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

[SteveNZ]

@ Steve: was it you?

That told you the story? Yes!

 

[RxGM]

According to Tony Vietch today on radio sport, the word out of the BC is Fulton will open in the 2nd test.

 

[Bahnz]

According to Tony Vietch today on radio sport, the word out of the BC is Fulton will open in the 2nd test.

Wouldn't be super shocked if this turns out to be true. Right from the start Hesson has been big on consistency of selection. Seriously though, with the way Fults is batting at the moment we'd be better off sending out one of those carp I mentioned a few pages back.

 

[Blocky]

Anderson isn't a better bowler. Jimmy has almost twice the FC wickets at almost 7 runs a pop less.

Corey is the superior ODI/T20 player, Jimmy is the superior longer-form. There's no place for Corey in the Test side now that Jimmy is in the runs.

Agree, 100%

 

[WindieWeathers]

And Gayle isn't?

Difference is this kid actually uses his feet and can run quick singles .

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Difference is this kid actually uses his feet and can run quick singles .

So is destined to average 50+ then?

 

[Hurricane]

Difference is this kid actually uses his feet and can run quick singles .

Is he more talented than Bravo?

 

[vandem]

.... If they swallow their pride and bring back Narine and consider playing Dwayne Bravo at 6 and as a 3rd seamer, we'll have a pretty decent attack, no complaints there.
...

Dwayne Bravo injured his shoulder during the IPL. Anybody know how close is he to full fitness now? Based on what we saw in the ODI series in NZ (12,56*,43*,106), I'd pick him at #6 even if he couldn't bowl.

 

[WindieWeathers]

So is destined to average 50+ then?

I'm not gonna lay those expectations on the lad...hell he might not even play in this second test. What i will say is technically he reminds me a little of Kohli. What will be will be at the end of the day it's up to him how far he goes in this game.

 

[straw man]

Wouldn't be super shocked if this turns out to be true. Right from the start Hesson has been big on consistency of selection. Seriously though, with the way Fults is batting at the moment we'd be better off sending out one of those carp I mentioned a few pages back.

I wouldn't be surprised either. If the mindset from the start was that Fulton would play and would not be dropped even after a performance that could barely have been any worse, then leaving aside opinions on Fulton it shows even moreso the stupidity of taking Rutherford as well, who was never going to play. Could have selected someone more useful in the squad.

 

[Hurricane]

I wouldn't be surprised either. If the mindset from the start was that Fulton would play and would not be dropped even after a performance that could barely have been any worse, then leaving aside opinions on Fulton it shows even moreso the stupidity of taking Rutherford as well, who was never going to play. Could have selected someone more useful in the squad.

Yeah - agree with this.

 

[hendrix]

Guptill has always been an opener mate. .

Are you sure?

 

[Flem274*]

Are you sure?

Apart from the odd experiment at number five in the test side - yes. He was an opener at youth level and opened for Auckland.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Craig no longer second-best | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News

Right now, Mark Craig would have to be the best spinner in the country.

Earlier this year, he was not considered the best spinner in Otago, or at the Albion club, or even at his flat in St Clair.

It has been quite some turnaround. Craig was named man of the match for his haul of eight for 188 in the first test against the West Indies in Jamaica this week. It was the best return by a New Zealand bowler on debut. He also hit a six from the first ball he faced in test cricket, believed to be a world first.

Perhaps no-one was more surprised by his success than Craig himself.

''I'm just more than happy I didn't embarrass myself over here and got stuck in,'' he told The New Zealand Herald.

He would not have played, of course, had Jeetan Patel not declined a spot in the touring side. And when Craig was named in the squad, it would have been the first time a lot of New Zealand cricket fans had heard his name.

Craig is used to flying under the radar. Black Caps offspinner Nathan McCullum has been the undisputed king of spin in Otago for the last decade. Left-arm tweaker Nick Beard - Craig's flatmate - has carved out an impressive provincial record, particularly in limited-overs formats. Both McCullum and Beard also play for Albion. So, whether at home, at the club or playing for the province, Craig was, at best, second-best.

Albion coach Tony Branks believes it was that competition which forced Craig into changing his approach.

''Initially, he bowled more like Nick does,'' Branks said.

''He actually bowled quite quick and darted the ball in. Over the last two years he has dropped that side of his game and has really worked on flighting it and spinning it.

''He had to do something different because he was not going to push Nathan McCullum out.''

The flight, drift and bounce Craig is able to generate gives him a point of difference and it has paid off at provincial and now international level.

Ironically, it has been less successful at club level. During the national club championships in Auckland in April, Branks sat down with Craig, after his bowler had been clouted, and asked him if he would consider bowling more defensively for the remainder of the tournament.

''He said that would ruin what he has been working on,'' Branks said.

''Once you get to that high level, they really play in the V. But when you drop down the grades, batsmen are more prepared to whack across the line.''

It seems there is a bit of Mark Richardson in reverse about Craig. He was a top-order batsman for King's College about the same time as Tim Southee was breaking all kinds of bowling records for the school.

King's won the Gillette Cup in 2004 and again in 2006. Craig played alongside former Otago and Highlanders first five-eighth Chris Noakes and New Zealand professional golfer Ryan Fox - son of All Black great Grant Fox.

''He was more of a batsman when he played for us,'' former King's College First XI coach Peter Barton said.

''Tim Southee was the star and we had a very strong team. But he [Craig] has done very well and I admire what he has done. It is fantastic.''

The other interesting element of Craig's story was his battle with chronic fatigue syndrome. He was picked to play in the twenty20 final against Canterbury in 2009. The game was abandoned without a ball bowled but Craig could not have played anyway.

He had been feeling listless for a long time but felt completely wiped out that day. When the game was abandoned, Craig was taken to hospital. It took five months for a diagnosis.

Craig spent seven of the next nine months in bed or on the couch. He is well these days, but still tends to get sick a bit more than most people.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Watling's match-winning qualities make worldwide impression - Cricket - NZ Herald News

Those who call for Watling to be pushed back up to the top of the batting order to compensate for Peter Fulton's misfirings are out of luck. Watling is ensconced at No 7, he's succeeding there and there is no desire to use him as an opening problem solver.

"I think he's the best test wicketkeeper in the world at the moment," Mike Hesson said yesterday.

"And that's not just me. Experts from around the world who watch a lot of cricket think he's as good as there is going around and I certainly concur."

 

[Hurricane]

Of leading test keepers, Watling's average of 3.2 catches per test is better than all others except Australian veteran Brad Haddin's four.

Why is haddin ahead of him? Would think our seamers would create as many chances as the aussies.

 

[Mike5181]

I've never seen any indication Hesson's anti-Watling, so I'm glad he's come out and said something like that.

 

[Beamer]

Is he more talented than Bravo?

In pure batsmanship (shots all around the wicket, lack of weaknesses) I think so and I don't say that lightly as I've been following Darren Bravo bat since he was about 14 years old in school cricket and am a huge fan.

However, Blackwood has only just learned how to construct an innings at FC and A team level. He has all the shots and has always tried to play all of them. He's just starting playing the ball on it's merits this year and the runs have immediately flowed. We'll see what he is like against top quality bowling soon hopefully. I rate him incredibly highly, it might be too soon but I sure as hell can;t wait to see him bat at test level.

 

[Hurricane]

I just hope people will give him 4-5 tests before passing judgement. Some posters (not naming names) fell in love with Barath after his single century in Aussie.

And this kid could easily get a ton on debut. We don't know who he is and won't know how to bowl to him. Cricket these days is all about plans.

Anyway so long as he is better than Xavier Marshall i am sure he will go ok.

 

[Kippax]

I've never seen any indication Hesson's anti-Watling, so I'm glad he's come out and said something like that.

PEWS was trying to stir up the suspicion of a Watling grudge, after Howsie said he's not rated by the coach. Turns out it's just his one-day batting that he rates below Rob Nicol's.