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

[Hurricane]

WW your views on the pitch please - we have heard from Beamer was it your take on what we can expect? Cricinfo says

Kensington Oval's recent record does not suggest it is particularly spin-friendly. Last year 14 of the 31 wickets fell to spin in West Indies' victory over Zimbabwe, but in the five previous Tests stretching to 2008 it was limited. Eight out of 35 were spin-induced in West Indies' 2012 defeat to Australia; five out of 33 in a draw with India; 14 out of 33 in the loss to South Africa; eight out of 17 in the draw with England; and ten out of 35 in another defeat to Australia.

It will depend on how this season's wicket shapes up, but those are hardly compelling statistics to go spin-heavy.

 

[WindieWeathers]

It's a good pitch Hurricane..probably similar to trinidad as in you can make big runs but still take wickets regularly if you get your lines right..i think we'll stick with the same side tbh...hoping Roach and especially Benn come good on their own track...Benn is expected to get good bounce with his height so that should be interesting.

 

[Hurricane]

I don't know if am influenced by Blocky or not. But I would play Wagner in this third test and play one of the spinners.

As tempting as it is to do something funky with the opening position as absolutely anyone must be able to get more than 3 runs - the downsides to Hesson's career if he plays such a card are quite substantial and he will be forced into playing Rutherford.

 

[hendrix]

The problem with playing two spinners is if we bowl first we're kinda screwed.

 

[Howsie]

I made a valid point, and you obviously couldn't do the same so you just gave me an ad hominem response. I still fully support what I said back then re: Anton Devcich. I've never thought he's a particularly good player, but the guy was averaging mid-30s in List A cricket, and he got a call-up. Fair enough I think, especially considering Hamish Rutherford was one of the ODI openers at the time and he was a failure in limited overs cricket, and still is. He was rightfully disposed of when we had something resembling a full-strength squad back, and that's it. He should never have had any involvement with the NZ A team in first-class cricket, and I said something to that effect when he was used in such a capacity, too. If you want to use such an instance to claim my ego is pushing me down a misguided path, I guess you're entitled to your opinion. Forgive me if I don't agree.

Haha, trying to convince anyone on CW that Devcich actually deserved his call up, is, as I've found in the past rather futile. Forget that he actually had one of the better List A records going around, he only made the team because of an ND coaching conspiracy.

 

[Blocky]

If you're arguing for Devcich, it would solely be on the unifying factor he has to make all of his team mates and the opposition hate him for being a grimy sledging little ****head.

 

[Hurricane]

You know that we have run out of things to say in a thread when the conversation has turned to his Antoness.

 

[Hurricane]

Also massive LOL at the fact that the go to ad hominem strategy is to accuse someone of being an Anton Supporter. Hahahahaha

 

[Flem274*]

Devcich didn't deserve anything. He made his name by producing an okay average in a season where 350 v 350 was the norm on drought forged highways and openers like Papps, How et al were destroying opposition bowlers. How scored a double ton that season ffs.

And both of those two should have played ahead of Devcich.

 

[Athlai]

Jeet Raval may be a myth but Devcich is cave drawings of sticks and buffalo

 

[SteveNZ]

If you're arguing for Devcich, it would solely be on the unifying factor he has to make all of his team mates and the opposition hate him for being a grimy sledging little ****head.

Every now and then I get the feeling you're alright.

 

[GGG]

Really thought they would of replaced Craig with Wagner and it is looking like Rutherford will open, did I miss something but why didn't he open in the second innings?

 

[Bahnz]

He was sick.

 

[straw man]

New Zealand opt for pace over spin | Stuff.co.nz

Left-arm seamer Neil Wagner replaces legspinner Ish Sodhi in the only change to the XI that suffered a 10-wicket loss in the second test last week.

Pleased with that. It may not have been that long ago that we were complaining about Wagner's short wide rubbish releasing the pressure after Southee and Boult, but I'm hopeful he can continue with his recent improvement and he's still a better bet than Sodhi (or Craig).

Hope McCullum's read on the pitch works out too.

The pitch presented bare and dry, but captain Brendon McCullum thought there would be more pace in it than the previous two tests.

''It looks like it's pretty good batting surface with some bounce and it should have some decent carry even though there's not a lot of grass,'' McCullum said today.

''Hopefully it holds throughout the game and should be able to aid the fast bowlers.'

 

[Hurricane]

****- I know nothing about reading pitches so I will take Baz's word for it.

When I have filled in for our second team I get a real education in pitch reading. They all saunter out to the wicket block and announce exactly what it will do and where you should bowl on it.

When my 3rd team walks out to a usually heavily green looking surface we just nod and say looks the same as last week lads.

Where am I going with all of this patter. From what little I know about reading pitches grass cover is everything. We have opted for a seam attack here where there is very little grass cover. Our bowlers
are not Australian who will beat you with bounce. They are seam and swing bowlers. I am not criticising this decision I am just saying I am blindly trusting Baz here.

 

[Hurricane]

''We have a real chance of achieving something special, a series win here would be something we'd all hold dearly for the rest of our lives,'' McCullum said.

If this is our attitude going into this match (one of respect) then we have a chance.

I will repeat my prediction - Baz tons up we win. Baz fails we lose. It is his turn to score some runs.

 

[hendrix]

I am not criticising this decision I am just saying I am blindly trusting Baz here.

He's read plenty of pitches completely wrong.

Noone knows exactly how a pitch will play till play begins.

 

[straw man]

Where am I going with all of this patter. From what little I know about reading pitches grass cover is everything. We have opted for a seam attack here where there is very little grass cover. Our bowlers
are not Australian who will beat you with bounce. They are seam and swing bowlers. I am not criticising this decision I am just saying I am blindly trusting Baz here.

Wagner's recent success was on exactly the type of pitch forecast here - flat but with bounce and carry if you really bend your back. That type of pitch would benefit Wagner more than a slower pitch with a bit of grass cover where you need to be accurate, bowl a fuller length and hit the seam*, while the rest of our seam attack were always going to be selected regardless of the pitch.

If the pitch diagnosis is right that's a big help (though also helps WI seamers obv), though even if it's not I think Wagner is still the right call over a spinner.

* trollface

 

[WindieWeathers]

I'm surprised Sodhi's getting dropped tbh...because though he often bowls pies he did bowl some very good deliveries that got Edwards and Blackwood. But i'm guessing they are keen to keep Craig for his batting down the order aswell.

There is still a debate from our side as to whether Holder will play or not...i suspect not but you never know. Should be a good game..it was encouraging to see Gayle get some runs last game and the others done well in the first innings of course. All in all i just hope our attack keeps doing what they've done recently..Taylor and Roach will be the key again but if Gabby is on fire and Benn finds some bounce then anything can happen.

 

[Flem274*]

Our boffins campaigning for greater understanding of the laws of probability will be glad to know former test opener Bryan Young believes we need Taylor and McCullum to fire in this test match because the law of averages says Latham and Williamson are due to fail.