**Official** New Zealand in South Africa

[wellAlbidarned]

Goes to show how that the only way this team is ever going to win anything is through absolutely exceptional individual performances - the stereotype of the hardworking NZ side where everyone chips in has never been less true.

 

[hendrix]

Goes to show how that the only way this team is ever going to win anything is through absolutely exceptional individual performances - the stereotype of the hardworking NZ side where everyone chips in has never been less true.

Or just by:

1. Not picking Nicol.
2. Having McCullum open.
3. Using the allrounders as allrounders...
4. Keeping Bracewell for tests

Honestly it's like we're trying not to win with some of our tactics.

 

[Bahnz]

Munro looked pretty village last night. He was constantly being beaten for pace by McClaren and looked like he had no idea about how to make runs without reverting to his favored hoick across the line. I know we weren't expecting him to be Lara or anything, but it was a but depressing watching the man who's been absolutely killing it in ps cricket looking so utterly out of his depth against a second string sa side.

 

[Neil Young]

Munro looked pretty village last night. He was constantly being beaten for pace by McClaren and looked like he had no idea about how to make runs without reverting to his favored hoick across the line. I know we weren't expecting him to be Lara or anything, but it was a but depressing watching the man who's been absolutely killing it in ps cricket looking so utterly out of his depth against a second string sa side.

He did look terrible. For whatever reason.

Hope it's dawning on Mikey that the captaincy wasn't the problem. Or, if it was, it was the least of his problems.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Some questionable bowling tactics last night too by the looks of things. Feed the full and wide balls when the short boundary is on the off side. Concede wides and then when the batsman can reach it, watch them swat the ball through the covers. Whose big idea was that??

 

[Howsie]

Munro looked pretty village last night. He was constantly being beaten for pace by McClaren and looked like he had no idea about how to make runs without reverting to his favored hoick across the line. I know we weren't expecting him to be Lara or anything, but it was a but depressing watching the man who's been absolutely killing it in ps cricket looking so utterly out of his depth against a second string sa side.

Yeah, Munro doesn't exactly look like much of a keeper. To say he's fairly limited would be a massive understatement. Everything about him just looks so, so wrong.

 

[hendrix]

Well Nicol has been around for a while...

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah, Munro doesn't exactly look like much of a keeper. To say he's fairly limited would be a massive understatement. Everything about him just looks so, so wrong.

I never thought he would stick at Auckland. So he's already shown me up. I am not making any more judgements on him until I see him in a longer knock.

What he did wrong in his inning is look for one shot. Instead of just getting bat on ball and getting singles until he got his eye in. His series of dot balls basically forced McCullum to hit out.

He can play on the off side but he didn't look like he could in this inning.

FWIW he has looked better than Luke Woodcock's batting debut for the bcs. So at least he has not looked like a deer in the headlights.

My jury is also out on Neesham and Anderson. I thought Neesham looked more fluent than Munro but struggled with his back foot play against the spinner at times. Struggled is not the right word but it didn't look quite right.

 

[Garson007]

Picked up my tickets today. Excited for the new year.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Yeah, Munro doesn't exactly look like much of a keeper. To say he's fairly limited would be a massive understatement. Everything about him just looks so, so wrong.

I was in his club side a few years ago and he used to bat at number 11 then

 

[SteveNZ]

I was in his club side a few years ago and he used to bat at number 11 then

He had a terrible captain back then..

 

[M0rphin3]

Bloody hell. Looking forward to the tests anywho.
Kaneh, gun it my boy.

 

[Hurricane]

NZ paying $9 on the TAB. Who's in?

 

[SteveNZ]

If you took 20 years off Andy Flower made him into a **** and a Kiwi then remove any osrt of use as a coach you'd get Hesson.

PEWS doesn't know where h's from.

Also
New Zealand in South Africa 2012-13 : McClenaghan added to New Zealand Test squad | Cricket News | South Africa v New Zealand | ESPN Cricinfo

How does he get picked I mean forgive me if I've missed something but an average of nearly 40 in FC seems somewhat high to be at the front of the queue.

You're forgiven, but you've missed something. Focus on the last 12 months, not what he did four years ago, three hips ago and in a much less mature mindset.

And I can't get over the 'Mitch only bowled mid 130s' stuff from PE. Did anyone notice he swung it more to adjust to a sluggish pitch, took control of his own fields and bowled to them
Impeccably and went for 1-24 - and probably could have taken one more? I'm biased but I thought he showed way more than your run of the mill charge in, bowl fast and think later sort of character. Which is exactly what he was 2-3 years ago. He's in the Test squad - wont play but on what I saw and what I know of him, he'll be a fixture sooner rather than later.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

NZ paying $9 on the TAB. Who's in?

link us up bro

Also, agree completely with what Steve said.

 

[Howsie]

lol, only $9?

Why have I got that sinking feeling that McCullum will move back down to three and Fulton will open with Guptill? I think it kind of explains why he was in the 20/20 squad in a way.

 

[straw man]

Looking forward to the tests too, despite the prospect of two absolute thumpings.

Going to be looking for small victories e.g.
- Bracewell bowls well - he's looked like he wants to be a wicket-taker rather than containing third seamer recently and this is his chance. If he bowls well it will take the focus off Boult (who is otherwise our only threat).
- Guptill, Flynn & Brownlie to score a 50 each.
- Williamson to score a century.
- Fulton/Franklin to provide some lolz
- Watling to keep well
- no injuries
- Hesson to quit. That's even more wishful thinking than the rest.

 

[straw man]

Why have I got that sinking feeling that McCullum will move back down to three and Fulton will open with Guptill? I think it kind of explains why he was in the 20/20 squad in a way.

NZ cricket tactix

Do what your opposition fans least want you to do

 

[M0rphin3]

Looking forward to the tests too, despite the prospect of two absolute thumpings.

Going to be looking for small victories e.g.
- Bracewell bowls well - he's looked like he wants to be a wicket-taker rather than containing third seamer recently and this is his chance. If he bowls well it will take the focus off Boult (who is otherwise our only threat).
- Guptill, Flynn & Brownlie to score a 50 each.
- Williamson to score a century.
- Fulton/Franklin to provide some lolz
- Watling to keep well
- no injuries
- Hesson to quit. That's even more wishful thinking than the rest.

Would gladly take a thumping for that itbt.

 

[Howsie]

And I can't get over the 'Mitch only bowled mid 130s' stuff from PE. Did anyone notice he swung it more to adjust to a sluggish pitch, took control of his own fields and bowled to them
Impeccably and went for 1-24 - and probably could have taken one more? I'm biased but I thought he showed way more than your run of the mill charge in, bowl fast and think later sort of character. Which is exactly what he was 2-3 years ago. He's in the Test squad - wont play but on what I saw and what I know of him, he'll be a fixture sooner rather than later.

He bowled well but when you read stuff from Lou Vincent yapping on how he's the quickest bowler in NZ you sort of expect him to bowl quicker then Jimmy bloody Neesham.

He looked good though, as he has in domestic cricket from time to time. Even if he isn't 140+ at least he swings the ball and gets some pretty decent bounce. The days of Andy McKay ever getting a game for New Zealand are hopefully long gone.