**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[Days of Grace]

I was worried that if we dropped Craig we would lose some batting, but Sodhi seems good enough to bat at 8, and besides, the top 7 need to do the job and we need 20 wickets.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah Sodhi has what it takes for number 8. It's a shame really, both Craig and Sodhi bat better than they bowl. Come to think of it pretty much all NZ spinners are the same.

 

[RxGM]

I wonder if Hesson would consider calling up someone from the NZA squad,
who is the least worse out of Ronchi/Neesham/Brownlie/Guptill/Munro/Devcich

 

[Athlai]

Would probably go Neesham in all honesty.

 

[Mike5181]

Based solely on batting ability right now, I wouldn't have Ronchi that far behind Neesham, if it all. He's a useful batsman, certainly comparable to our other middle-order options. I wouldn't discard Jimmy just yet though. Wagner in for Craig seems like the most sensible change.

 

[RxGM]

The other colin is there as well, if Brendon can get a wicket with his dibblies, de Grandhomme would probably pick up a five fer.

 

[Bahnz]

I reckon Ronchi will go all right, better than Neesham anyway. #shotsoffbothfeet

Ridiculously harsh call to drop Jimmy though. Hope he gets a recall for the Sri Lanka series.

 

[Kippax]

I just don't see what Ronchi offers.

Haha you're always such a sophisticate, Hendrix. You'll never get sincere gratification out of coaching a women's team or an ICC minor associate with that attitude.

Ronchi has easily the most Plunket engine room centuries, since the engine room and agribusiness concepts took off. "He's no good trying to block it or leave it, or stuff like that". An engine room of Ronchi-Craig-Southee-Sodhi-Boult is tops.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Yeah Sodhi has what it takes for number 8. It's a shame really, both Craig and Sodhi bat better than they bowl. Come to think of it pretty much all NZ spinners are the same.

Not jeets though

 

[Athlai]

Not jeets though

How kind of you to notice

 

[Daemon]

Haha you're always such a sophisticate, Hendrix. You'll never get sincere gratification out of coaching a women's team or an ICC minor associate with that attitude.

Ronchi has easily the most Plunket engine room centuries, since the engine room and agribusiness concepts took off. "He's no good trying to block it or leave it, or stuff like that". An engine room of Ronchi-Craig-Southee-Sodhi-Boult is tops.

Man when you're not posting videos I literally understand 0% of your references and posts in general

 

[Hurricane]

Man when you're not posting videos I literally understand 0% of your references and posts in general

I managed to get this one - very nude sarcasm and Ronchi digs.

 

[Kippax]

I managed to get this one - very nude sarcasm and Ronchi digs.

Nah I'm on board with agribusiness these days. All of the young players around the world who did something to appeal to my percipience have been dudding out, and dudding out really badly.

Here's the innings that separated Ronchi from the other players who score quickfire tons in NZ domestic cricket. 134 vs. Sri Lanka A.

 

[hendrix]

lol he's rubbish. I'd actually prefer Devcich and then we could definitely play Wagner ahead of Craig.

 

[Mike5181]

Let's not go that far.

 

[Kippax]

lol he's rubbish. I'd actually prefer Devcich and then we could definitely play Wagner ahead of Craig.

Nah as good as Devcich is, the wagon wheel in Dougeh's red ball century against Sri Lanka A suggests he enjoyed an even more brutal dominance over the attack.

 

[Kippax]

No jokes from Bracewell. You can tell some really punitive and mean-spirited cricket men have been on his case, right from the start.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Vettori set for return to test cricket - Sport - NZ Herald News

Daniel Vettori is set to play in the third New Zealand-Pakistan cricket test in Sharjah and become the country's outright record-holder for test appearances.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson observed there's "not a blade of grass" on the wicket at the venue and believes playing three specialist spinners offers the tourists their best chance of taking 20 wickets after securing 15 in an improved second test performance last week in Dubai.

Vettori trained with the team at the venue last night. The idea is for him to join Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi in a rare New Zealand test spinning trio. The 35-year-old has been asked to play on a one-off basis.

Thought was given to playing Luke Ronchi as a specialist batsman, replacing Jimmy Neesham. Now it's a case of a spin all-rounder to replace a medium pace all-rounder.

 

[cnerd123]

Three spinners? Seriously? Overkill IMO.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Vettori and Wagner should come in for Neesham and Craig. Three spinners would be ridiculous, but I think Vettori and Sodhi in tandem could be really good. Vettori being his usual accurate self at one end would help Sodhi a lot and even If Sodhi doesn't bowl well, atleast you have Vettori tying up an end. Wagner simply has to come in. He's way better than Neesham with the ball and any loss in batting is more than made up by Vettori anyway.

If they go in with this attack, I really fancy their chances.