Craig
World Traveller
Following from the Australian, English, and West Indies teams, pick your New Zealand team for this 10 year period. It is for Tests, but feel free to chuck in a ODI squad if you wish.
1/ MH Richardson
2/ MJ Horne
3/ SP Fleming*
4/ NJ Astle
5/ CD McMillan
6/ CL Cairns
7/ BB McCullum+
8/ DJ Nash
9/ DL Vettori
10/ SE Bond
11/ SB O'Connor
Probably struggling here a little bit. Couldn't think of a decent opener to go with Richardson, I thought about Lou Vincent, then he wasn't a real opener, so I thought of Horne. Perhaps Vincent was a better choice. Guys like Craig Cumming and Aaron Redmond didn't perform/weren't good enough, Jamie How hasn't made the most of his chances and Tim McIntosh has played just two Tests and Mathew Sinclair or Stephen Fleming were not openers. And the less said about Matt Bell the better. It's crazy, I can easily recall seeing Horne's Test century v Australia in Hobart all the way back in 97/98
The middle order picks its self for mine, neither Ross Taylor or Jesse Ryder (TBF they haven't played a lot) have done anything to get in, even though I think Craig McMillan wasted his talent he still is worthy of a spot in my team and I think Nathan Astle is a no-brainer either..
Cairns, obviously gets in. I went with McCullum over Adam Parore is an interesting one, McCullum is very reliable with the gloves and IMO when he pulls his head in, has more talent with the bat so batting 6 or 7 is not an issue for mine. I went for Nash, a quality all-rounder who's all-rounder who was robbed by injury, and the no. 8 position suits him fine. Could easily be replaced by Jacob Oram and that would be a fair pick. Vettori, no-brainer, nearly 300 Test wickets, I know a couple of Kiwi posters on here don't rate him, but he had to be in there. Bond, well, another no-brainer (GAGF ICL). I also went for Shayne O'Connor, a quality left armer seam who could get the ball to swing back in and is another who lost his career to injury (he is only 35 ). Wasn't sure on who else to pick, maybe Chris Martin if you wanted to go left field 
There you go, I put my money where my mouth is and had a go, some questionable picks perhaps, and I could accept it if people disagreed. A few of them came from the era when I first got into cricket and as I got older I could remember the careers of Nash and O'Connor for example. I'm not sure if any of the younger Kiwi posters on here (and any non-Kiwis) will remember the careers of a few guys I picked, but feel free to pick otherwise (nor did I rely in stats when picking this side) and call me out on it.
So I have got my bit in before PEWS comes in here and rips my side to pieces
1/ MH Richardson
2/ MJ Horne
3/ SP Fleming*
4/ NJ Astle
5/ CD McMillan
6/ CL Cairns
7/ BB McCullum+
8/ DJ Nash
9/ DL Vettori
10/ SE Bond
11/ SB O'Connor
Probably struggling here a little bit. Couldn't think of a decent opener to go with Richardson, I thought about Lou Vincent, then he wasn't a real opener, so I thought of Horne. Perhaps Vincent was a better choice. Guys like Craig Cumming and Aaron Redmond didn't perform/weren't good enough, Jamie How hasn't made the most of his chances and Tim McIntosh has played just two Tests and Mathew Sinclair or Stephen Fleming were not openers. And the less said about Matt Bell the better. It's crazy, I can easily recall seeing Horne's Test century v Australia in Hobart all the way back in 97/98
The middle order picks its self for mine, neither Ross Taylor or Jesse Ryder (TBF they haven't played a lot) have done anything to get in, even though I think Craig McMillan wasted his talent he still is worthy of a spot in my team and I think Nathan Astle is a no-brainer either..
Cairns, obviously gets in. I went with McCullum over Adam Parore is an interesting one, McCullum is very reliable with the gloves and IMO when he pulls his head in, has more talent with the bat so batting 6 or 7 is not an issue for mine. I went for Nash, a quality all-rounder who's all-rounder who was robbed by injury, and the no. 8 position suits him fine. Could easily be replaced by Jacob Oram and that would be a fair pick. Vettori, no-brainer, nearly 300 Test wickets, I know a couple of Kiwi posters on here don't rate him, but he had to be in there. Bond, well, another no-brainer (GAGF ICL). I also went for Shayne O'Connor, a quality left armer seam who could get the ball to swing back in and is another who lost his career to injury (he is only 35
). Wasn't sure on who else to pick, maybe Chris Martin if you wanted to go left field There you go, I put my money where my mouth is and had a go, some questionable picks perhaps, and I could accept it if people disagreed. A few of them came from the era when I first got into cricket and as I got older I could remember the careers of Nash and O'Connor for example. I'm not sure if any of the younger Kiwi posters on here (and any non-Kiwis) will remember the careers of a few guys I picked, but feel free to pick otherwise (nor did I rely in stats when picking this side) and call me out on it.
So I have got my bit in before PEWS comes in here and rips my side to pieces
