***Official*** New Zealand in the West Indies 2014

[hendrix]

Permaul, like Jadeja and probably Panesar would be extremely effective on the pitch we just saw.

 

[Kippax]

Trelawny is a bit of a rarely-employed loon. Simon Katich pops up with 2/51 and 4/15 in Trelawny's file.

The overall itinerary probably isn't great for New Zealand though. Sabina Park has allowed Nikita Miller 94 wickets at 12, so he's not to be trusted.

Port of Spain: Michael Beer opening the bowling. Lyon 5/68.

Guyana: He's an Ajmal and Bishoo-fancying loon.

 

[WindieWeathers]

After the Narine fiasco i wondered whether i could be bothered with this series at all...it's just so pathetic on so many levels. I blame the board but i also have questions over Narine's willingness to actually fight for the WI cause..there's loads of questions that need answering when he gets back home..either commit to playing Test cricket or don't.

On reflection we now have Shilly and Benn's who records at home are very good indeed..especially Shilly who has 10fers vs Aus and Zim in the Caribbean and was also a nightmare in India for large spells...in those series he had no back-up but now in Benn he'll have a quality partner and i still believe we will have the better attack regardless of whether Sunny is there or not.

So right now the team is looking like..

Gayle
Powell
Edwards
Darren Bravo
Samuels
Chanderpaul
Ramdin (wk) (c)
Taylor
Benn
Roach
Shillingford


(Although at Bina they might be inclined to go with three pacers so then i'd expect Holder to come in)

I'll take that right now but really this Narine mess has really disappointed me...the press are all talking about it and no doubt the main cricket tv and radion shows next week will be packed full about it...Gibbo and co are gonna be getting grilled about this...one test i could understand but the whole series is madness.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Test spots still up for grabs - Cricket - NZ Herald News

Three into two won't go.

There's a selection bottleneck for New Zealand's pace bowling candidates Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner and opening batting contenders Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham ahead of the first test against the West Indies.

Wagner snared five for 38 from 10.2 overs against a Jamaican Select XI in the tour opener, a two-dayer on a scraggy pitch in Trelawny.

What looks a similar adjacent strip will be used for the three-day game starting Tuesday (NZT).

Wagner needed his performance. With spinners Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig likely to play the tests in turn-friendly Caribbean conditions, only two pace bowlers are expected to feature at Sabina Park in Kingston next week. Given the test bowling records of Boult (30 wickets at 19.26) and Southee (29 wickets at 20.27) over the home summer, Wagner's place appears threatened.

However, he has a shot at retention. The New Zealanders believe the ball will swing for the first hour or less on abrasive West Indies grounds. Boult and Southee are swing specialists. Wagner is an asset because of an ability to toil in trying conditions and a knack for getting the best out of an old ball.

If selected, it could be at the expense of Boult or Southee, who went wicketless in three games in the Indian Premier League. Yet axing either would seem knee-jerk.

It's also an even contest between the three opening contenders at the top of the order.

Captain Fulton made a duck and 30 across both innings, Rutherford 19 and 13 and Latham 33 and 14. Each should get a further chance in the final practice match.

"It was a hard surface on which to make runs," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said. "The first innings [112-6 declared] was a matter of survival and our batsmen struggled to score.

"They manoeuvred the ball better in the second innings [210 for six]. We need to be rotating the strike.

"I don't think the test wickets will turn and bounce as much as this one. There was no real pace but conditions were extreme. The spinners were bowling bouncers off a [good] length."

Mark Craig collected three for 17 from nine overs on debut, albeit in a match without first-class status.

"He couldn't have wished for a better pitch to bowl on but still created uncertainty for the batsmen," Hesson said. "Hopefully the wicket for the second match will play flatter to challenge him more."

JACOBS TO FACE KIWIS IN FINAL WARM-UP

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica's Headley/Weekes Trophy hero Damion Jacobs has been included in a 13-man squad to face New Zealand, in a three-day practice match starting here Monday.

The squad will be led by Paul Palmer and also includes first class players Horace Miller, Jamie Merchant and Andre McCarthy all of whom missed the opening two-day practice match against the Black Caps, which finished in a draw on Friday.

Jacobs, who has played just four first class matches for Jamaica, made his mark in the final of the Headley/Weekes Trophy last month when he snatched eight for 47 with his leg-spin in the first innings against the Windward Islands.

The 29-year-old finished with match figures of ten for 122, as Jamaica took top honours in the final at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium in St Lucia.

The game, scheduled for the Trelawny Stadium in the north of the island, is the final warm-up fixture for New Zealand before they face West Indies in the opening Test of the three-match series, which bowls off at Sabina Park in Kingston on June 8th.

SQUAD – Paul Palmer (captain), Kennar Lewis, John Campbell, Andre McCarthy, Brandon King, Derval Green, Horace Miller, Christopher Powell, Nicholson Gordon, Brian Buchanan, Gavon Brown, Damion Jacobs, Jamie Merchant.

 

[Kippax]

"It was a hard surface on which to make runs," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said. "The first innings [112-6 declared] was a matter of survival and our batsmen struggled to score.

"They manoeuvred the ball better in the second innings [210 for six]. We need to be rotating the strike.

"I don't think the test wickets will turn and bounce as much as this one. There was no real pace but conditions were extreme. The spinners were bowling bouncers off a [good] length."

Yeah that's rubbish as far as the first half of day 1 was concerned. Just really poor shot selection, and done in by Gavon Brown yorkers itbt.

 

[hendrix]

I will cry if Boult doesn't play.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Well it looks like the third test will be moved from Guyana to St-lucia...pretty much Shillingford's doorstep where he's been unplayable in recent years. Will post more as it comes in.

 

[Dan]

Well it looks like the third test will be moved from Guyana to St-lucia...pretty much Shillingford's doorstep where he's been unplayable in recent years. Will post more as it comes in.

All a WICB conspiracy.

 

[Flem274*]

play all three quicks and open the batting with sodhi and latham

problem solved.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Well it looks like the third test will be moved from Guyana to St-lucia...pretty much Shillingford's doorstep where he's been unplayable in recent years. Will post more as it comes in.

I wonder if there will be "Bring back Dazza" (Sammy) signs up in that case. I wonder how/if the St Lucians will warm to Ramdin as captain

 

[Dan]

play all three quicks and open the batting with sodhi and latham

problem solved.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Hesson go with this:

1. Watling
2. Rutherford
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. McCullum *
6. Anderson
7. Ronchi +
8. Sodhi
9. 5outhee
10. Craig
11. Wagner

Seems like the kind of thing he'd do, tbh.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Hesson go with this:

1. Watling
2. Rutherford
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. McCullum *
6. Anderson
7. Ronchi +
8. Sodhi
9. 5outhee
10. Craig
11. Wagner

Seems like the kind of thing he'd do, tbh.

Nah, Latham for Rutherford - let's play 4 keepers in the top 7

 

[Flem274*]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Hesson go with this:

1. Watling
2. Rutherford
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. McCullum *
6. Anderson
7. Ronchi +
8. Sodhi
9. 5outhee
10. Craig
11. Wagner

Seems like the kind of thing he'd do, tbh.

the amount of toys I would throw...

 

[hendrix]

**** if that happened

 

[hendrix]

I don't even get why Ronchi is in the squad.

 

[Kippax]

Ronchi's glovework (honed in the land of PEWS and real knifes) is very important to have on tour, Hesson's said.

 

[Flem274*]

Ronchi's glovework (honed in the land of PEWS and real knifes) is very important to have on tour, Hesson's said.

wat

does that imply what i think it implies?

p.s. his keeping is as overrated as wagner's bowling was a few years ago

 

[Dan]

Watling is on a very short leash.

 

[hendrix]

Ronchi's glovework (honed in the land of PEWS and real knifes) is very important to have on tour, Hesson's said.

****.

 

[Flem274*]

i will stick by what i said. any test ronchi plays will be one im not watching.

any test ronchi plays in place of king watling...i don't know how to react.