He also tonned up.Sinclair got an opening batsman out today.
Indeed, 300 runs @ 75 so far this season.He also tonned up.
Not as good as Franklin TBH.Indeed, 300 runs @ 75 so far this season.
Hey, chill. Everyone needs time.Doug Bracewell = rubbish.
Indeed. Seems like the perfectly made fast bowler. He's got the biomechanics and the functional strength (his training was shown on T20 finals day, IIRC). Always had some vague talent with the ball, but it is clear he has put in the work and it has paid off. Whereas Pont wrote the book on fast bowling, Napier holds the lesser known cliche of being the model of the book on fast bowling .Yes I saw Napier a few times for Essex last season, and he now has the kind of pace to make him a real handful, combined with the accuracy he is finding more consistently means he really is on the road to becoming a very good bowler. Think sooner or later a call up to the England ODI side may be coming his way. His death bowling is also of a good standard, mixing short balls with well directed yorkers.
I'm presuming the work he has put in with Ian Pont has assisted in building up his pace, and his physique would not look out of place on a rugby field. A bit like Darren Gough in that respect, very powerfully built. His run up is not rushed, he almost ambles in and puts everything into each delivery using his frame to gain pace.
Although he is yet to get a chance with the bat for Wellington, he is a more than handy lower order bat who can obviously be promoted up the order in the shorter forms.
Saw his injury for Essex at the end of the season and thought it was going to be worse than it actually turned out to be.
It will be interesting to see how he goes against CD, because even though I'm biased, we do have the best batting line up in the country atm. Auckland with their ICL players back would have been a good challenge for him too.I became a fan of Napier's bowling last season. His big, he bowls up to 90mph and swings the ball (not massively, but enough). He was carried off the 2008 English season in a stretcher and it would seem he is on the road to recovery, or has already fully recovered.
Looking at his performances in detail:
Vs Canterbury:
- Seemingly helpful pitch or poor opposition batting line up
- 12-3-19-0 coming on as fifth bowler
- 22-6-44-3 coming on first change
Vs Auckland:
- 533/5 dec. (Wellington) played 441/7 so likely flat pitch
- 32-9-52-4 coming on first change. Stand out performance for team. Second most overs bowled, most wickets taken, most economical.
Vs Northern Districts:
- Seemingly sporting wicket.
- 22-6-51-3 at first change.
- 22-10-38-2 opening the bowling. Given new ball ahead of Franklin.
He has got a lot of overs under his belt already and earned the new ball ahead of Franklin in one game. This is a considerable improvement from his career record of 176 wickets at 38.40 (economy rate of 3.72) and continuation of his good form in the English county season where he took 22 wickets at 25.77.