***Official*** Bangladesh in New Zealand

[Fiery]

With some of the selections I really have to wonder about that.

I want him at 3 for reasons I have already made clear, 5 is too late for Taylor IMO.

I think Fulton at 3 is the better option. I'm fine with Taylor at 5. Just needs to pull his head in a bit and make better decisions at the crease. Way too much premeditated **** from him atm

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Additonally, no one is saying Taylor is the complete package yet, and if they are, they're silly.

'We learn from our mistakes'.

It may seem weird in a Perm-backing-the-Tigers kind of way, but for the good of his improvement, given the situation of the game I'd rather he came in and did something technically wrong, feel sad about it, and try to fix it, than smack a bunch of streaky boundaries off good Banga balls to win the game and get a big head thinking he's a prodigy.

Anyways, lets look at How. He didn't look a million bucks or in any sort of form today, but he wasn't getting out for awhile either, and batting time in the middle. I like that, given I've seen him come in, play some flashy strokes, look great and then get out to a random ball.

The problem I have with Lou Vincent, is that when he isn't in form, he's just so dire, so often. I think I've seen Vincent make one good hundred along similar lines to How's innings today, and that's it.

How hasn't had a great run in tests, and I think the way he's going in ODI's right now is a great way to build his confidence back up at international level after being on the outer. If he makes another good score in this ODI series, I would have him opening the batting in the first test against the Tigers, giving no one is really cemented in that bracket yet. With luck he'll be in good touch and a good frame of mind when the English roll around.

 

[Athlai]

I think Fulton at 3 is the better option. I'm fine with Taylor at 5. Just needs to pull his head in a bit and take better options

I rate Fulton highly but I want him at 4 and Styris at 5, with How and McCullum beginning to apparently show a good openers temperament I think we don't need the safety of Fulton at 3, Taylor at 3 would be an aggressive move for me and I like it.

He has the talent, we should give him the chance to use it. 2 of his 3 centuries have come at 3 and he bats at 3 (I believe) in domestic cricket. The main case I have against him being there is Fulton is a great prospect too. I see him as being more reliable yet less magnificent, (in a slightly better than Styris type fashion), so I think 4 would be the best place for him.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

If Taylor tightens up his shot selection, he's our #3 for me. He's better with the powerplays hands down.

Fulton's #5 IMO. If our top 3 perish against good bowling, I'd back him righting the ship with Styris.

 

[Athlai]

Anyways, lets look at How. He didn't look a million bucks or in any sort of form today, but he wasn't getting out for awhile either, and batting time in the middle. I like that, given I've seen him come in, play some flashy strokes, look great and then get out to a random ball.

The problem I have with Lou Vincent, is that when he isn't in form, he's just so dire, so often. I think I've seen Vincent make one good hundred along similar lines to How's innings today, and that's it.

How hasn't had a great run in tests, and I think the way he's going in ODI's right now is a great way to build his confidence back up at international level after being on the outer. If he makes another good score in this ODI series, I would have him opening the batting in the first test against the Tigers, giving no one is really cemented in that bracket yet. With luck he'll be in good touch and a good frame of mind when the English roll around.

He seems to be answering the call of a Richardson (though to a lesser extent) mentally tough bastard which is good to see. Really enjoying him at the top of the order so far.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

I agree with your reasoning Athlai, but I think Styris is a better batsman with a better proven record now than he is given credit for, and we need him at #4 to build himself/the team a century innings with a big fat * at the end of it.

Fulton is a great prospect, but I see #5 as the better development slot for him in the side, while we milk an in form Styris.

 

[Athlai]

If Taylor tightens up his shot selection, he's our #3 for me. He's better with the powerplays hands down.

Fulton's #5 IMO. If our top 3 perish against good bowling, I'd back him righting the ship with Styris.

Exactly my train of thought, and I figure the best way for Taylor to learn is to be thrown into the fire. My choice of Fulton at 4 rather than Styris is just one of longevity rather than anything else in particular, though perhaps it would be wise to keep Styris in a preferred position till he's good and done.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Yeah I'll wager/hope Fulton will be #4 at some future point in his Blackcaps career!

 

[Fiery]

I rate Fulton highly but I want him at 4 and Styris at 5, with How and McCullum beginning to apparently show a good openers temperament I think we don't need the safety of Fulton at 3, Taylor at 3 would be an aggressive move for me and I like it.

He has the talent, we should give him the chance to use it. 2 of his 3 centuries have come at 3 and he bats at 3 (I believe) in domestic cricket. The main case I have against him being there is Fulton is a great prospect too. I see him as being more reliable yet less magnificent, (in a slightly better than Styris type fashion), so I think 4 would be the best place for him.

Maybe they should play it by ear on the day and have Fulton to bat at 3 if they lose an early wicket. A bit hard on both guys when it comes to mental preparation but never been big on that tbh...just get out there and bat

 

[Flem274*]

IMO Taylor should play at three with Fulton at four and Styris at five. He is an attacking weapon only at this point in his career and if he gets out early I back the other guys to get big runs, Fulton and Styris are heavily under-rated IMO. Number six is an issue but that is another post and subject entirely.

I think it would be really beneficial for Taylor to play County Cricket and tidy up his game. He has the talent but the tools aren't refined (Mental game, technique, batting pace etc). For now he should remain a one day specialist because he is not test class at this point in time and there are other batsmen who will do a better job in tests than him. Personally I think he could learn alot from Nathan Astle, a guy that relied mainly on absolutely outstanding hand-eye as well.

And because I'm from Taranaki I'm going to post a bit more on the Black Caps naki born opener (Damn you Palmy for stealing our opener ). Personally I think he and McCullum are an excellent combination. McCullum can attack safe in the knowledge How can resemble a brick wall if he has to. Once he gets the knack of turning the strike over those two will be a potent combination. How had a poor tour of Australia but he isn't the first young bloke to fail on his first tour to whichever nation is dominant at the time and he won't be the last. He'll only get better and better and McCullum can teach him alot about rotation of the strike. I predict How to get his breakthrough hundred this season.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Maybe they should play it by ear on the day and have Fulton to bat at 3 if they lose an early wicket. A bit hard on both guys when it comes to mental preparation but never been big on that tbh...just get out there and bat

I think we're saying that we don't want Fulton at 3 if we lose an early wicket. Think about it. We're batting first vs Australia. How is playing like he did today. Lets say McCullum didn't get going today and got a duck, not exactly unfeasable.

What we need then is Taylor to come in, in a positive mindset and smack it around picking up boundaries for the rest of the powerplay, not Fulton to come in and either A: Bat time with How, wasting the powerplay or B: Try and bat quickly off the mark, beause he isn't as good at it

Taylor has additonally shown he can go on to make good scores after the powerplays, so no problem there.

If we're having a top order collapse, Styris is someone who can come in at #4 and use the powerplay to get off the mark and ressurrect our innings. Fulton is somone you want in after the powerplays are over, getting off the mark. He can play a test-type game coming in anywhere in that middle period between the powerplays and the last ten overs, picking up singles, rotating the strike hitting the odd boundary off the bad ball.

 

[Fiery]

Still confused about Sinclair batting at 6. If he's in the team it's him who should be batting at 3, then Styris 4, Fulton 5 and Taylor 6 probably.

 

[Flem274*]

Still confused about Sinclair batting at 6. If he's in the team it's him who should be batting at 3, then Styris 4, Fulton 5 and Taylor 6 probably.

My perfect number 6 would be Lou Vincent if he was in form. he has all the qualities of a finisher: Self belief, speed, all the shots, puts the ball in gaps, good hitter.

 

[Fiery]

I think we're saying that we don't want Fulton at 3 if we lose an early wicket. Think about it. We're batting first vs Australia. How is playing like he did today. Lets say McCullum didn't get going today and got a duck, not exactly unfeasable.

What we need then is Taylor to come in, in a positive mindset and smack it around picking up boundaries for the rest of the powerplay, not Fulton to come in and either A: Bat time with How, or B: Try and bat quickly off the mark, beause he isn't as good at it

Taylor has additonally shown he can go on to make good scores after the powerplays, so no problem there.

mmm don't know if it's such a good idea to bring an attacking, and at times reckless, player like Taylor at 3 at the fall of an early wicket. All that would happen most of the time is you would lose another early wicket. Better to bring in someone like Fulton with a better defense to shore up the innings then get some momentum ready for guys like Styris and Taylor come in and capitilise on that

 

[Flem274*]

mmm don't know if it's such a good idea to bring an attacking, and at times reckless, player like Taylor at 3 at the fall of an early wicket. All that would happen most of the time is you would lose another early wicket. Better to bring in someone like Fulton with a better defense to shore up the innings then get some momentum ready for guys like Styris and Taylor come in and capitilise on that

The only weakness of Fulton's I can think of is the new ball and thats a very slight weakness too. Bring him in at four and he'll be a run machine which is what NZ need. I also think his SR is under-rated, he is devastating when he pushes the throttle down and he's also very calculating so he hits it into the right gaps. Yes I know he holed out today but it was his first game back and I expect a big summer from him.

 

[Fiery]

The only weakness of Fulton's I can think of is the new ball and thats a very slight weakness too. Bring him in at four and he'll be a run machine which is what NZ need. I also think his SR is under-rated, he is devastating when he pushes the throttle down and he's also very calculating so he hits it into the right gaps. Yes I know he holed out today but it was his first game back and I expect a big summer from him.

Fair call

 

[Flem274*]

Also, I think Taylor should play at number three because most of the times I've seen him hole out its been on the boundary. During powerplays there's only two or three bokes that need avoiding so he will have an advantage.

Also, if he continues crap form for say, the rest of the home season (this series and Englands tour) he should be dropped for his own good. We don't want another Hamish Marshall.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

I know what you mean, I got sick of all the good rugby players going to Wellington, so I moved there myself


I think it's a part of the modern ODI game that you have to be attacking early. Teams, especially when setting a total, must make good use of the fielding restrictions to get a good start going.

Obviously it's a different case on a fizzing pitch where survival is a priority and just batting out 50 is an achievement (Then again I've seen Taylor get CD home batting second on such a pitch at Pukekura park by coming in #3 and throwing caution to the wind)

But on a surface like we got today, there isn't much to say for running up the white flag straight away if we lost a single wicket, especially if we were the ones setting a total.

The first half of the Bangladesh innings was a perfect example of this theory. They lost 2 top order batsman cheaply, but Tamin and Ashraful did played exactly the way that Bangladesh needed to play, up until their batting collapse.

Bangladesh needed a Peter Fulton to come in and prevent a collapse after those two got out, not after their first 2 guys fell.

 

[Flem274*]

God Ashraful and Tamin were infuriating, they did play some excellent shots but there few a few lucky slogs too. I used most of my fingernails watching them.

 

[Fiery]

I know what you mean, I got sick of all the good rugby players going to Wellington, so I moved there myself


I think it's a part of the modern ODI game that you have to be attacking early. Teams, especially when setting a total, must make good use of the fielding restrictions to get a good start going.

Obviously it's a different case on a fizzing pitch where survival is a priority and just batting out 50 is an achievement (Then again I've seen Taylor get CD home batting second on such a pitch at Pukekura park by coming in #3 and throwing caution to the wind)

But on a surface like we got today, there isn't much to say for running up the white flag straight away if we lost a single wicket, especially if we were the ones setting a total.

The first half of the Bangladesh innings was a perfect example of this theory. They lost 2 top order batsman cheaply, but Tamin and Ashraful did played exactly the way that Bangladesh needed to play, up until their batting collapse.

Bangladesh needed a Peter Fulton to come in and prevent a collapse after those two got out, not after their first 2 guys fell.

Good stuff. I think we have a good one here lads