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

[BeeGee]

WindiesIntl ‏@WindiesIntl 9m
#JAMvNZL: For those of you asking and wondering, there is nothing wrong with the pitch over the last three days. . .NOTHING!!!

It's not even the same ****ing pitch.

It was so bad they changed pitches mid game, ffs.

WindiesIntl @WindiesIntl · 6h
#JAMvNZL: We have changed pitches; moved to the strip to the west of the one used on the first two days

Anyhoo.... 83/9 and NZ are bowling utter ****.

Edit: 90/10. Looks like they're playing on. Campbell and Lewis both with second bats. NZ bowlers seriously need the practice.

Edit2: 95/11

 

[hendrix]

.just thinking what will NZ take from these games? t.

The batting got some time in the middle in tough conditions and the bowlers got to bowl a few overs. Decent preparation IMO.

 

[BeeGee]

Jam XI 99/12

 

[Howsie]

Would expect the kiwis to win this game now...not much in the batting in this side but the bowling was brilliant and some of those individuals like Brown and Powell look like they have massive futures in the game which is great to see.

Our guys finished their warm up game against a barbados eleven yesterday and according to reports Shilly and Benn looked extremely dangerous...Roach and Taylor also had some decent bursts with the new ball.

So I'm guessing cricinfo have it wrong? Because they have Powell down as a 34 year old yet to even play FC cricket.

 

[Immenso]

Playing on beyond the result.

Bit of a contrast to the SA tour non-FC warmup game where they called it off early with half a day remaining and Williamson and other specialist bats still in the hutch.
And proceeded to be rolled over within 18 overs a few days later ......

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Good confidence boost for the guy...for his own sake he shouldn't get too carried away though as the pitch is clearly assisting

A WI pitch assisting spinners? Well I never!

 

[ohnoitsyou]

WI spinner dominates, future test prospect.

Nz spinner prospers, was assisted by the pitch

 

[Beamer]

Playing on beyond the result.

Bit of a contrast to the SA tour non-FC warmup game where they called it off early with half a day remaining and Williamson and other specialist bats still in the hutch.
And proceeded to be rolled over within 18 overs a few days later ......

Reminds me of our one match on our NZ tour, which only included 6 West Indies players if I remember correctly! But despite what you New Zealanders say, I don't think that was great preparation for a test match, what a disgraceful pitch. Very embarrassing, I'm looking forward to Hesson's next blog....

 

[Bahnz]

Reminds me of our one match on our NZ tour, which only included 6 West Indies players if I remember correctly! But despite what you New Zealanders say, I don't think that was great preparation for a test match, what a disgraceful pitch. Very embarrassing, I'm looking forward to Hesson's next blog....

Yeah, I tend to agree with you and WW, these matches will offer NZ very little in terms of preparation for the tests. Initial reports make it sound like Hesson was none too pleased with the conditions either:

Hesson said Taylor showed his skill and experience in adapting to the conditions and capitalising on a slightly better pitch today. He said generally the surfaces were not of good enough quality for our batsmen to gain real benefit from.

 

[Athlai]

Terrible match really. Clearly the pitches weren't up to snuff. Unacceptable for any sort of professional team to have to play in those conditions.

 

[hendrix]

I wouldn't go that far. The scores weren't that low.

 

[Blakey]

Not the first time this has happened in the Caribbean.

Remember Sabina Park?

 

[Prince EWS]

See also: the entire 2011/12 and 2012/13 domestic seasons.

 

[Bahnz]

Haha, what? The pitch might've been passable on day 1, but 120, 130 and 99/12? And it's not just the scores. McMillan tweeted yesterday that the pitch was producing an inordinate number of shooters, and the new pitch today can't have been that much better given that Jamaica promptly collapsed to 48/8.

 

[hendrix]

Haha, what? The pitch might've been passable on day 1, but 120, 130 and 99/12? And it's not just the scores. McMillan tweeted yesterday that the pitch was producing an inordinate number of shooters, and the new pitch today can't have been that much better given that Jamaica promptly collapsed to 48/8.

Pretty sure Southee and Boult would terrorise most domestic A teams around the world. We all know what happens when they play first class games.

 

[WindieWeathers]

WI spinner dominates, future test prospect.

Nz spinner prospers, was assisted by the pitch

TBH the only spinner I commented about was 17 year old spinner Ramaal Lewis after the first game as he took a few wickets against an international side which is encouraging...the track wasn't taking that much turn in the first game though.. I was also happy with some of the pacers..one who is 18 and another who is 20. Apart from that i wasn't really bothered...not sure what this game does for NZ tbh because the batting failed twice....but if the pitch wasn't good enough like Hesson says then i guess they might be able to look past that.

 

[Bahnz]

But it wasn't Southee and Boult who did it though. The damage was done by Craig - and to a lesser extent Williamson, primarily because the pitch was so ridiculous that all he had to do was land the ball somewhere in the rough vicinity of the batsmen's half. I know what happens when Mark Craig plays domestic cricket, and 4-8 is a bit out of the ordinary.

 

[Prince EWS]

I know what happens when Mark Craig plays domestic cricket, and 4-8 is a bit out of the ordinary.

It wouldn't be in the West Indies; certainly not in 2011/12 or 2012/13, particularly as this was basically a domestic second XI opposition. This is a world in which Nikita Miller can finish a season with 50 wickets @ 8.

 

[Mike5181]

TBH the only spinner I commented about was 17 year old spinner Ramaal Lewis after the first game as he took a few wickets against an international side which is encouraging...the track wasn't taking that much turn in the first game though.. I was also happy with some of the pacers..one who is 18 and another who is 20. .

Don't forget Christopher Powell. As you said, he has a "massive future" ahead of him at 34 years of age

 

[hendrix]

There was enough time for the batsmen in the middle, IMO. Yeah it was difficult and probably hard to work on specific shots, but if they had specific things they needed to work on then they can do that in the nets.

It also looks like they had the opportunity to face some very capable pace bowlers.