***Official*** New Zealand in Australia 2011

[Flem274*]

Took five wickets in the opening FC round. Trent Boult blitzed Auckland with eight or nine in the match.

If Australia make mass changes and bring in a bunch of youngsters rather than old heads, I genuinely think that plays right into our hands tbh. Williamson, Southee, Dougeh etc have probably played against half of the new lot in youth cricket. It's why I hope they keep Hughes.

 

[Flem274*]

Ross Taylor against Australia, India and England

16 tests, 1377 @ 47.48 with 5 hundreds and 5 fifties at a strike rate of 62.

Lol at him performing well against three of the top four sides. South Africa was his debut series and he was pretty awful, but he was dropped and came back better for it.

 

[SteveNZ]

how's southee coming along?

Rusty by all accounts in his return but good to get a few overs under his belt. Has one more four-day game here, then Aust A over there before the Test. Injury permitting, he'll be a lot sharper by Brisbane.

 

[African Monkey]

Ryder vs Mitch (if he plays) will be interesting. The cover drive is bread and butter for Jess, but Mitch preys on batsmen trying to smash him through the covers.

More against the right hander that Johnson is effective with his half volley rubbish. Ryder should have no problems with him.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

It better be a Southee-Boult opening combo against Aussie in a couple of weeks....

 

[Mike5181]

Give Martin one test against Australia and if he doesn't perform then i think it's time to move on.

 

[Bahnz]

give martin one test against australia and if he doesn't perform then i think it's time to move on.

 

[Days of Grace]

No, I'm quite happy to keep Martin in the team for another 40 tests so he can get his 300th wicket.


As Vettori said, "He is one of our greatest" (crock of ****).

 

[Mike5181]

In the last two years he's taken 37 wickets @ 40.10. Now that we actually have options with Boult, Bracewell etc there is no reason for him to be an automatic selection. He's got his 200 wickets.

 

[Bahnz]

No, I'm quite happy to keep Martin in the team for another 40 tests so he can get his 300th wicket.


As Vettori said, "He is one of our greatest" (crock of ****).

And yet he's proven more effective and enduring than any other bowler we've had since Cairns retired. But whatever he's had one bad test in a row. Ditch the ****.

 

[SteveNZ]

I've been very pro Martin but I'm starting to come around on the fact it might be near his time. Based on the fact Southee and Bracewell are now automatic picks, and Boult appears like he deserves his chance - certainly ahead of McKay.

I'd be giving him the first Test at Brisbane unless he has been completely out of sorts for Auckland and doesn't improve in the warm-up match against Aust A. That might be Boult's best way of getting picked, presuming he makes the squad (he has to, surely).

Unless Martin shows enough against Australia, I wouldn't be playing him against Zimbabwe back here. Ideal place to ease Boult in (albeit on the State Highway extention in Napier. Seriously, we couldn't have played this at University Oval and given the Japies McLean Park minus a frontline spinner?)

 

[SteveNZ]

And yet he's proven more effective and enduring than any other bowler we've had since Cairns retired. But whatever he's had one bad test in a row. Ditch the ****.

Yeah, seriously. 201 wickets, a mere footnote in our illustrious history for sure.

 

[_Ed_]

IIRC, Martin's responded well to "this is your last chance" pressure in the past. I hope he does the same during the Australia series.

 

[Bahnz]

In the last two years he's taken 37 wickets @ 40.10. Now that we actually have options with Boult, Bracewell etc there is no reason for him to be an automatic selection. He's got his 200 wickets.

Setting aside for the moment the fact that Martin's average in the last two years has been bloated out by two admittedly terrible performances against Australia (and yes I realize that's who we're playing next), it's simply not true that we're suddenly over flowing with bowling options.

A 5fer against Zimbabwe, no matter how flat the track, isn't proof that Dougeh's ready for the step up. And the gulf between plunket shield and test cricket is so vast it's impossible to judge whether the likes of Boult and co. have what it takes based on a couple of domestic fivers. Southee is regarded as the best seamer in the country by a distance, and he's still only barely managed to average 40 in test cricket over the past couple of seasons.

I'm not saying that Martin should go on playing forever. One way or another this will be his last season for New Zealand. And I'm not saying he should be given a free reign to play every game this season no matter how well/poorly he's bowling. However to constantly call for his head on the basis that whoever's coming through must be better strikes me as blindly optimistic.

Martin's had one bad game. Bowlers do that from time to time. He's still been easily our most successful bowler of the last couple of years, even though he's still only been mediocre most of the time. We shouldn't be so desperate to toss that away at the first opportunity.

 

[Flem274*]

Southee can't be judged on his test average. He's a much better bowler now than he was in 2008 or 2009.

And say what you like about Doug's performance, he single handedly saved us from another glowing entry into our illustrious history whilst the buggers with 1200 FC wickets between them failed.

By all reports I've read today, Boult was bowling sharp and generating a lot of swing. There was a bit in the pitch for the bowlers early on at Rangiora and Auckland wasted it.

Martin also managed to drop a sitter from a rampant Reece Young.

Personally, I would retain all the seamers, move Vettori to six, and play Boult. We need as much strikepower as we can get, and we have to trust the batting line up because they have the quality to succeed. If Martin stuffs up in the next few games, then we can reassess from there.

 

[Flem274*]

I reckon Martin has one more explosive bag in him, and I reckon it will come against South Africa (if he plays). Smith is his bitch.

 

[_Ed_]

I like the sound of that. And then he can retire on a high and Wagner can come in and be the second coming of Hadlee.

It's OK to dream, right?

 

[Flem274*]

I'm not sold on Wagner tbh. With the way he bowls, if there's no movement for him he's going to be expensive. Really expensive. When he's on song though, he's fantastic.

Probably a bowler you want in a five man attack.

 

[Bahnz]

Southee can't be judged on his test average. He's a much better bowler now than he was in 2008 or 2009.

And say what you like about Doug's performance, he single handedly saved us from another glowing entry into our illustrious history whilst the buggers with 1200 FC wickets between them failed.

By all reports I've read today, Boult was bowling sharp and generating a lot of swing. There was a bit in the pitch for the bowlers early on at Rangiora and Auckland wasted it.

Martin also managed to drop a sitter from a rampant Reece Young.

Personally, I would retain all the seamers, move Vettori to six, and play Boult. We need as much strikepower as we can get, and we have to trust the batting line up because they have the quality to succeed. If Martin stuffs up in the next few games, then we can reassess from there.

Yes Southee's improved, but he still hasn't shown that he truly belongs in test cricket. Even last season he still looked vulnerable after the shine wore off. Hope this season's his year, but I'm not 100% convinced. Still I'd just about agree with your proposed lineup, even though I'm still not sure I'd pick Boult ahead of Mckay.

 

[Flem274*]

I like watching McKay bowl, but even I admit he's not very good.

He did take 30 wickets from five minutes last year, but at the highest economy rate of any top ten bowler. He hasn't shown it wasn't a flash in the pan either.

Auckland

54 @ 30.51 from 19

Wellington

45 @ 26.66 from 10

The majority of those wickets are from last season. If Boult is unproven, McKay is very unproven. He isn't helping his case by getting smacked around today either. CricArchive doesn't show economy rates unfortunately.

When McKay is hot, he is very good at the first class level. When he's bad, he's absolutely awful. In test cricket he will be bowling to better batsmen who won't be intimidated by his brisk pace.

I like him, but I don't think he is one of the best bowlers in New Zealand and I don't think he's ready for test cricket. It's a shame he isn't five years younger because he would have had ample time to work on his consistency, whereas now if he wants a test career he needs to get cracking.

Boult has been picking up the wickets ever since his debut and is in better form. I think he should be ahead in the ranks.

EDIT: first season for Wellington, McKay took 15 @ 40. A bit disappointing.