West Indies tour of New Zealand

[irottev]

Agreed. I'd rather see Broom. All these young players isn't a good idea at the same time.

Broom is still pretty young but has much more experience. His record is very reasonable too.

 

[Howsie]

Let me get this straight? You want a guy who only just scored his first domestic century and has a first class average of 25 to open the batting for us? I'm glad you're not a selector.

Oram can't bowl, i'd rather have him playing a full part in the ODIs. Tests aren't as important for us, our ranking is horrible.

Guptil will be playing for NZ before the end of the summer.

 

[nikhil_99]

Vettori bowled very well,his figures are awesome (25overs,7M,56runs,6wickets),NZ still lead by 69,when will they declare?For them what target is a safe target?

 

[Chewie]

Well there's a min of 98 overs to be bowled tomorrow so I would think we would want to declare with a lead of 200-250; scoring heavily and fast in the first session. Or it could end up like the Bangladesh test where we just aimed for a draw.

 

[irottev]

Guptil will be playing for NZ before the end of the summer.

I certainly hope not. How can you justify selecting a guy who's scored 1 hundred and who average 20. How's he going to go in Internationals against Brett Lees, Dale Steyns etc.

Matthew Bell has over 20 hundreds as opposed to 1 and scored another good 80ish today. No one deserves the other spot more.

 

[King Pietersen]

Guptil will be playing for NZ before the end of the summer.

You'll be in trouble if he does. He only averages 25 in FC cricket, with no hundreds and only 5 fifties. Going for him would be an incredible backward step. McIntosh doesn't even look good, and he's got a FC average of 34 with 13 hundreds, so going for someone who's stats don't even remotely warrant a call-up would be baffling. Matthew Bell and Jamie How would be my 2 choices for the Test openers. I do like How, give him time and he'll come good. He's got alot of talent, and just needs to iron out a few problems and he'll be good. Bell's been magnificent in NZ domestic cricket as well, and although he looked completely out of his depth against England, it was only 1 bad series, I'd give him another go.

Just to check, this is the Guptil you're talking about isn't it?

 

[Crew of Black]

Bell just absolutely loses his technique at test level for some unknown reason, he has no idea where his off stump is at the top level as well as non-existant foot work and he's very limited with his shot selection. How isn't an opener, he would be a good no.3 but it seems that is Flynn's spot now, I guess some time in the state championship is needed to get himself right again.

There may be a reason for How to see out this series against the WI, but if he fails to get a 100 in the next test. Guptill is bound to get a few good scores especially with the way that pitch is playing at Eden Park between now and the 1st test against India he'll get a call up.

 

[irottev]

At least Bell was getting dismissed caught behind instead of How who gets bowled and caught in the covers playing away from his body.

No one deserves a place in the side more then Bell does. Technique isn't important. Look at Sehwag, one of the best openers in world cricket and he has no technique. Chanderpaul moves a metre before the ball's bowled. Technique is bollocks.

 

[Crew of Black]

Bell's problem is he has very little foot movement, he usually just plants his foot on middle stump and is always looking to move away on his back foot looking for the cut or pull shot. He'll get out a lot trying to reach outside his off stump or having the ball cutting back on him, especially from the left armers, hitting his pads due to not getting on top of the ball, because of his lack of footwork.

 

[Yogy]

It was an interesting day with West Indies batting well to finish just 25 runs short of the New Zealand total. The surprise package was the classic century by Taylor, who came in at a time when West Indies were struggling at 173/6 and today was his day as he smashed every one all round the park. Chanderpaul also played patiently for his 76 and was the last one to get out. Vettori was the pick of the bowlers for Kiwis by taking 6/56. New Zealand have started the second innings badly by losing 2 quick wickets.

 

[Dare]

lets see if Edwards can pass the 100 wicket total and join his half brother Pedro Collins at 100+ wickets for WI. He was expensive in the 1st innings but I hope that he can slow that down in the 2nd innings.

 

[irottev]

He won't this game. Won't be any play today i'd say. 95% sure they won't be able to deal with this amount of rain.

My eleven for the next game:

McIntosh
Bell
Flynn
Taylor (If can bat 100%, otherwise Fulton in this position)
Ryder
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Mills
O'Brien
Patel

I'd select Martin normally but looking at the domestic games at Napier, it's been spin friendly (as we can see from the England series where spinners took 14 wickets) and the West Indies were horrible against Vettori. 2 spinners could really destroy them. Mills deserves to keep his spot after bowling so well and accurately. Oram can't bowl so can's make the side. With 2 spinners we need an allrounder so Franklin stays. It's also where Southee got his 5for and the 77* so maybe he could play. It's difficult to select the bowling attack since Mills, O'Brien, Martin, Patel and Southee have all done a good job for us recently.

Bell just scored another good score so he's hit 2 hundreds and a fifty from 4 games averaging 90ish, is in excellent form so is perfect to take How's spot. Cumming hit a hundred at McLean Park so i'd support him being selected again.

 

[Dare]

man this test could have turned out to be something good but the weather has been crap and the drainage on the field is crap.

 

[Chewie]

He won't this game. Won't be any play today i'd say. 95% sure they won't be able to deal with this amount of rain.

Well that's the percentage that they said for Oram playing this game....

And I think the 12 selected for this test were meant to be the same twelve for the next test....

 

[Raj_Aryan]

Now even if rain stops here,it will be draw...we will have to wait for 2nd test for the series winner...