**Official** New Zealand in West Indies

[BackFootPunch]

So is this guy any good?

Unusual to get a coach in cricket who has never played the game at all at first class level.

Hope he does well, NZ have struggled for too long. About time you improved a bit.

Yeah he is good. Could be exactly what we need tbh. Good organisational and communication skills. Gets on well with McCullum too apparently which will help with the players warming to him despite his lack of cricket playing cred.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

You know what the really funny thing is, though?

42nd Match, Group B: India v West Indies at Chennai, Mar 20, 2011 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Hahahaha.

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah he is good. Could be exactly what we need tbh. Good organisational and communication skills. Gets on well with McCullum too apparently which will help with the players warming to him despite his lack of cricket playing cred.

at 37 he sounds very young.

 

[_Ed_]

Tiny bloke, too, isn't he? Looked about half Buchanan's height in the footage they showed on the news.

 

[Howsie]

I know this isn't the ideal thread for it, but:

Mott out, Hesson odds-on for NZ coach - Cricket - Sportal New Zealand

Looks like it's Hesson's job. Fair play to him, but I'm sceptical as to whether he's the man to revive our fortunes.

Sad endictment that Buchanan said there wasn't a long list of applicants but the ones that did apply were very good. If it's Mott/Hesson/Woodhill, none of them have coached an international side - apart from Kenya. I'd hardly call that a strong list.

So he's real tight with Brendon McCullum. So tight that Ross Taylor actually felt the need to quiz him about in during the interveiw process. Awesome, great start to his tenure. Let the infighting begin.

 

[SteveNZ]

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.

Justin Vaughan was told in no uncertain terms, by a couple of people at least who had worked with Buchanan, that he should stay the hell away from him. But JV knew better. He wanted a big name, one that would make him look good for recruiting him.

And because 'Bucko' (and things that rhyme with it) gets paid extortionate money, and gets to fly home every other weekened, the budget doesn't have scope for pre-Caribbean tours, or the money to pay a big-name coach.

Oh yeah, and we've got that guy we pay just in case the underarm ball comes back, and he's got the right experience to run with it.

 

[SteveNZ]

So he's real tight with Brendon McCullum. So tight that Ross Taylor actually felt the need to quiz him about in during the interveiw process. Awesome, great start to his tenure. Let the infighting begin.

That's how you get a gig, or lose a gig. You appease Brendon McCullum.

 

[Flem274*]

I remember complaining about Sneddon's focus on the short formats at the expense of the test game, but for all the reasons I disagreed with him Sneddon was working towards a practical goal. The short formats make NZC richer, and those profits can be spent elsewhere. I didn't like it, but it was a plan.

Justin Vaughan was soft. NZ is the mud on the boots of the cricketing world, and we need an intelligent and scrappy take no bull**** CEO to stick up for our interests. Justin Vaughan was anything but. The Shane Bond fiasco was the first of many limp efforts and daft decisions by Vaughan.

Speaking of which, we should have picked him and let the Indians squeal about it. Then prepared beautiful green grass for their tour in 2009 if they could bring themselves to turn up and not use our dastardly selection as an excuse to avoid returning to the scene of their 2002 humiliation and not reach number one.

 

[BeeGee]

Is there any live score update for the warm-up game?

 

[Beamer]

Warm up match has started. WICB XI won the toss and elected to field.

Teams:

WICB Presidents XI: Barath, Powell, K Edwards, Shiv, Fudadin, Deonarine, Thomas (wk), Permaul(c), Johnson, Roach, Shillingford

New Zealand: Guptil, Flynn, B McCullum, Taylor(c), Williamson, Brownlie, vanWyk(wk), Vettori, Nethula, Wagner, Martin

New Zealand are 16/2 after 8 overs. Taylor and Flynn are at the crease. A heavy shower has stopped play

Kemar Roach 4-1-8-2, Delorn Johnson 4-0-8-0

Guptil LBW b Roach 5 - Offered no stroke to one that swung in and plumb! NZ 6-1 in the 5th over

McClullum c Shiv b Roach - Edges to slip and Shiv takes it low to his right! Great bowling, great catch!

 

[Beamer]

Is there any live score update for the warm-up game?

WICB Twitter

 

[Prince EWS]

New Zealand wouldn't win the Plunket Shield

 

[BeeGee]

WICB Twitter

Thanks.

 

[Beamer]

Watch out for Delorn Johnson in this game. He has serious quality. Height, decent pace, swings it both ways and is pretty consistent with his line and length.

He and Kemar make for a pretty tasty opening combination. From then on in it looks like we're going to attempt 'death by spin' with Shillingford, Permaul and Deonarine.

I'm looking forward to seeing if Wagner is any good too. This game should give us a decent indication at least, given that he is up against a half decent batting lineup with Powell, Barath, Shiv and Deonarine in it.

 

[BeeGee]

New Zealand wouldn't win the Plunket Shield

Indeed.

Guptill needs a kick up the arse. Promote Van Wyk to open and play an extra bowler.

Flynn
Van Wyk
McCullum
Taylor
Williamson
Brownlie
Vettori
Bracewell
Wagner
Nethula
Martin

 

[Flem274*]

I'm sure Guptill is trying. He just isn't very good at test cricket.

 

[Beamer]

16/3

Taylor 0 c Shiv b Roach

Kemar is back, has taken 3/8 so far.

 

[Beamer]

28/4 now.

Flynn b Johnson 14 - Went for a pull shot and dragged it onto the stumps.

New batsman Brownlie - edges 1st ball just infront 3rd slip;edges 2nd ball infront 3rd slip;struck on body 3rd ball. Pace like fiyah from Johnson.

 

[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.

Guptill 5
Flynn 14


Fan - ****ing - tastic.

 

[Beamer]

58/6 now. Williamson is still in, really struggling but hanging on in there grimly. Van Wyk is at the crease with him.

Guptil 5
McCullum 2
Taylor 0
Flynn 14
Brownlie 9
Vettori 9


Roach 4/14
Johnson 1/?
Permaul 1/5