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

[hendrix]

Swapping Latham with Neesham would make that team look a lot better. I don't really get the point of Neesham opening in limited overs cricket in general; the ODI openers should presumably be Guptill and Latham from this point, and in T20 it should be Guptill and Williamson with Latham also around. It's Test cricket where the team needs another opener.

Neesham should be close to taking Ross Taylor's spot in t20. That's the only vulnerable middle order slot. But Hesson is way too scared to touch Taylor.

 

[Athlai]

Neesham should be close to taking Ross Taylor's spot in t20. That's the only vulnerable middle order slot. But Hesson is way too scared to touch Taylor.

I don't think Ross Taylor should be close to getting dropped. He may only be averaging 20 odd in the last few years but in T20 thats good enough IMO.

 

[Howsie]

This is all about the world cup.

Yeah, and numbers three through seven are occupied. Hesson and co obviously want Neesham in the playing XI and at present this is the only option.

 

[hendrix]

I don't think Ross Taylor should be close to getting dropped. He may only be averaging 20 odd in the last few years but in T20 thats good enough IMO.

It might be good enough but he's not a better t20 player than McCullum, Anderson, or even Williamson right now.

 

[Athlai]

It might be good enough but he's not a better t20 player than McCullum, Anderson, or even Williamson right now.

Williamson is slightly debatable but it isn't like he is leaving any of those 3 out of the team is he?

 

[hendrix]

Williamson is slightly debatable but it isn't like he is leaving any of those 3 out of the team is he?

no, I'm just saying that Ross' spot is the most vulnerable.

I suppose McHesson is also correct in that Guptill and Ryder's spots could quite easily be up for grabs too. I just wish it were McCullum and Latham going for those and Neesh moving into the middle order.

 

[Kippax]

the ODI openers should presumably be Guptill and Latham from this point

Little Chris Woakes figured out how to keep Latham in check, so I think you know what Hesson would say.

 

[Blocky]

Ryder and Anderson would be my opening combination - given how destructive both of them can be.

T20 cricket, realistically you want to give guys with a proven track record of sustained hitting and doing it more than once to have as many opportunities as possible to do exactly that. That's why I don't mind Neesham moving up too, so long as his gameplan results around "two to get yourself in, then go" - NZ recently haven't maximised how deep our tail is and how many hitters we have, so many times we're 100 odd for 2 at 15 overs. I'd rather be 120 for 5 at 15.

 

[Blocky]

It might be good enough but he's not a better t20 player than McCullum, Anderson, or even Williamson right now.

To be honest, Taylor wouldn't be in our Top 10 in terms of T20 batsmen in my view. Guptill is even a better T20 player than he is but lets test that

1. Baz
2. Ryder
3. Anderson
4. Neesham
5. Guptill
6. Latham
7. Ronchi
8. Williamson
9.

Ok - Taylor 9th.

 

[Blocky]

My T20 team, all things told would probably be something like this

1. Ryder
2. Guptill
3. Anderson
4. McCullum
5. Neesham
6. Williamson (float)
7. Ronchi (k)
8. NcCullum
9. Southee
10. McCleneghan
11. Henry / Hira dependent on conditions.

8 bowling options, with up to three spinners (four if we include Ryder's spin in that mix)

 

[Blocky]

Jesse Ryder a sultan of swing - cricket - sport | Stuff.co.nz

Duke + England + 125kmh = lethal.

 

[Kippax]

Neesham in opening calculations for Black Caps | Stuff.co.nz

"This is a really good opportunity to see how he goes and there could be some other opportunities leading up to the World Cup. He's certainly excited about doing it and it's something he's certainly got a good skill set for," Hesson said.

Neesham said yesterday he would not be averse to opening in any format, if required. The left-hander batted in the top-three with his former province Auckland but his international career has been largely in positions six to eight. In four tests he has been a revelation, scoring 448 runs, including two centuries; and his imperious knock of 51 off 67 balls at Bridgetown helped turn the deciding test New Zealand's way.

New Zealand's cricketing stocks are soaring after their 2-1 test series win, but their opening combinations are a problem area.

Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill are the incumbent one-day opening pair but Ryder's international career remains in limbo due to his issues with alcohol, which came to a head during the test in Auckland in February.

Hesson insisted the door was not shut on Ryder, although the left-hander's signing with the Melbourne Renegades for the Australian T20 Big Bash in January suggests the World Cup is not high on the player's radar.

"We'll make a judgment on whether we think he's in our frame or not. He's made plans for himself in January and that's up to him."

Guptill averaged 43 in the one-day series with India but struggled for timing and strike rate, and remains out of the test frame. Hesson said Guptill had been working with batting great Martin Crowe for several months to improve his technique.

Tom Latham was an impressive opener, averaging 48 in the three tests in the Caribbean, and is a leading contender for a World Cup opening berth too.

Hesson said Latham, Hamish Rutherford and Anton Devcich would all get chances at the top in nine one-day matches on the coming New Zealand A tour of England. Rutherford's form and technical issues remain a big issue after he averaged 9.75 from four test innings against West Indies.

He, Latham and young Otago batsman Michael Bracewell are in the NZ A squad for two three-day county matches, with Bracewell in the box seat to push his case for New Zealand's next test series against Pakistan in November.

Hesson confirmed Dean Brownlie was a middle order batsman in the NZ A squad and would need to prove himself as an opener for Northern Districts.

 

[Bahnz]

Interesting interview here with KW:

Kane Williamson: 'This group can win a lot in the coming years' | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

I found it funny that Williamson seemed to get quite bored of all the stats watching from the interviewer at quite an early stage. Onya Kane.

 

[Blocky]

Sadly though, in test cricket, selfish obsession with statistics is what you want in your Top 4. I appreciate the sentiment he's trying to throw out there but in my view, there is no question that guys who are selfishly obsessed with their statistics they generate are the ones who generally do the best.

"If averages come as a result of me improving" - yeah, that's a nice sentiment, but averages come as a result of being obsessed with them. Building in the whole "I'm not willing to expand my game or be rash until I'm 35 runs..." -

 

[Howsie]

To be honest, Taylor wouldn't be in our Top 10 in terms of T20 batsmen in my view. Guptill is even a better T20 player than he is but lets test that

1. Baz
2. Ryder
3. Anderson
4. Neesham
5. Guptill
6. Latham
7. Ronchi
8. Williamson
9.

Ok - Taylor 9th.

Rubbish. Taylor has long been a pretty average internaional 20/20 player, but domestically, and I'm guessing this is what your basing all of this all on, he's usually been outstanding. McCullum and Guptill are the only two you can say are categorically better than him, Ryder is a maybe. The rest, please.

 

[hendrix]

I'm with Blocky on this one.

I'd be opening with Williamson though. It's top 3 or bust for Williamson IMO.

 

[Blocky]

Rubbish. Taylor has long been a pretty average internaional 20/20 player, but domestically, and I'm guessing this is what your basing all of this all on, he's usually been outstanding. McCullum and Guptill are the only two you can say are categorically better than him, Ryder is a maybe. The rest, please.

So outstanding that he didn't get used at all by his IPL team.

 

[hendrix]

So outstanding that he didn't get used at all by his IPL team.

TBF, like a lot of our best batsmen, he's been used wrong in t20. Taylor should be batting in the top 4. So should all of our hitters really (McCullum, Anderson, Neesham etc etc), but Taylor is the least suited to be able to float and finish an innings.

 

[Howsie]

So outstanding that he didn't get used at all by his IPL team.

Because Ryder, Guptill, Latham, Ronchi and Williamson did? Oh wait, they weren't even good enough to pick up a contract. Terrible argument.

 

[Kippax]

Don't forget Munro's been making a good fist of things in the last two weeks. Surprised he and Devcich (averaging 44.5 in T20Is) didn't pay their own way to be in Dominica this weekend, demanding fairer and more serious treatment of NZ's shorter form professionals.