**Official** New Zealand in South Africa

[BeeGee]

Ryder
Guptill
Williamson
Taylor
Elliott
McCullum (wk)
Franklin
NcCullum
Southee
Mills
McClenaghan

??

Ryder/Guptill
McCullum (wk)
Williamson
Taylor
Elliott
Munro/Watling
Franklin
NcCullum
Southee
Mills
McClenaghan

I still think McCullum's best position is as an aggressive opener.

 

[Days of Grace]

Watling has to play in the top order or not play at all. Hasn't got the power game to be effective at no.6/no.7.

 

[jcas0167]

Yes, perhaps Hamish Marshall too


I never would have expected him to return at nearly 34 and bat well at international level again. Not after the lack of runs for Wellingtron.

He'd been in good form in HRV Cup. As I said on 9 January about his selection

He's been doing ok in the HRV Cup, some quick fire efforts in the middle order. Also, I think the wickets there will suit his batting, as the Australian ones did in 2008/2009. Plus he adds some brains and maturity to the side. I think it's a pretty sensible selection and expect he will do very well.

The comparison above to a guy like Twose seems a good one. Also, Andrew Alderson in the Herald on Sunday today compared him to Coney in that he is pretty average domestically, but has a good temperament for international matches. I think his style suits the bouncier wickets too, he struggled on the slower sub-continent wickets and that's when he was dropped last time.

 

[Briony]

McCullum said winning the ODI series was good compensation after a terrible tour. Don't think he should let this success obscure the poor test performances. Can't think of too many times that the kiwis were that noncompetitive in a test series.

 

[jcas0167]

McCullum said winning the ODI series was good compensation after a terrible tour. Don't think he should let this success obscure the poor test performances. Can't think of too many times that the kiwis were that noncompetitive in a test series.

I think there will be plenty of people to remind them I think the tests were useful in identifying that Brownlie & Watling had what it takes. I wish they'd tried Bruce Martin & maybe Mitchell McLenaghan in the second test. Patel and Wagner will have slipped down the pecking order.

 

[Briony]

I think there will be plenty of people to remind them I think the tests were useful in identifying that Brownlie & Watling had what it takes. I wish they'd tried Bruce Martin & maybe Mitchell McLenaghan in the second test. Patel and Wagner will have slipped down the pecking order.

Yes useful from that point of view. Wagner doesn't look up to it; McLenaghan showed glimpses in the shorter forms and would have benefited from an outing. Martin may have been a better option than Patel. Watling's success means they may use Ronchie as a batsman.