New Zealand in South Africa

[jordox]

We can still save ourselves massive embarrassment, but not the game.

Nope, looks like a massive embarrassment is on the cards.

And you see, the pitch is a belter but once again, the New Zealand batsman remain poor and its 3 for 50 odd.

Too easy

 

[irottev]

It is too easy, because we last played a test in December last year and there was another big gap between those the the ons before as well. Plus all our test players were on ODI duty during the domestic season. These players havn't played tests for almost a year. Some havn't batted for months at all.

Now we have two injured bowlers because they've ended up having to bowl more then they're used to in 3 days in a row. Brilliant. Papps must be injured as well, since he didn't open. I don't think we'll even have an eleven for the second test.

I was going to say we'll do better ODI's, because we have a better side, however, we have 2 key players gone now. :/ Maybe Oram will return.

Our batting side hasn't sorted it'self out yet. We lost Richardson, Cairns, Astle, Marshall and McMillan all in the last few years. That's a hell of a lot of experience and skills there.

My eleven for the second test. Fly over Matthew Sinclair (who should have been in the first test starting eleven let alone the test touring squad) and Andre Adams

Cumming
Vincent
Fleming
Sinclair
Styris
Taylor
McCullum
Vettori
Gillespie
Mason/Patel
Martin


Papps and OBrien were major weak links in the tour matches and in this game. Bring in Vincent for Papps and bring in Sinclair for Oram, move Styris and Taylor down the order where they should be. Mason to replace OBrien, Mason is a better bowler plus has experience we are now missing without Bond. Gillespie gives us pace. The only problem is, we have no 5th bowler, so Styris may have to bowl a bit more. With our batting so bad, we're going to need the batsman more then the bowler. Styris/Sinclair will just have to bowl medium pacers if needed. I wish I could fit Adams in.

 

[Dare]

congrats to Kallis, 9000 runs and counting :hpraise , probably gona end up with 1000+ runs in both forms of the game plus all the wickets.

 

[Will_NA]

Is there a more boring batsman in the world than Hashim Amla?

To be outscored comfortably by Jacques Kallis is pretty incredible (although Kallis was scoring at a fair rate of knots).

He is a decent player but his unwillingness to attack even on a belter of a pitch will only take him so far. I might have missed some of his attacking moments seeing as I couldn't bring myself to watch for more than an over at a time.

 

[irottev]

Amla is pretty boring. I can't believe Kallis doesn't have a 200.

Does Cozier ever shut up about the West Indies. STFU! I hate listening to him. Easily up there as one of the worlds most annoying and most un-interesting commentators.

Maybe Chris Martin scan help put on a 400 run stand later on...

Oram is actually looking pretty good. Great, we're losing our only in-form batsman through injury.

 

[angryangy]

It is too easy, because we last played a test in December last year and there was another big gap between those the the ons before as well. Plus all our test players were on ODI duty during the domestic season. These players havn't played tests for almost a year. Some havn't batted for months at all.

Now we have two injured bowlers because they've ended up having to bowl more then they're used to in 3 days in a row. Brilliant. Papps must be injured as well, since he didn't open. I don't think we'll even have an eleven for the second test.

I was going to say we'll do better ODI's, because we have a better side, however, we have 2 key players gone now. :/ Maybe Oram will return.

Our batting side hasn't sorted it'self out yet. We lost Richardson, Cairns, Astle, Marshall and McMillan all in the last few years. That's a hell of a lot of experience and skills there.

My eleven for the second test. Fly over Matthew Sinclair (who should have been in the first test starting eleven let alone the test touring squad) and Andre Adams

Cumming
Vincent
Fleming
Sinclair
Styris
Taylor
McCullum
Vettori
Gillespie
Mason/Patel
Martin


Papps and OBrien were major weak links in the tour matches and in this game. Bring in Vincent for Papps and bring in Sinclair for Oram, move Styris and Taylor down the order where they should be. Mason to replace OBrien, Mason is a better bowler plus has experience we are now missing without Bond. Gillespie gives us pace. The only problem is, we have no 5th bowler, so Styris may have to bowl a bit more. With our batting so bad, we're going to need the batsman more then the bowler. Styris/Sinclair will just have to bowl medium pacers if needed. I wish I could fit Adams in.

I can't quite see why Vincent and Sinclair were over looked, Peter Fulton could have been useful as well.

Papps and Cumming may have had a good season in NZ domestic cricket, but neither seems consistent enough to get that sort of faith where they come back to the side time and time again. If Sinclair has become a part of plans again, as the news was a while ago, why did he not make the trip? I know it sucks to rate Test ability on ODI experience, but Vincent and Fulton really do have good credentials, better than Papps, Cumming or How.

Additionally, NZ have been under a consistent talent drain over the last few years, with Richardson, Cairns, Astle and McMillan now gone, Fleming soon to be so and one Chris Harris seems to have played his last international. They need to start pushing more youths into the side. Neil Broom? Greg Hay? I've heard these players might be able to bring a bit of strength. Although the search for batsmen who can average 40 at Test level is important, they do still have plenty of able established players to chose from.

With Bond, Franklin and Oram all down, NZ should definitely take to the unorthodox method and use Patel with Vettori. Such bowlers can at least maintain pressure. It will be easier to bowl them for long spells and they might just take a few wickets.

 

[icyman]

Open the bowling with Jeetan Patel.
NZ used to open with Dipak Patel in the 1992 World Cup.

 

[irottev]

That might be a decent idea. or at least bringing on Patel early.

Fulton is injured, he's almost recovered and I think will be right for the CH ODI series with the Aussies. Fulton is one of our more solid test batters. He has a domestic 300 so he has the necessary patience and can play all day. Kyle Mills and Franklin areour other injuries. Mills is back up and running and will be ready for the ODI's though. Franklin is out which is annoying because he's a good all-rounder.

Sinclair being dropped is baffling, because he actually got some good starts in our last few test series. I don't even think we have him contracted. He must be getting annoyed and soon enough we'll lose him as well.

Vincent may not want to open, and I dunno how he'd go, but he has enough skill at least.

Broom seems a good prospect, I dunno much about Hay. One player who is young, who I do like and will open is Jamie How. Maybe for next time. He made the ODI side. Theres a guy Jesse Ryder, but think I remember hearing about him leaving. Dunno what he's doing.

Well done South Africa. The better side won. Good to see Vettori and Oram fighting at the end though. He's outscored all the top order so far this tour.

 

[.Mob]

Steyn was amazing, to say the least. Ross Taylor, I hope this guy gets like a double hundred or something, he's awesome.

 

[irottev]

Sinclair is on 141no on the first day of our domestic competition. Why is Jamie How on that plane over?

 

[kookaburra69]

Sinclair is on 141no on the first day of our domestic competition. Why is Jamie How on that plane over?

I wonder how the selectors are feeling:

 

[ivanvdm15]

man this is great stuff from SA steyn showing some really good form with ball and getting up to 149 kpm mark.

 

[ZexyZahid]

The 358 runs victory of South Africa was their largest margin of victory: http://stats.cricinfo.com/rsavnz/engine/records/team/largest_margins.html?class=1;id=3;type=team

I didn't think that would happen, when South Africa were bowled out for 228 runs in their innings. But a great effort of South Africa, especially from Kallis, Amla and Steyn.

 

[irottev]

man this is great stuff from SA steyn showing some really good form with ball and getting up to 149 kpm mark.

I remember being impressed with Steyn last time we played against him. He's one of the quickest bowlers in the world and very young.

I see Smith is criticizing the pitch. That's a big statement too after winning so easily. I respect that, because it's easy to say it when you lose but not so much when you win.


-> By the way. Matthew Sinclair is still unbeaten on 189*. He's been out in the middle all day minus 4 balls, he's faced over 300 balls. THAT is what we need. He's also played the long innings before for us in Tests. He had better make the XI against Bangladesh when they tour here.

 

[angryangy]

The only good reason is if the selectors need an indication that he has desire to play. Even then it is fairly pointless. Even though the NZ system can be a bit divergent from Tests in terms of results, the guys who average 40+ in NZ domestics are usually the most reliable and it's those good ones who are the ones that you stick with and keep close. Instead, it seems like they've dropped Sinclair every time he might have gotten comfortable in the side.