• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

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

Flem274*

123/5
Cheers Kippax

So much for Craig keeping it tight, going at almost five runs an over. Is his series RPO higher than Sodhi's yet?
sodhi is filth. pink filth, but filth. stop pretending he's shane warne reincarnate compared to craig because he isn't.

the only reason his career figures aren't even worse than they are is because mccullum shields him. craig has no such luck.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
So from the comments here we bowled as poorly as the horrible nine over spell the previous night. Seem to have gotten progressively worse over the course of the series. Is chief bowling brain Shane Bond on tour or are Southee and Boult missing his reminders of simple disciplines?

We are still in the game though it's giving off vibes similar to the second test.

Btw, fantastic innings by Neesham yesterday. Seems to exemplify the 'don't overthink things', 'play your natural game', 'back yourself' ethos (rather than the parody of that frequently trotted out) with no fear of failure evident and it is great to see.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Good work by Brathwaite today, shame it ended so close to lunch. Looking forward to some play tomorrow and a big hundred from Edwards.
 

Days of Grace

International Captain
Yeah, I don't mind the rain to be honest. The West Indies have totally outplayed New Zealand in all departments ever since the end of the first test and after some premature comments from a certain poster.

Having said that, wouldn't mind watching some cricket this weekend. We surely can't bowl any worse than yesterday.
 

Howsie

International Captain
sodhi is filth. pink filth, but filth. stop pretending he's shane warne reincarnate compared to craig because he isn't.

the only reason his career figures aren't even worse than they are is because mccullum shields him. craig has no such luck.
I don't know what Ish Sodhi has to do with Mark Craig going along at 4.51 runs an over this series. For a guy that was suppose to be tidy and accurate that's rubbish going.
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
That missed run out by Neesham was the same thing as a dropped catch. We make that run out and we were among them early.

Teams with early run outs never do well either - just seems to be an unwritten rule of cricket.
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
Well since nothing is really happening in this thread - I will give some general ramblings.

Braithwaite in for Powell has been a huge change. I am certain we would have had King Kieron out for <30 in both 2nd and 3rd tests.
Benn's 5 fer was huge in this test, and the fact our spinner can't replicate the same results spells trouble for us.

I have been thinking about Craig's bowling and particularly that over that went for 12 runs against Gayle on the 1st day. He is just lobbying them up there like grenades. because he doesn't have a forceful follow through or significant speed on the ball - if he does drop slightly short it really just does sit there saying hit me. If he was faster through the air he could get away with more and have a better economy rate. Still it was his grenade style of bowling that got the Gayle wicket - he gave it plenty of air and Gayle took on the long on fielder and couldn't make it. So there are plusses to his bowling.

Overall things don't look good from here for a New Zealand victory and series win. Getting another 18 wickets in with the pending rain will be a challenge.

I don't really still comprehend how Peter Fulton and Rutherford between them can not conspire to reach double digits on this tour. I don't think we have ever had openers who have been in such dire form since well ever. It is getting to the point where I think one of my clubs premier team's batsman could do a better job. I am looking at how he got out in the last inning and I don't know how he managed to do it.
 

Beamer

International Vice-Captain
Braithwaite in for Powell has been a huge change. I am certain we would have had King Kieron out for <30 in both 2nd and 3rd tests.
Benn's 5 fer was huge in this test, and the fact our spinner can't replicate the same results spells trouble for us.
Yep, loving Kraigg's work in this series. I said right from the start he should replace Powell. Kraigg has worked seriously hard over the last year to up his strike rate to around the 40/45 mark which is more acceptable. He's doing that simply by hitting the gaps more. He's managed to do all those improvements without ruining his biggest strength, which is his concentration. I think he's got a big future in the game.

I have been thinking about Craig's bowling and particularly that over that went for 12 runs against Gayle on the 1st day. He is just lobbying them up there like grenades. because he doesn't have a forceful follow through or significant speed on the ball - if he does drop slightly short it really just does sit there saying hit me. If he was faster through the air he could get away with more and have a better economy rate. Still it was his grenade style of bowling that got the Gayle wicket - he gave it plenty of air and Gayle took on the long on fielder and couldn't make it. So there are plusses to his bowling.
After the first test I thought it was a bit of a no-contest. If NZ had to play one spinner, it would be Craig as he offered control and if the pitch turned big he would take some wickets too. However, his bowling has just got worse and worse as the series has gone on. I think our batsmen were far too defensive against him in the first test and they've been after him right from the start of the Trinidad test. So our batsman responded and basically he hasn't thus far. If he doesn't improve in the rest of this match I think perhaps Sodhi should leap frog him.

All in all it seems spin bowling is a serious weakness in NZ cricket, 1st test excepted (bad over-defensive batting and scoreboard pressure aided by turning conditions IMHO). I really don't rate Sodhi but he definitely has more to work with than Craig has shown in the last two tests. Is there really no-one outside of Jeets who is better than these two?
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Yep, loving Kraigg's work in this series. I said right from the start he should replace Powell. Kraigg has worked seriously hard over the last year to up his strike rate to around the 40/45 mark which is more acceptable. He's doing that simply by hitting the gaps more. He's managed to do all those improvements without ruining his biggest strength, which is his concentration. I think he's got a big future in the game.



After the first test I thought it was a bit of a no-contest. If NZ had to play one spinner, it would be Craig as he offered control and if the pitch turned big he would take some wickets too. However, his bowling has just got worse and worse as the series has gone on. I think our batsmen were far too defensive against him in the first test and they've been after him right from the start of the Trinidad test. So our batsman responded and basically he hasn't thus far. If he doesn't improve in the rest of this match I think perhaps Sodhi should leap frog him.

All in all it seems spin bowling is a serious weakness in NZ cricket, 1st test excepted (bad over-defensive batting and scoreboard pressure aided by turning conditions IMHO). I really don't rate Sodhi but he definitely has more to work with than Craig has shown in the last two tests. Is there really no-one outside of Jeets who is better than these two?
Yeah outside of Jeets we don't really have anyone. NcCullum would probably do better than these two but he isn't a Test spinner. Both Craig and Sodhi are fairly new even in our domestic scene. Landscape is just barren atm.
 

Flem274*

123/5
*heroic number eight batsman and legendary troll spinner

Tastle would be KW level in an extended run of tests imo. Not quite a part timer but not quite trustworthy.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Tastle would be even better at inflicting Plunket Shield Cute Little Tail Wags on the oppo than Craig come to think of it.

Or we could just pick a medium pace allrounder like Ellis, CdG or KNB for the "bowl lots of overs" role and get even more silliness down at number eight. Ellis would be perfect for this because his bowling fits right in with the 15.999999 degree brigade, so people wouldn't see much difference between his deliveries and the quicker balls of several test spinners.
 

Top