*Official* Australia in New Zealand

[trapol]

Good luck Kane

Make us proud

 

[Mixmasterreece]

There's no way kane will play.

Good to get him in the side though to get a feel for it.

The sooner he's ready, the sooner we can stop going back to tired old dogs like Skippy and Cumm-diddy.

 

[GGG]

Hamilton is likely to take some turn so Dave is a given ahead of Kane. Asking the young guy to come in and bat against these guys, some say is a big ask. Ask him to play as a part-time spinner if Dave doesn't play - then that's a step too far. They are hardly likely to play both.

Paddy says it's a good time to expose him to the team environment - hardly a hint that he will make the 11.

Test matches are also a step to far for Patel.

 

[Athlai]

Disagree Dave was our best bowler against India a few years ago, hes just taken several steps back since then. Still probably going to be a better option than half the seamers we have trundling about. Never thought I'd miss O'Brilliant so much.

 

[NZTailender]

The sooner he's ready, the sooner we can stop going back to tired old dogs like Skippy and Cumm-diddy.

Cumming hasn't played a Test since 2008, and I'm not the only one who would happily welcome him back into the side at the moment.

 

[_Ed_]

Cumming hasn't played a Test since 2008, and I'm not the only one who would happily welcome him back into the side at the moment.

I wouldn't mind seeing him back either, but it would be a bit harsh on McIntosh to drop him now that he's showing such improvement, and dropping Watling now might have a Sinclair-esque impact on the rest of his career.

 

[NZTailender]

1. McIntosh 2. Cumming 3. Watling 4. Taylor 5. Skippy 6. Guptill

 

[trapol]

To me its obvious

NZ need to win. we've just proved that with 4 seamers we couldnt get 10 wickets let alone 20 plus with Tuffey out and Patel likely to play i think Hamiltons wicket will likely be a turner (or it should be anyway)

So my team if by some miracle I suddenly became a selector would be

McIntosh, Watling, Sinclair, Taylor, Guptill, Williamson, B Mac, Vettori, Patel, Arnel, Martin

So only 2 seamers and 2+1 spinners.

Its our only chance

Over and out

 

[SmityNZ]

1. McIntosh 2. Cumming 3. Watling 4. Taylor 5. Skippy 6. Guptill

Interested as to why you'd move Vettori from 6, when he was the main producer of our runs in the last Test and for that matter over the last 2 years?

Skippy is a waste of time - we know what we're going to get. At least with Guptill you can see it may lead to a fruitful career in international cricket. Anyone remember that bloody painful innings Skippy played at the Basin v Bangladesh, where he nicked everything and anything but the Bangers refused to catch him?

 

[Days of Grace]

Don't really mind which way they go but whatever happens we must have someone who can bat at no.8, whether than is Vettori or Williamson.

No matter what bowling combination you pick, we can't win because we can't take 20 wickets. I will happily take on an avatar bet if we bowl Australia out just once this series.


If Patel is selected to bat at no.8, then I'll scream.

Hoping for Sinclair to be selected. I'm an unashamed fan.

Crowe's argument for Williamson not being selected is unsound because a) there is no out-and-out fast bowler who will knock his block off, and b) there is a one-off test not a four-match series. If you fail in one test, what's the big deal, compared to failing in every innings of a four-match series?

 

[Bahnz]

Crowe's argument for Williamson not being selected is unsound because a) there is no out-and-out fast bowler who will knock his block off, and b) there is a one-off test not a four-match series. If you fail in one test, what's the big deal, compared to failing in every innings of a four-match series?

a) You do remember that Mitchell Johnson broke Graeme Smith's hand and split Jacques Kallis' chin right?

b) Perhaps true, but being shown to be wildly out of your depth isn't really helpful either. If he has to be selected this year, would prefer it to be on one of the winter tours.

 

[Howsie]

Anyone listening to Radio Sport right now, Matt Gunn's been stood up by Greatbatch and he's just tearing into the black caps management and team, "pack of losers" apparently

 

[SmityNZ]

Anyone listening to Radio Sport right now, Matt Gunn's been stood up by Greatbatch and he's just tearing into the black caps management and team, "pack of losers" apparently

I heard it - absolutely embarrassing. Given Matt Gunn's cringe-worthy interviewing style, I wouldn't be keen either. His 'chat' with Williamson was awful.

 

[Bahnz]

Apparently the selectors are discussing bringing another seamer into the squad. As far as I can tell, given the swathe of injuries that have hit domestic cricket this year, there are only two real options. They can go for the next best performer in domestic cricket, Graeme Aldridge. Problem with that is he's just another right arm medium who'll add nothing to the squad. The other option would be to go for the leading left arm seamer, Michael Bates, who'll add an extra dimension to the attack, but has only had a passable season (31 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 28.54 and a strike rate of 61.3). There really isn't anyone else who isn't either injured or in piss poor form.

 

[Days of Grace]

a) You do remember that Mitchell Johnson broke Graeme Smith's hand and split Jacques Kallis' chin right?

b) Perhaps true, but being shown to be wildly out of your depth isn't really helpful either. If he has to be selected this year, would prefer it to be on one of the winter tours.

a) that was on fast South African wickets, and when Mitch was in fine fettle. Hardly comparable to a flat Hamilton deck and in Mitch's current form. You're forgetting he took 1/100 in NZ's second innings in the first test.

b) What the **** is all this talk about Williamson being shown to be "wildly out of his depth", as if it's a given? Absolute nonsense. Just play the kid, FFS, I'm sick of talking about the merits of playing him or not.

 

[Bahnz]

a) that was on fast South African wickets, and when Mitch was in fine fettle. Hardly comparable to a flat Hamilton deck and in Mitch's current form. You're forgetting he took 1/100 in NZ's second innings in the first test.

b) What the **** is all this talk about Williamson being shown to be "wildly out of his depth", as if it's a given? Absolute nonsense. Just play the kid, FFS, I'm sick of talking about the merits of playing him or not.

He looked pretty good during the one dayers. Just because he struggled with the wind in one wellington test doesn't mean he's in hopeless form. And there are suggestions that the pitch at Hamilton has a bit more life in it than anyone was expecting.

As for the other, he's 19, has never faced a bowling attack anywhere close to the pace and quality that the aussies have on offer, and his performances in the longer form of the game this season have been mixed. I never suggested that it is certain that he'll be found out, but there's a good chance of it. So yeah, I'm not entirely won over by the "FFS she'll be right, mate!" argument.

 

[Days of Grace]

My reasoning is that this test is going to be a loss, unless weather plays a part, because a) we don't have the bowling to bowl Australia out even once and b) our batsmen can't bat enough time to save the test. Both are my predictions, but they are pretty sound ones.

That means we should take whatever positives we can from this match. If Williamson comes off, we have just found a new batsman. If he fails, then we can just write it off as a dud match. There is no way he will be "found out" in just one match.

 

[Bahnz]

My reasoning is that this test is going to be a loss, unless weather plays a part, because a) we don't have the bowling to bowl Australia out even once and b) our batsmen can't bat enough time to save the test. Both are my predictions, but they are pretty sound ones.

That means we should take whatever positives we can from this match. If Williamson comes off, we have just found a new batsman. If he fails, then we can just write it off as a dud match. There is no way he will be "found out" in just one match.

You see, Williamson isn't necessarily going to be able to "just write it off", particularly if he takes a couple of bad knocks or gets really humiliated. Yes people crap on about how mature he is, and how he's ready, but people said the same about Tim Southee a couple of years back, and we've all seen how being promoted to international cricket has buggered both his technique and his confidence.

So yeah, I basically take a diametrically opposed view to yours. If we're bound to lose this match, what's the point of risking a young player's future in it? We've got a tour of bangladesh coming up later this year, and pakistan at home next year and given their recent performances in the last 6 months, either of those seem like a much more ideal introduction for a young player.

 

[Hurricane]

Greatbatch said teenage Northern Districts batsman Kane Williamson had been discussed around the selection table but despite his hot domestic form, a cautious approach was taken.

"At the moment the selection panel don't feel like it's his time. He's scoring runs at first-class level and he still hasn't played two full years of first-class cricket.

"If he keeps scoring them we've got some winter trips so he may be an option later on."

I made my peace with him not being picked. And now suddenly he is in. This is a total about face by Greatbatch and the selectors.

Why the sudden change of heart. We lost. Did Vettori think he would win and was dissapointed. He has seen our batting first hand for the past three years. Shouldn't we be persisting with the current batting line up. Most of them are very inexperienced and need more chances.

I doubt they are bringing in Kane as an additional batsman see Vettoris comment on cricinfo

"I think it needs a run-scoring extra batsman," Vettori said when asked if the team needed another specialist. "It's all well and good to pick someone. Most of our runs came from Brendon [McCullum] and myself, so if we brought another batsman in it would just push us down. Whether that is the right answer or not, I'm not sure."

So if they are not bringing him in as an additional batsman then he would have to replace one of the inexperienced players.

I am not anti Kane Williamson. I have been following him. I just see this as being inconsistent logic which seems to be prompted by a game we were always going to lose..

Anyways good luck to him if he plays. I will root for him if he gets a chance.

 

[Days of Grace]

Why do you think he's going to be "humiliated"??

Pretty strong words. And negative. And he's just as likely to take a couple of bad knocks as Vettori is with the bat. By all accounts his technique is sound, so I highly doubt he is more likely to take a knock on the head just because he's 19.