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

[hendrix]

That's not what I'm getting at though. McCullum would be scoring runs against better bowling than this if he batted in the manner he has today.

One of his first boundaries was an easy cover drive to a ball that was slightly full of a length outside the off stump.

You simply don't have time to get into position to play that shot against faster bowling. You end up late on it and it looks awful when you edge it to the slips. At this pace he has heaps of time to get into the right position.

 

[_Ed_]

well this is definitely looking well above-mediocre. Disappointing amount of thrown-away starts though, but that's never going to change it seems

It's the New Zealand way.

 

[Prince EWS]

Lol, picking fast bowlers on merit of which side of the pitch they run down? That's worse than me

Haven't you advocated the exact same thing before?

 

[Bahnz]

What did he say?

Was quite a few years ago now, but I think it was:

"Me and Flem think that hundreds are for poofs."

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm hoping that Sammy's speeds are partly down to jetlag, as when I remembered him he was a 125-130 speed bowler. It would be a bit ridiculous if he's able to keep his spot bowling like this all the time.

He's been bowling 120-125 mostly for a while now. He's been particularly bad today.

Most of the time in the last year or so he hasn't actually been selected as a bowler though; they've picked their best four bowlers, their best five batsmen, their best wicket keeper and their best.. captain. Only took a couple of batting collapses against India for them to re-classify Sammy as a bowler again though.

 

[hendrix]

Was quite a few years ago now, but I think it was:

"Me and Flem think that hundreds are for poofs."

Haha!

He's a good bloke, McCullum.

 

[Flem274*]

One of his first boundaries was an easy cover drive to a ball that was slightly full of a length outside the off stump.

You simply don't have time to get into position to play that shot against faster bowling. You end up late on it and it looks awful when you edge it to the slips. At this pace he has heaps of time to get into the right position.

That's still not what I'm getting at.

Before that false stroke, he was taking singles, defending straighter than normal and putting the bad ball away. So far he is yet to take on a packed boundary rope or jump into the air doing a backflip in the quest for a single.

 

[Maximas]

Haven't you advocated the exact same thing before?

As a factor I think, iirc it was the reason I didn't really object to the Faulkner inclusion at the Oval, but in this case not only is the bowler not that good, but the pitch probably won't wear that much or take footmarks and the WI batsmen play spin well

 

[Prince EWS]

Was quite a few years ago now, but I think it was:

"Me and Flem think that hundreds are for poofs."

"Flem always said hundreds are for poofs" was the exact quote I think. He was entirely taking the piss though.

 

[hendrix]

That's still not what I'm getting at.

Before that false stroke, he was taking singles, defending straighter than normal and putting the bad ball away. So far he is yet to take on a packed boundary rope or jump into the air doing a backflip in the quest for a single.

haha! actually laughed out loud.

It's a bit chicken and egg, but yeah his game plan is much smoother today.

 

[hendrix]

As a factor I think, iirc it was the reason I didn't really object to the Faulkner inclusion at the Oval, but in this case not only is the bowler not that good, but the pitch probably won't wear that much or take footmarks and the WI batsmen play spin well

Bracewell is a much better bowler than Faulkner.

But yeah I agree, he's not better than Wagner.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

That's still not what I'm getting at.

Before that false stroke, he was taking singles, defending straighter than normal and putting the bad ball away. So far he is yet to take on a packed boundary rope or jump into the air doing a backflip in the quest for a single.

I don't think we needed this innings to confirm that mccullum is top notch at dispatching mediocre bowling, Doesn't really say much about what he'll do against better bowlers tbh.

 

[Beamer]

He's been bowling 120-125 mostly for a while now. He's been particularly bad today.

Most of the time in the last year or so he hasn't actually been selected as a bowler though; they've picked their best four bowlers, their best five batsmen, their best wicket keeper and their best.. captain. Only took a couple of batting collapses against India for them to re-classify Sammy as a bowler again though.

It's an absolute embarrassment. What other test nation would put up with someone like this as a sure pick in the test side? How can the selectors watch this and not want to take immediate action?

 

[The Battlers Prince]

That was a great throw, its not out, but good to see a good throw and awareness in the field from the Windies

 

[wellAlbidarned]

PS all you ****s need to shut up about sammy's pace. IDGAF about what the gun says, you drop a guy if he's not taking wickets not because of the pace he's bowling at. Have I accidentally logged onto PakPassion or something?

 

[NZTailender]

It's an absolute embarrassment. What other test nation would put up with someone like this as a sure pick in the test side? How can the selectors watch this and not want to take immediate action?

You could try and compare him to Franklin in some ways...

 

[_Ed_]

This is easily McCullum's highest score since the Auckland test in March.

 

[Prince EWS]

PS all you ****s need to shut up about sammy's pace. IDGAF about what the gun says, you drop a guy if he's not taking wickets not because of the pace he's bowling at. Have I accidentally logged onto PakPassion or something?

No-one is going to take wickets bowling gun barrel straight 115km/hr deliveries though.

 

[Bahnz]

PS all you ****s need to shut up about sammy's pace. IDGAF about what the gun says, you drop a guy if he's not taking wickets not because of the pace he's bowling at. Have I accidentally logged onto PakPassion or something?

But he hasn't been taking wickets. And one of the likely reasons for that is because he's bowling at the same speed as Grant Elliot.

 

[Flem274*]

well he's not taking wickets either tbf.

and imo anything below 125kph is giving test standard batsmen too much time to get a look at the ball and adjust, which means even good deliveries can be negotiated. What's really killing Sammy is how floaty he's bowling though. For a bloke who is as tall as he is the bounce is pathetic and he's not moving it in the air. Gun barrel straight at 115-120 doesn't really do much.