Woodster
International Captain
I just feel they allowed him to bowl as he pleased. I am not taking anything away from MSP who was controlled throughout the day, and I appreciate that How and Sinclair may not be the type of batsmen to hit over the top. If, and I know this is totally hypothetical and perhaps an unfair comparison, but if Australia were batting on that track there is no conceivable way that they would have allowed MSP to bowl how he did today without even attempting something to make him think about where he is going to bowl his next ball. I realise that is Aus and not NZ.MSP isn't the easiest bowler to go down the pitch to, due to the loop he tends to get. That's one of the biggest reasons for the control he offers, not only does he (on the occasions he isn't dragging too many down, as one or two people point-out he does too often sometimes) bowl in the right areas, he also has a natural attribute that makes it hard for batsmen to make difficult areas into easy ones.
Not to say no-one could do it successfully, obviously, but TBH I think the Kiwis adopted the right approach. This pitch is slow and there is some grip in it, meaning sitting on spinners is do-able, but attacking them is often a recipe for disaster. Additionally, none of How, Sinclair or Taylor are particularly adept at coming down the pitch to spinners. They kept MSP out without great difficulty, but I think he will offer more threat in the second-innings. Might be wrong, though, because I don't see the pitch getting any quicker, and it's already difficult enough for bowlers of any kind to extract that much out of it.
Had McCullum faced him longer I have a feeling he would have attempted to dominate. Like I say I'm not suggesting rash strokeplay, but I think they could have used their feet despite, as you say, the loop he manages to get. If players can use their feet to Murali and Warne, then they can use their feet to MSP.