***Official*** Zimbabwe in New Zealand 2012

[Mike5181]

Andy Mckay wouldn't be near the starting eleven without injuries anyway. He struggled to perform in the majority of internationals he played bar the ones against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe which filled up a large majority of his wickets. He's a proven first class/List A performer now but the selectors are obviously searching for the x factor guys like Bracewell have started to show.

 

[Flem274*]

Woodcock feels a bit stiff.

Wellington spinner Luke Woodcock is demanding an explanation from selectors after being dumped from the Black Caps squad for the limited overs matches against Zimbabwe.

Woodcock has made way in the squad for Central District's Tarun Nethula and Ronnie Hira of the Aces.

He says he's spoken to the selectors and was told he's done nothing wrong.

Woodcock says he's none the wiser as to why he's not there.

He says it's a hard one to take because they've told him he's done nothing wrong.

The 29-year-old Woodcock has taken three wickets in his four ODIs at an average of 51.

Cricket: Spinner mystified at Black Caps axing - Sport - NZ Herald News

Lets help Woodcock get his answer.

three wickets in his four ODIs at an average of 51.

But in all seriousness it's pretty poor communication.

 

[Chubb]

Lovemore Banda got back to me. Brendan Taylor has agreed to give me a Zimbabwe jersey!

Only snag is, it has to be picked up from the team hotel. I've got in touch with one of our staff in Dunedin who might be able to get it tonight/tomorrow. Otherwise I'll need to find someone in one of the other venues.

 

[Mike5181]

We have Rob Nicol in the starting ODI eleven as well as Nathan McCullum. Woodcock's role in the team is well and truly filled up at the moment.

Anyway, twelve man squad for tomorrow is out.

New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (c), Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Dean Brownlie, Andrew Ellis, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee.

Bates and Nethula miss out and you'd think Andrew Ellis will be 12th man.

 

[Prince EWS]

Lovemore Banda got back to me. Brendan Taylor has agreed to give me a Zimbabwe jersey!

Only snag is, it has to be picked up from the team hotel. I've got in touch with one of our staff in Dunedin who might be able to get it tonight/tomorrow. Otherwise I'll need to find someone in one of the other venues.

Taylor WAG.

 

[BeeGee]

But in all seriousness it's pretty poor communication.

Yes, it is, but does he really need to demand an explanation? He can't even make the Wellington side ahead of Jeets, FFS.

The selectors should have just said, "Woody, you didn't make the squad because you're ****".

McKay is the one who would be justified in demanding an explanation.

Lovemore Banda got back to me. Brendan Taylor has agreed to give me a Zimbabwe jersey!

Only snag is, it has to be picked up from the team hotel. I've got in touch with one of our staff in Dunedin who might be able to get it tonight/tomorrow. Otherwise I'll need to find someone in one of the other venues.

Awesome! Congrats.

We have Rob Nicol in the starting ODI eleven as well as Nathan McCullum. Woodcock's role in the team is well and truly filled up at the moment.

Anyway, twelve man squad for tomorrow is out.

New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (c), Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Dean Brownlie, Andrew Ellis, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee.

Bates and Nethula miss out and you'd think Andrew Ellis will be 12th man.

Looks good on paper. Looking forward to seeing Latham bat.

 

[SteveNZ]

I suspect that Bates was rested / rotated for the Auck vs Wgtn 1d game, not dropped.

He wasn't, he was dropped under the guise of 'rested'. If you're deemed to be rested, you are still paid for that particular game (a percentage, I think). He missed out to McClenaghan, who took 5-for the game before and Bates hadn't been in sharp form one-day wise.

Agreed that McKay isn't in the starting XI, and maybe the selectors were right to look to Bates and see what he has to offer. But they've done it at a pretty strange time. Bates has been pretty average in Ford Trophy/HRV this season at best, McKay has been outstanding. They're not picking a guy in form.

And to say McKay only takes his wickets against Zim/Bangla is completely wrong. Look at his record. And he was very good in a World Cup semi v Sri Lanka, under the pressure of it being his first match in the tournament and on a sub-continent wicket.

 

[straw man]

If they wanted to pick a batting allrounder in the squad and their intuition factor along with his past Test failures allowed them to blackball Franklin then Wells would absolutely get picked on stats, even a system correctly weighted with a 'bias' towards more recent performances.

Genuinely interested in how would justify Wells over Ellis based on recent stats

 

[straw man]

Agree that McKay can feel harshly treated. Not much more to say. Will say again disclaimer that I don't really care what way selections are made as long as they get results. However to say it's going to be highly figures-based and then neglect players with excellent figures is on the surface a tad unfair.

To give some benefit of the doubt to the selection pie, it may be more sophisticated than we are giving credit for... and it's surely true what Flem said about taking into account McKay's high econ rate. Maybe, just maybe, the various weightings and contributions from previous seasons do just put Bates ahead of McKay. Though I wouldn't count on it.

Woodcock probably not so much - his batting style isn't particularly suited to ODI lower order so he has to justify himself almost purely as a bowler, and this season doesn't have the figures. His best contributions have been in first class anyway, where he leads the MVP table, but is obv going to have a very hard time forcing his way into test lower order.

 

[SteveNZ]

I have little issue with Woodcock, his ODI numbers are pretty weak. So yeah he's been good in limited overs stuff but hardly the sort of stuff that demanded his place. Hira passed him in T20, and rightly so, and Nathan McCullum is the ODI spinner with Nethula as a more attacking option I'd wager. Plus Woodcock's batting offers nothing.

All I'd say on economy rates for McKay is that Bates' is worse in 50-over and T20 this season, yet he was picked. Maybe he was plumped as a death bowler.

 

[BeeGee]

Zimbabwe win the toss and bowl.

Looks a good toss to win.

Ellis is playing. Oram 12th man.

 

[vandem]

Genuinely interested in how would justify Wells over Ellis based on recent stats

Like this:

Wells is selected as a batting all-rounder.

Last 2 1/2 FC seasons:

Wells
7 matches, 478 runs @ 59, 2 x 100s 3 x 50s
4 matches, 241 runs @ 40, 3 x 50s
4 matches, 228 runs @ 38, 3 x 50s
Total, 20 completed innings, 947 runs @ 47, 2 x 100s 9 x 50s

Ellis
4 matches, 122 runs @ 24, 1 x 50
9 matches, 365 runs @ 33, 1 x 100 2 x 50s
4 matches, 327 runs @ 81, 4 x 50s
Total, 20 completed innings, 814 runs @ 41, 1 x 100s 7 x 50s

Advantage Wells.

But worth noting that Ellis has been used as a true all-rounder, either as 3rd seamer (2009-10), or bowling a full share of overs as a 4th seamer (2010-11 and this season). Wells used as a batsman who also bowls. If Ellis had less bowling workload it would be interesting to see if he could improve batting numbers.

 

[NZTailender]

Nice sunny day. Ellis is playing, wtf.

 

[vandem]

... Ellis is playing, wtf.

Ellis and Oram appear to fill the same role, as a middle overs bowler and a tail ender hitter. NZ management made it very clear that they are trying out some players in this series, so suspect that Ellis and Oram will be rotated during the series.

Similar for Bates + Southee + Mills, they fill the new-ball role so 2 will play in each game.

Not quite sure how Nethula fits into a playing XI. Perhaps Nathan Mc is rested and Oram + Bracewell bat one slot higher?

 

[BeeGee]

Oh dear.

Great start by Meth.

Edit: ...and Jarvis.

 

[Mike5181]

Good bowling by Jarvis.

Good to see Williamson at number 4.

 

[NZTailender]

:o itstl

 

[SteveNZ]

Jarvis is a decent bowler but I'll be embarrassed if Meth gets wickets. I've seen him bowl a few times and I honestly believe he wouldn't get a go for a provincial 2nd XI. 120km HVs and an average of 71.

 

[Mike5181]

Jarvis is a decent bowler but I'll be embarrassed if Meth gets wickets. I've seen him bowl a few times and I honestly believe he wouldn't get a go for a provincial 2nd XI. 120km HVs and an average of 71.

That's exactly what i was thinking. He's looked quite average which is semi-surprising looking at how good his first class record is.

That's a great over from Jarvis.

 

[Neil Pickup]

That's exactly what i was thinking. He's looked quite average which is semi-surprising looking at how good his first class record is.

That's a great over from Jarvis.

Meth looking a little toothless, perhaps?