***Official*** West Indies in New Zealand 2013/14

[Days of Grace]

There's no need for five seamers. Might as well play Sodhi.

 

[Hurricane]

I might be tempted to play Ish as I think he is a better number 8 and his bowling will help us with the over rates. I can see both him and doug getting 1-2 wickets in the whole test match.

But I sympathise with Athlai's selection as no one is really putting their hand up and demanding to be selected in that final position.

And yes Anderson has to play. We do have good coaches in NZ and they must be able to fix his problems for him on the front foot.

 

[Athlai]

Going in with 4 genuine seamers and Anderson/Williamson to make up 5-10 overs a day is definitely preferable to having Sodhi to bugger all in Dunedin for 80 overs.

I'd consider Sodhi for other games maybe but not Dunners.

 

[hendrix]

yeah I'm inclined to agree, but I just don't think Bracewell should be the 4th seamer.

It's gotta be Gillespie.

Anderson's bowling doesn't really add much value to the side, weirdly.

 

[Days of Grace]

How did we come to the conclusion that Dunedin will be a seamer's paradise and not the slow, low piece of **** it has been for the past fours?

 

[JontyPanesar]

Windies look like they're gonna be in for a hammering. A bowler and a batsman short with Sammy. Only two actual test batsmen from what I can see (sorry Darren, Keiron, Chris)

Southee and Boult to Gayle will be like taking sweets from a baby. Especially at Dunedin
Wagner to Powell should be interesting; has Powell improved against short stuff at good pace? Looked out of sorts in England but that was a while ago.
Windies attack shouldn't be bad though.

Really looking forward to seeing Rutherford and Williamson's development...when is Big Daddy Kane gonna find a purple patch? Love watching him bat when he's on song

 

[hendrix]

it won't be a seamer's paradise but it's also **** for spin and our pace bowlers are better than our spin bowler.

 

[hendrix]

Southee and Boult to Gayle will be like taking sweets from a baby. Especially at Dunedin

Gayle's injured.

To be honest, Dunedin is probably the most batsman-friendly track in the country (or Southern Hemisphere, really). Not only is it very flat, but there's much less humidity than up north, so there's very little swing as well.

 

[JontyPanesar]

How did we come to the conclusion that Dunedin will be a seamer's paradise and not the slow, low piece of **** it has been for the past fours?

Some clouds in the forecast, 14-16F, denser air should assist swing regardless of what sort of pitch is presented?

 

[JontyPanesar]

Gayle's injured.

To be honest, Dunedin is probably the most batsman-friendly track in the country (or Southern Hemisphere, really). Not only is it very flat, but there's much less humidity than up north, so there's very little swing as well.

Humidity shouldn't assist swing though. I know that's kind of counterintuitive, but even though it might feel denser, humid air is lighter. From what I see in the forecast, cool temperatures, some cloud cover, dry air should all help get the ball to swing.

Shame no Gayle, idk how I missed that from the India series to here (stopped caring once the ODIs were underway). Maybe the myth that he can contribute to the test team would have been smashed for good. He has a long ways to go to make it back to being a good test cricketer

 

[Hurricane]

Windies look like they're gonna be in for a fisting.

I find this language to be on the obscene side.

 

[Kippax]

CricHQ | Albion Cricket Club (DN), Albion Senior vs Taieri Cricket Club, TCC Senior

McCullum done in by Australia U19's nemesis I see, Jack Hunter.

 

[Mike5181]

Anderson's not that far behind Doug Bracewell, or an out of form Mark Gillespie bowling-wise tbh. There's more than enough seamers in the team with Southee, Boult, Wagner, and Anderson. Throwing in another would just be overkill.

 

[hendrix]

Anderson's not that far behind Doug Bracewell, or an out of form Mark Gillespie bowling-wise tbh. There's more than enough seamers in the team with Southee, Boult, Wagner, and Anderson. Throwing in another would just be overkill.

yeah it is overkill but in these conditions the most important thing you need from your 4th bowler is to keep a tight economy rate.

It's why they initially brought Bruce Martin into the squad for the England series rather than stick with Todd Astle.

 

[Athlai]

We don't have a spinner worth playing, so I'd put in a useful bowling allrounder who occassionaly goes into god mode but is otherwise useful for 15 overs in a day.

 

[NUFAN]

Windies look like they're gonna be in for a fisting. A bowler and a batsman short with Sammy. Only two actual test batsmen from what I can see (sorry Darren, Keiron, Chris)

How many actual test batsmen do you think NZ have?

 

[Mike5181]

yeah it is overkill but in these conditions the most important thing you need from your 4th bowler is to keep a tight economy rate.

It's why they initially brought Bruce Martin into the squad for the England series rather than stick with Todd Astle.

You want your fourth bowler to keep it tight...then pick Mark Gillespie.

Southee, Boult, Wagner, Sodhi, Anderson/Williamson is the best attack we can pick at the moment.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah I don't think there's much merit in picking a fourth seamer at the moment given a) it'd waste a resource in Anderson and b) the fact that you don't have one who's especially likely to add a lot anyway.

I think I'd probably just pick Sodhi; if he doesn't bowl well then he doesn't have to bowl a lot of overs - that's the benefit of having players like Anderson and Williamson in the top six really.

 

[Beamer]

Just found out that Kraigg Braithwaite is still in Barbados awaiting his New Zealand and Aussie transit visas. Typical WICB ineptitude. Unfortunately we're used to it. I guess that means our side will be:

Powell
Edwards
Bravo
Samuels
Shiv
Deonarine
Ramdin
Sammy
Shillingford/Narine
Cotterell/Gabriel
Best

So painful listing that side. I reckon we could be so much better and our selectors are really holding us back. Oh well, unless Bravo, Samuels and Shiv score a shedload of runs I can't see us winning this series. Hopefully Powell does something as I do rate him, but it's a tough ask. I also think winning this series with that side composition would be bad for us in the long term anyway tbh. As soon as we play South Africa, India or England away again with this side we will be bashed mercilessly.

Our biggest problems are going to be the fast bowlers being too expensive and top order vulnerability.

 

[JontyPanesar]

I find this language to be on the obscene side.

Noted and changed.