New Zealand Tour of England - 2022

[wasteyouryouth]

50% of Zak Crawley's innings he has failed to get to double figures.

Post automatically merged: Jun 26, 2022

 

[Aislabie]

Nope. Just his usual thick dismissal.

Seriously though it was a much worse innings than I'm used to for him

 

[Ed Smith]

View attachment 267796

Seriously though it was a much worse innings than I'm used to for him

Helped by the fact he also managed to get rid of Lees 1st

 

[Ed Smith]

YJB is serious

 

[beechcroft]

England beating New Zealand 3-0 in a series? I feel like I'm back in the 60's and 70's.

 

[Velocity]

Kind of shocking to see NZ get beat like that considering their form last year. Lost the tour game, lost three games whilst the bowlers' getting butchered in the fourth innings run chases. Had zero answers when they were on the backfoot, and exposed their handling and selection of their spinners. And they so often were on the front foot with their pace battery in last year or so. Bracewell playing mainly as a spinner is baffling and that Ajaz was given up on so easily when he took a 10fer in his second last outing. The Bazball storm caught them totally off guard.

The biggest thing that's improved for England is the mindset change. Bairstow has been a massive beneficiary of a result of that attitude change. Feel like his form still masks the bigger problems in England's XI. The openers and the constant rotation policy, time will tell if that policy still works under Baz. Interested to see how England will do in Pakistan, they'll probably make 1000 runs in an innings on those dead pitches

 

[Aislabie]

the bigger problems in England's XI

 

[Bevab]

So it is time to do a post-series analysis of this Black Caps team because why not?

• It is hilarious that they not only gave Michael Bracewell a debut here after he was moderately successful versus Netherlands but also gave him a central contract ahead of their previous ODI WC star all-rounder. And to be fair to him? I think this will ruin him in some form permanently. He did not sign up for this fiasco and now has to face the entire criticism of this tour going haywire from all corners. He was a former keeper turned part time spinner. He’s been bowling for what, 2-3 years? His FC record has been mediocre till date, he was in poor form recently in domestic red ball cricket and was arguably only making the side because he was captain and he gets called up? Not only that but he gets to play ahead of Ajaz Patel after just two overs from the latter? Imagine being Ajaz, barely playing on home grounds and being only used on away tours sporadically with the exception of Asia where you’re supposed to bowl to players who have faced countless overs of spin. Inspite of all of this, he took the initiative to become a much better spinner, he played county cricket to further his career and hone his skills and has shown visible and remarkable improvement over the last few years. It sends an awful signal out to the rest of the blokes in domestic cricket if this is the treatment that an international spinner gets despite putting in the yards. Honestly at this point if I were Ajaz I’d just go do a Jeetan Patel.
• Similarly, I don’t understand the rationale behind not having Phillips and Ravindra in this team. They’re both better spinners and have also showed glimpses of quality in their short period with the NZ side. Heck, Phillips is a keeper turned part time spinner too. He also has the benefit of years to come to develop further, something that Bracewell doesn’t. Ravindra in particular should be given plenty of backing, all-rounders seldom blossom as quickly and he has shown boundless potential to fill in two roles that NZ desperately need to.
• Williamson’s decision to not do the surgery for his shoulder seems more and more stupid with each passing day. I know that he has far more data to make this decision compared to an armchair expert like me but he looks like a shadow of his former self. Latham also seems like he’ll never be better than poor versus quality opposition. A shame as he showed some impressive chops initially as the skipper but like Quinny his ideas have gone stale quickly. I’d probably move Williamson to four, I’m surprised that he’s still sticking it out at three after Roscoe’s retirement. He’s their best bat on paper and pretty much every other Fab Four member has their spot at... four.
• Young is also not an opener. Conway looked far better as one but I’d argue that neither should be opening when Ravindra is there. Let Conway bat at three. Nicholls also seems like he’s perpetually out of form until he gets a couple of jammy innings’ in to secure his spot. I’d give him a real challenge and try one of Young or Phillips at five.
• Mitchell and Blundell’s success on the other hand has to be credited to the NZ backroom team. Mitchell in particular was never thought of as anything more than backup or stopgap and yet he has proved that he is to be an integral member of the first team in all formats going forward after being backed. Do think his bowling should be utilized more though.
• On the other hand though someone like Jamieson, the jewel in this star studded bowling attack looks to have declined from his initial self. He was under the tutelage of the current Irish coach for a year prior to his international duties and it does feel like he‘s taken steps back in his progression or at the very least stagnated. And despite only playing one test, Wagner seems cooked. I’m not sure of him continuing to push with Wagnerball anymore at his current pace and he seems more dangerous with the new ball and early swing upfront. Unfortunate for him that there’s another leftie who does the same job pretty well.
• Bin Henry. He blows too hot and cold for my liking and I’d argue that he is nothing more than a stopgap. The same goes for Tickner too who seems to be the backup to the backup. Get the likes of Nathan Smith (hard hitting all-rounder who bowls Southee pace) and Ben Sears (can bowl 140kph) involved ASAP. I’d still back Southee to come good but teams will now know that he can be thrown off guard by targetting him with aggressive cricket. Will be interesting to see how he bounces back from that.

This is probably the playing XI I’d like to see NZ try in the next few series’

1. Tom Latham
2. Rachin Ravindra
3. Devon Conway
4. Kane Williamson
5. Glenn Phillips
6. Daryl Mitchell
7. Tom Blundell
8. Kyle Jamieson
9. Tim Southee
10. Ajaz Patel
11. Trent Boult

Reserves: Young, Nicholls, Sears, Smith, CdG (once he’s fit I presume he’ll slot in for Phillips), Cleaver (backup keeper), Bruce (highest run-scorer last season but he seems like a domestic bully to me), Rippon (apparently passes the eye test and is now eligible but my preference would be Somerville).

 

[wasteyouryouth]

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Decent over

 

[Bevab]

He’s never getting dropped now (as if it was likely ever before).

 

[Believe]

He’s never getting dropped now (as if it was likely ever before).

Incorrect, as a spin bowler for NZ, and now having made a milestone, he will 100% be dropped, and will only bowl 2 over spells every 4th Test match. Glenn Phillips will now be our 1st choice spinner in all conditions. (Until he takes a hat-trick / 10 wickets, when he too, will be dropped.)

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Michael Bracewell at it again

 

[Bevab]

Michael Bracewell at it againView attachment 268603

The rest of the the British Empire doing their best to cheer the lad after England spanked him.