**Official** New Zealand in West Indies

[Flem274*]

PEWS just recommended me a book that will apparently tell me all I need to know about Buchanan. Apparently NZC can't have read it or they would never have hired him.

When I asked if it was because the book preaches the conventional wisdom PEWS argues against so much I was told Buchanan's views are comparable with a famous CWer.

Going to find myself a copy.

 

[BeeGee]

I think Flynn and Guptill need to score some serious runs in the warmup.
That opening combo doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence.

 

[Prince EWS]

Who would want the job when they can't be pulling the strings?

Yeah, that's why Wright left in the first place.

I've actually heard some really good things about Hesson from people who have dealt with him, so I think it's a top appointment. Whether he'll actually have much of an input with Buchanan above him is another matter though.

 

[Prince EWS]

PEWS just recommended me a book that will apparently tell me all I need to know about Buchanan. Apparently NZC can't have read it or they would never have hired him.

When I asked if it was because the book preaches the conventional wisdom PEWS argues against so much I was told Buchanan's views are comparable with a famous CWer.

Going to find myself a copy.

Apparently he comes across even more loopy in a book he wrote just after he "retired" (If Better Is Possible), but I haven't read that one.

 

[Mike5181]

Even though I think Brownlie should be given a decent run in the side, if he adds two more failures to recent bad form that would make him hard to select for first test.

I think Flynn and Guptill need to score some serious runs in the warmup.
That opening combo doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence.

Especially when you have another capable opener at number three. I agree that Brownlie needs to prove himself, but if a batsman needs to be cut for balance reasons then Guptill should be the first to go. The guy averages like 16 in his last ten innings against non-minnows.

 

[Hurricane]

If anyone deserves to turn a mediocre career into a good one it is Guptil.

Not that life is fair or anything.

 

[BackFootPunch]

You guys seen this? Numbers Game

I knew we were bad the last few years but this still shocked me.

Guptill just hasn't done anything at all against the top teams.

 

[Flem274*]

You guys seen this? Numbers Game

I knew we were bad the last few years but this still shocked me.

Guptill just hasn't done anything at all against the top teams.

What I hate about cricinfo is their writers are patronising ****wits which makes it worse when the patronising ****wits are absolutely right at the same time.

And 37 tests compared to the next lowest of 48 says it all.

 

[BackFootPunch]

What I hate about cricinfo is their writers are patronising ****wits which makes it worse when the patronising ****wits are absolutely right at the same time.

And 37 tests compared to the next lowest of 48 says it all.

Can't disagree about the Cricinfo writers. There are some truly horrible 'journalists' on there.

We're effectively worse than Bangladesh at One Day cricket though. Holy ****.

 

[Flem274*]

Its all good, because we're going to win this test series.

Dead serious. You heard it here first.

 

[Hurricane]

You guys seen this? Numbers Game

I knew we were bad the last few years but this still shocked me.

Guptill just hasn't done anything at all against the top teams.

styris looking god there

 

[BackFootPunch]

Its all good, because we're going to win this test series.

Dead serious. You heard it here first.

I can see it happening. We'll shock them in the first Test then just hang on in the second. Someone new will become a hero. Or Dougeh will continue to be a hero.

Then we'll go to India where Sehwag will break some kind of world record to make up for his ****ness over the last year.

 

[straw man]

Especially when you have another capable opener at number three. I agree that Brownlie needs to prove himself, but if a batsman needs to be cut for balance reasons then Guptill should be the first to go. The guy averages like 16 in his last ten innings against non-minnows.

I agree however I've given up on complaining about their insistence on batting McCullum at 3. Guptill must score runs this series - it's that simple.

They just posted quite a good article about our craptitude on cricinfo. Conclusion - Taylor is awesome and all our other batsmen suck.
(Edit: And I took so long writing this that it was posted about 5 posts above)

On reflection, it's hard to understand how we went from a pretty good ODI side to a trash ODI side in such a short space of time. One obvious point is that a lot of our success was based on batting second and batting deep - this was badly affected by McCullum moving up the order and Oram forgetting which end of a bat you're supposed to hold. Losing Styris and Vettori was big for balance too, though the slide started while they were still in the team. Prior to this recent period we had the knack for chasing down difficult targets, winning tight matches and recovering from poor positions - ie. we knew how to play ODIs. Barring the World Cup quarter vs SA we've completely lost this ability.

Tests I'm more positive about our future - think we've been adding pieces to the puzzle that is our side for a few years and they've gradually been sticking (Ryder and Southee aside - but they may come back). We seem to have more depth in most departments than any time in recent memory.

We don't seem to be capable of being competent at multiple formats at once so choosing tests would be nice.

 

[Mike5181]

What I hate about cricinfo is their writers are patronising ****wits which makes it worse when the patronising ****wits are absolutely right at the same time.

And 37 tests compared to the next lowest of 48 says it all.

I don't mind the top teams playing a few more test matches than the lower ranked teams, but England playing 74 tests against non-minnows when we only get 37 is ridiculous.

 

[Flem274*]

We'll definitely destroy India.

Remember when they were number one and got skittled by Martin in the middle of his "bowling three metres outside off is how I roll" phase?

And how Tim McIntosh scored a test hundred against them?

India might as well ask Bangladesh to take the field. At least Shakib will make us look like chumps.

 

[_Ed_]

Or Dougeh will continue to be a hero.

Randomly found out the other day that I work with his cousin. She's been here for a couple of months now - has the same surname, but I never made the connection. Just a wee tidbit for you there.

As for the Test series, I really have no idea what to expect. Hope Nethula plays. Had about enough of the one-spinner approach yielding figures of 40-11-60-1.

 

[straw man]

Its all good, because we're going to win this test series.

Dead serious. You heard it here first.

West Indies fans will rightly call this unfair but I see their side as Gayle, Chanderpaul, Narine and the rest.

I'm oddly unworried about Gayle - he'll average 50 at a high strike but after he gets out it's potentially collapso time.

Narine and Chanderpaul though...... I just find it really hard to see us coping with either of them.

Plus Roach vs our openers could be problematic also.

 

[Flem274*]

If our best opener doesn't open I'll type words on the internet.

 

[BackFootPunch]

We'll definitely destroy India.

Remember when they were number one and got skittled by Martin in the middle of his "bowling three metres outside off is how I roll" phase?

And how Tim McIntosh scored a test hundred against them?

India might as well ask Bangladesh to take the field. At least Shakib will make us look like chumps.

I wasn't around here at the time but weren't you writing Martin off immediately prior to that spell? Perhaps he needs to be awful against the Windies so you can provide the super-jinx once more.

 

[Flem274*]

I wasn't around here at the time but weren't you writing Martin off immediately prior to that spell? Perhaps he needs to be awful against the Windies so you can provide the super-jinx once more.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/48587-bowlers-better-than-chris-martin.html