**Official** New Zealand in West Indies

[BeeGee]

Dear NZ cricket team,
Bowl first, bowl first, bowl first, for the love of all that's sacred... bowl first!!!

All my love,
BeeGee
XXXOOO

P.S.
Bowl first!

 

[straw man]

And face Narine in 4th innings? Erkh

 

[BackFootPunch]

And face Narine in 4th innings? Erkh

Nah mate. Roll them, get a big lead, roll them again. No need for a fourth innings.

 

[straw man]

We're picking a batting heavy side with Vettori and Van Wyk at 7 & 8 - to me that screams that our tactic is to bat first. If we're going to bat badly in first innings we're going to lose anyway, whether that's batting first or second.

Would only consider not batting first if there's something to suggest the pitch will be easiest to bat on on days 2 and 3 rather than day 1. Obviously I didn't see the warmup match but I'm picturing the test pitch with no grass and just steadily degrading and getting slower and more difficult to bat on (possibly more difficult to take wickets on too though - for our attack anyway). Might be wrong though - interested to hear Beegee's logic - if our batting is a Tragedy, is bowling first just about Stayin' Alive?

 

[BackFootPunch]

From the sounds of it the dangers in the pitch are likely to present throughout the match. McCullum said there are ridges, which tend to mean that eventually a batsman will get an unplayable ball and find himself getting hit in the shins or the throat. Could be a very large element of luck involved.

 

[Flem274*]

Ridges? Awesome, I hope there are a couple halfway down the pitch. Pacemen to kill them and Vettori to use his pin point accuracy to hit the damn things and move the ball.

 

[Athlai]

Phlegm forgetting that it works both ways.

 

[Prince EWS]

Phlegm forgetting that it works both ways.

I suppose he figures New Zealand aren't going to score any runs anyway.

 

[Hurricane]

Cricinfo also picking 6 batsman for the "scrap between the lightweights"

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daniel Flynn, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Chris Martin

 

[straw man]

Ridges are no obstacle to the country that brought you Edmund Hillary

 

[Hurricane]

We need Wg Grace in the team. He is reputed to have blocked out three shooters in a row and got a standing ovation from the crowd.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Coming from New Zealand our players should be adept at dealing with annoying ridges. If Adam Parore can manage it then surely these blokes can.

 

[straw man]

Badoom tschhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[wellAlbidarned]

If Williamson bowls a significant amount of overs then we lose all right to whine about Samuels' action. Oh bummer.

 

[_Ed_]

Coming from New Zealand our players should be adept at dealing with annoying ridges. If Adam Parore can manage it then surely these blokes can.

 

[Dan]

If Williamson bowls a significant amount of overs then we lose all right to whine about Samuels' action. Oh bummer.

I saw some footage of him the other day - his action looks terrible.

 

[Flem274*]

If Williamson bowls a significant amount of overs then we lose all right to whine about Samuels' action. Oh bummer.

Evens things up.

**** it would be ironic if either player complained about the other. I hope one does.

 

[_Ed_]

Haha, that would be great. But Williamson doesn't really seem the type to go and do something like that.

 

[straw man]

Post match javelin-throwing competition should settle it

 

[Raghav]

Post match javelin-throwing competition should settle it