12 Feb - Ireland vs New Zealand - Warmup

[CG123]

It's hard to really read much into the game just looking at the scorecard, did anyone have any coverage of the match?

Our batting seems to be peaking at the right time (except McCullum), but our bowling's the major concern.

Styris is a 10 over bowler here during the middle stages, so on top of him I'd play Dan, Nat McCullum, Mills and Oram, then you have Franklin if needed. As all of them bar Mills are all-rounders, you probably can actually play one of Southee or Bennett, as a sixth bowling option ahead of Franklin.

So Mills and McCullum open, Oram can back up Mills, and Styris back up McCullum, then you have Vettori for the latter overs, as well as Mills and one of our pacers.

You got to look at Styris as a spinner, so with him we essentially have three spinners, so I wouldn't play Woodcock, unless Oram gets wasted in the first game.

 

[Chewie]

The problem with that is that only Mills and possibly NcCullum are wicket-taking bowlers, the rest are just defensive bowlers, bowling a tight line and not giving away runs. You'd need one of Southee or Bennett, or preferably both to take wickets. With the strength of our all-rounders, it's perfectly possible to play both of them, and if they get tonked around trying to take wickets, then we have numerous backup options to bowl.

 

[CG123]

As I kind of said above, I'd still play one of Southee or Bennett, but I wouldn't bowl them under pressure. More of an aggressive option during the middles stages, like Bennett did in the first ODI against Pakistan, when he came on like second change.