitness issues, I'm not entirely sold on the idea he is the right guy to play as seaming workhorse in India on dustbowl pitches, especially given he's just spent the winter playing almost nothing but T20...
It feels like one of those where they pick him to bowl donkey overs, he gets carried off in a bucket just after tea & Kane bowls 30 overs as India score 600, with Wagner taking 5-175 off 45 overs.
On a related note, sort of, Jesse Ryder will not be at Essex next year apparently.. He should have zero trouble following Baz on a 5 countries in 12 months T20 global tour tho'. But not quite on the same cash.
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dunno. if they are preparing absolute dustbowls then there may be no workhorse seamer role - especially in the 2nd innings, it's quite possible the quicks will bowl maybe 5 each and then it is time for spin. pretty sure the theory would be that neesh can bowl those 5 and add a lot more runs than someone like southee.
on ronchi, i think he is unfairly maligned on here. his first class batting record in nz is better than anyone else's, and actually significantly better than his limited overs record. he plays better when he is not trying to smash it from ball 1. sure he has done very little in ODIs since that one incredible innings, but so what really - it's not like anyone else is banging the door down - he's a good keeper, and a good guy to have in the squad.
