**Official** New Zealand in West Indies

[NasserFan207]

WindieWeathers to come in and bleat about how useless Sammy's bowling was, and if someone better was playing they would have won by an innings, and how if Gayle had played in England he would have scored 1000 runs and beaten us 3-0, and how Narine is the next Warne. The ****.

I miss him.

Is he perma banned?

 

[SteveNZ]

No point having a spinner just for the sake of it, we would be better off playing a batsman that can also roll his arm over.

No, quite right - it didn't hurt the Windies too much at their peak.

But trouble is, when we get in conditions like these, or when we're due to go to India and Sri Lanka as we are, there's little or no history of teams winning without a spinner. So whilst we have no test-quality spinner to speak of, it's almost a case of picking one on the off-chance they offer something.

 

[SteveNZ]

Vettori's 2012 stats: 5 wickets at 87.80, and a wicket every 36 overs. Runs, averaging 24.

Uhoh.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Vettori's 2012 stats: 5 wickets at 87.80, and a wicket every 36 overs. Runs, averaging 24.

Uhoh.

So let's play Martin, Boult, Bracewell and Wagner in the next test.

 

[Jono]

So awesome from Roach.

 

[SteveNZ]

So let's play Martin, Boult, Bracewell and Wagner in the next test.

Will be interesting. Ross said there could be a 'few changes'....Dan won't be one of them, however.

Maybe Watling for Brownlie, at a stretch. Can't see any others being made. Flynn made two reasonable starts, and everyone else is fairly safe.

 

[_Ed_]

Disappointing debut from Wagner. Hope we see an improved showing from him in the second Test.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

No point having a spinner just for the sake of it, we would be better off playing a batsman that can also roll his arm over.

We've already got one of them, Taylor seems reluctant to bowl him a decent amount though.

 

[Blakey]

Disappointing debut from Wagner. Hope we see an improved showing from him in the second Test.

I didn't see much of the test at all. I did see him throwing down mid 120's pies though. I'm know he was never going to be a mid 140's bowler but I did expect consistent pace in the high 130's. WTF happened? Were we all lied to? Have NZ cricket been hanging out for a guy who bowls slower than Chris Martin?

 

[Bahnz]

I didn't see much of the test at all. I did see him throwing down mid 120's pies though. I'm know he was never going to be a mid 140's bowler but I did expect consistent pace in the high 130's. WTF happened? Were we all lied to? Have NZ cricket been hanging out for a guy who bowls slower than Chris Martin?

Regarding his carp performance, colour me unsurprised.

People didn't lie, but they were incredibly naive. Since his arrival in 2008, the attitude from the NZ press has pretty much been "He's from South Africa! They're really good at cricket, so he must be really good too!" Chuck in a really good 2010/11 season (the only year when he's produced outstanding figures), and the hype got blown out to ridiculous proportions. But his efforts in his first two years here, combined with his rubbish efforts in limited overs cricket and his propensity to get bashed about for 4 an over even while taking FC wickets always left me sceptical. Still this is just one test, he deserves a few more.

His first day speeds do suggest that normally he will be in that mid-high 130's range. In this case the heat and long bowling spells eventually ground him down until he was dishing them up in the mid 120's. But 130's range is never going to worry any batsman without control and variation, so it's not much to boast about in the first place.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

My god Van Wyk really does look awful against the short ball. It's not like he needs to bend down much to go under most deliveries.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I didn't see much of the test at all. I did see him throwing down mid 120's pies though. I'm know he was never going to be a mid 140's bowler but I did expect consistent pace in the high 130's. WTF happened? Were we all lied to? Have NZ cricket been hanging out for a guy who bowls slower than Chris Martin?

Chaminda Vaas says hi. If the guy can swing it consistently and keep his radar then he'll be alright.

 

[Mike5181]

A guy who takes 51 wickets at an average of 18 in one season of first class cricket warrants selection for more than one test. These aren't favourable bowling conditions either. No one who actually follows cricket in NZ expected a mid-140s bowler, but he does have the capability to get it up to the high 130s. He was actually bowling over 140 for an over or two in the first innings.

 

[Jager]

Wagner does have a great run-up and action though, I must say

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I didn't see much of the test at all. I did see him throwing down mid 120's pies though. I'm know he was never going to be a mid 140's bowler but I did expect consistent pace in the high 130's. WTF happened? Were we all lied to? Have NZ cricket been hanging out for a guy who bowls slower than Chris Martin?

He did show more guts with the bat than many top order batsmen we've endured over the years.

 

[Flem274*]

Well this is pretty much the lowest low we've hit since 1994.

We'll win the next test.

 

[Hurricane]

Well this is pretty much the lowest low we've hit since 1994.

We'll win the next test.

Nah 4-0 to Bangers was our low.

 

[Bahnz]

We'll win the next test.

You're not helping.

 

[Hurricane]

You're not helping.

Indeed do a martin is terrible thread again.

 

[Bahnz]

Indeed do a martin is terrible thread again.

Unfortunately, those kinds of jinx threads only work if you genuinely believe what you're writting. If we want a Martin is terrible thread to have any chance of succeeding, we need someone like Howsie to start it.