New Zealand in South Africa

[irottev]

That is poor, we dominate the first three days and skrew up the rest.

Hopefully Bond plays the next test. Hopefully we win the toss and Hopefully we get to play on a decent pitch and Hopefully umpire decisions go with us rather than against.

 

[Greenidge]

I hate to be so negative, but this lose is the straw to break the camels back. It's not the fact we lost a test match and certainly not that we lost to SA. They are a strong side with some outstanding players. The fact is that they had to play on the same wicket we did and they handled it a lot better when it really counted.
What is really bugging me is that our test form over the past few seasons (strangely enough about the same time that we got a new coach) has been pretty awful. This was definetly not a one off. The signs were obvious in the home series against the Windies that our test team was continuing it's decline. There has been far too much focus on the one day game and the test matches have become something of a sideshow. I know that the ODIs bring in the money and that there is a World Cup to plan for but that is no reason for our test side to be treated so badly. Test cricket is the ultimate sport and should always be treated as the most important version of the game.
The selections for this game were a joke. Now the selectors aren't just trying to ruin one players career by making him open the batting, they've decided to do the same to another new player. Peter Fulton was making a good fist of things in his debut season and has looked like a future number four. Why would the selectors even dream of making him open the batting? Probably for the same dreadful reasons they made Marshall open. Marshall has been out of form since the Zimababwe tour last year. But not once since then has he been given a chance to go back to domestic cricket, forget about the International side and get some confidence back. They say that there are too many middle order players so to fit them all in so some have to move about. That's not how a test team should be picked. If a middle order batsmen isn't quite as good as another middle order batsmen you don't make room for him by putting him at the top of the order. Opening batsmen should be two of the first players picked and they should ALWAYS be specialist opening batsmen.
The decision to promote Mills was a shocker. Vettori said after the game that they had no fear of the wicket and felt they could chase anything under 250. Promoting a number 10 batsmen to number three tells me that they were very worried about the wicket. The batsmen are immediately going to think that they're playing on a mine field when a lower order player is sent in ahead of them to protect them. And it would have given SA a huge lift. Straight away they see that NZ was worried and didn't back their top order to get the job done.

There was a real power shift in the New Zealand side when John Bracewell become coach. Stephen Fleming had a lot of control within in the side and the coach was more like a manager. Bracewell has taken that control from Fleming and to me it seems that players either do things his way or they're not wanted. I don't think that it's any coincedence that Fleming's batting has gone down hill since Bracewell has been the coach. A few seasons ago we were thinking that Fleming had finally come of age. He was starting to make some big scores and looked like he was finally ready to dominate the way we all knew that he could.
We don't have many quality opening batsmen in this country, but both Papps and Vincent have been in good form. I have no idea why those two weren't the opening batsmen in this test. While Vincent said that he would rather bat down the order he also said that he would bat anywhere to play for his country. A view that has been expressed in the media here recently is that Bracewell picks the younger players because they are easier to control. Maybe that's why Vincent has been left out.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. Well done South Africa. They did well to turn things around on the last two days and deserved their victory. Hopefully our guys can turn things around in the next test and square the series.


[Just remembered that Vincent wasn't available for this test because he had a child on the way. Oops, my bad. Doesn't explain why he didn't play against the Windies though.]

 

[WG.]

That is poor, we dominate the first three days and skrew up the rest.

Hopefully Bond plays the next test. Hopefully we win the toss and Hopefully we get to play on a decent pitch and Hopefully umpire decisions go with us rather than against.

Hopefully the team will play better...

 

[Gibbsrules]

LOL STEYN THE NEXT ALAN DONALD!!!!!!

Laugh all you want.He is already firing up,it was his first international game in a while.Not long before he shows what he is really capable of.

 

[alfa_beta]

Steyn has the pace, let's see whether he has the control (over line and length), variety, temperament and attitude to match Donald.

Laugh all you want.He is already firing up,it was his first international game in a while.Not long before he shows what he is really capable of.

 

[irottev]

He has a long way to go yet. We will see how he goes next up.

I agree with ya Green. But I really don't mind that we are losing tests and putting them behind ODI's so long as we challenge the World Cup. If after all this, we end up not making the cut in the World Cup, I think we can say goodbye to Bracewell.

I can't understand the openers selections either. I like a team with Styris, Astle and Oram but it doesn't look like we can fit them unfortonatly. I don't like How, he seems to go out playing silly shots, like he can't help himself. I don't know why Fleming just can't open for the remaining 2 tests. This is what I would like to see.

Papps, Fleming, Fulton, Styris, Astle, Oram, McCullum, Vettori, Franklin, Mills, Bond

If Fleming still won't open I guess we have to stick with How and drop Mills. Bond, Franklin, Oram, Vettori, Stryis, Astle is still a satisfactory attack. Infact I think I perfer this line up.

 

[Gibbsrules]

What happened to Lou Vincent,he looked good down here in the ODI series?

 

[irottev]

Child Birth is one reason.

The main one though I think is that he said he would rather bat in the middle order. So the coach dropped him. He will be back after thiws disaster. Unfortonatly we don't play enough test matches. We have to start from scratch before every test series.

 

[genghis_khan]

has Shane Bond broken down again?

i saw an article link saying Mason has been added to the squad as cover for him.

hmmm he's like a spluttering old car that boy.

 

[irottev]

Hes not broken down, just a knee niggle which hes trying to get rid of.

I hope he plays.

I think we need to drop a bowler for Papps. Marshall needs to be dropped for How probably.

 

[James219]

All I'm aware of is the knee injury that prevented his participation in the First Test....I hope he does play in the upcoming match though, it'll be good to see two full strengh sides in contest, as the captains will have all at their disposal and how they manage their side will be interesting.

 

[irottev]

He got the Knee problem on Eden Park. The run ups were soft and his Knee got all tender afterwald. He has been playing with it a little funny but has decided to try get rid of it i would think.

 

[jdbais]

Why is there such a big gap between the first and seconds tests? It will just give time for Bond to recover.

 

[irottev]

We ll including the tour match. Thats 2 tests with 3 or so days in between with a week break in between.

I think thats probably 1 reason, you know, the whole player burnout thing.

Plus another is probably so that all 3 tests could be played over a weekend for better crowd sizes.

I really hope Bond recovers.

 

[aussie1st]

Finally Gibbs has been shown the door for his poor form. Squad for SA
Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, Andrew Hall, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/rsavnz/content/current/story/245089.html

Also looks like Marshall won't be opening. At last Bracewell has seen the light. May as well give Papps a go.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=4&ObjectID=10378559