**Official** New Zealand in England

[Julian87]

I know there are plenty of injuries, but the continued selection of Marshall and Hopkins for NZ is beyond a joke.

Kiwi fans must be happy they can see the Bracewelless horizon.

 

[Bahnz]

I know there are plenty of injuries, but the continued selection of Marshall and Hopkins for NZ is beyond a joke.

Kiwi fans must be happy they can see the Bracewelless horizon.

Bracewell isn't the only one doing the selecting though. Really, the entire makeup of the selection committee needs to be looked at.

 

[Leslie1]

Bracewell isn't the only one doing the selecting though. Really, the entire makeup of the selection committee needs to be looked at.

I agree, Braces should be chastised for disillusioning the public, but I think Nash should be held more accountable for his lack of vision. I always like Hadlee's selections (Southee, Flynn) but not sure about Turner.


Flynn... not too much pressure... looks increasingly likely to fill the troublesome number 3 spot.

AND GRANT ELLIOTTTTTTTTTTT is back. Damn.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

CHICKEN BONES are part of a CHICKEN.

If chicken is "cricket" then ODI's are part of cricket. Glad you finally came around, SS.

 

[silentstriker]

CHICKEN BONES are part of a CHICKEN.

If chicken is "cricket" then ODI's are part of cricket. Glad you finally came around, SS.

 

[_Ed_]

AND GRANT ELLIOTTTTTTTTTTT is back. Damn.

Indeed. This is a concern.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Indeed. This is a concern.

Still better than Northern Districts finest, James Marshall.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

CHICKEN BONES are part of a CHICKEN.

If chicken is "cricket" then ODI's are part of cricket. Glad you finally came around, SS.

Indeed. Without the bones, there would be no life in the chicken.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

AND GRANT ELLIOTTTTTTTTTTT is back. Damn.

FFS!!!
Better than Marshall, but that aint saying much.

Surely its better to go with an extra bowler than a crap all-rounder, if you can even call him that.

 

[Days of Grace]

Don't know, actually.

He probably wouldn't do any worse then Styris did the other day.

And if he can bat reasonably and hit the ball at the end of the innings then he may be half decent.

We need the extra batsman. Can't have Hopkins and Vettori at no.6 and 7 FFS.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Don't know, actually.

He probably wouldn't do any worse then Styris did the other day.

But Styris is likely to do better than Styris did the other day.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

yea ya better to bring in chris martin, his and Elliott's batting qualities are very similar and Martin at leact can bowl aswell.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

But Styris is likely to do better than Styris did the other day.

Exactly, I'd rather have an out of form player who is actually capable of performing at the top level, rather than a Marshall or Elliot who are not.

 

[Leslie1]

Just bite the bullet Braces and put in Fulton.

How
McCullum
Flynn
Taylor
Fulton
Styris
Vettori
Mills
Southee
Patel
Mason

 

[Flem274*]

Man me and Athers should be defence lawyers. We're getting pretty good at defending the Black Caps.

Flynn, How and McCullum in the top order isn't a bad idea, all three have lots of talent and some guts as well.

And if we want to select a REAL bits and pieces player, I vote Brendan Diamanti. Grant Elliot is just a pretender I reckon (waits for Heaths response).

Leslie, Hay is not expendable. He owns ANY ND batsman you care to name, oh wait, you have none now Flynns gone, guess you'll have to settle for Marshall.

MY team for the next game:

Howitzer
McCullum
Taylor
Fulton
Styris
Flynn
Elliot
Vettori
Mills
Mason
Patel

I know I said Flynn would be a good idea up top but we already have plenty of top order blokes and Flynn has quite the SR in List A.

 

[Richard]

OPENER - WK

Why? What is with this obsession (thought it was just Duncan Fletcher, but evidently not) with having a wicketkeeper open the batting in ODIs? The best batsman of wicketkeepers should bat in his best position. In the case of approximately zero good wicketkeeper-batsmen in this country is opening their best position.

The gap is Mustard atm, but that's the gap.

Aaaaaarghhhhh. Mustard has had half a season of good performance - and people want him opening in ODIs. It's crazy. He's done nothing for most of his career at domestic level, including this year, and he's done nothing in ODIs apart from smack 80-odd on the most misshapen ground in The World.

Mustard should be nowhere near ODI selection IMO and never should have been.

Don't like Bopara at 4, think he's much more of a 6

Bopara's useless at six IMO, he just doesn't have the shots. I'm yet to be convinced he's useful at three\four either, but I'm far happier for him to bat there than at six.

TBH, I want him at three\four or not in the side at all.

 

[Flem274*]

England team:

Cook
Bell
Cheat (kidding, kidding...)
Colly
Bopara/Shah
Ambrose
Mascarenhas
Swann
Broad
Sidearse
Anderson

You'll notice no Luke Wright, good thing imo, even if Cook has no shoulder.

 

[Richard]

ICL-contracted though. Not really worth the can of worms he'd open.

What exactly is wrong with Tim Ambrose? You could argue that it was slightly harsh to drop Mustard on so few games I suppose, especially so soon after playing his best innings and the mere fact that it allowed England to play Dimitri instead of Wright, but ten games isn't the shortest lifespan really and calling for Ambrose's dropping after one game in which he faced one ball is hardly great process either.

Ambrose a good wicket keeper and he has a pretty good List A record with the bat, especially last season where he averaged over 70. Good overall technique too.

A couple of things:
1, Mustard was successful in 2007 and completely unsuccessful in 2008. And in the ODIs he played, too. This doesn't surprise me, as Mustard is a woefully poor batsman.
2, I'm happy for Ambrose to play this summer, and would be even if Read wasn't ICL-contracted, but I still think Read is probably a better one-day batsman than Ambrose. I wish he hadn't joined the ICL.

 

[Richard]

As i just said what he did before he 2007 season is irrelevant for me since before then he should never have been considered for England since before he didn't look international quality.

So let me get this straight - he shouldn't have been considered in 2005/06 (after he'd just had two half-decent seasons, 2004 and 2005) and should have in 2007 (when he'd had two poor ones, 2006 and 2007).

Prior has always been a poor one-day batsman. I've never rated him in the longer form all that much either, but especially in the one-day game he is poor. I never wanted him anywhere near ODIs, Read was always better (and better than Geraint Jones too), and it utterly beggared belief that he was picked as a specialist batsman, even though it was done after he'd had a couple of half-decent seasons.

 

[Leslie1]

Leslie, Hay is not expendable. He owns ANY ND batsman you care to name, oh wait, you have none now Flynns gone, guess you'll have to settle for Marshall.

I know I said Flynn would be a good idea up top but we already have plenty of top order blokes and Flynn has quite the SR in List A.

Give me two more domestic seasons and I will name you a fast bowler, an opener, and a number 3 from Australia.

Maybe even an Englishman.