***Official**** Sri Lanka in New Zealand 2014/2015

[NZTailender]

I don't think we should have to wait till a player fails hard with our depth at the moment. That said, I'm going to be absolutely fine with Wagner playing in Wellington, I just believe we should be weighing up our options now.

At what point do you say "I know you take wickets at the same rate as Tim and Trent, but we're going to try this other guy just in case he's Dale Steyn in disguise" to Wagner, then?

 

[Hurricane]

@DOG I will make a small thread for it as I have something to say in response.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm not really convinced by Athlai's point but I do think Bahnz makes a strong one. Cricket played outside of Tests should not be disregarded for Test players, particularly when those players are being left out of the Test side for balance reasons. I'd pick Wagner for the second Test, but I'd look at replacing him after that if he bowls poorly again.

He's been bowling poorly for a while now; he just hasn't been playing Tests to have it show in his Test figures. This alone shouldn't get him dumped from the Test side -- and it hasn't. But if he continues along that way in Test cricket then his place becomes questionable a lot earlier than if he hadn't gone away and bowled pies in domestic cricket.

 

[NZTailender]

which is why I'd rather see the selectors moving towards Henry sooner rather than later.

Which is what the tour matches in the England series will be perfect for, for that series. There's also a tour of Sri Lanka and then Zimbabwe between England and the Australia series. Plenty of time to see who is up to chop and who isn't.

 

[Athlai]

At what point do you say "I know you take wickets at the same rate as Tim and Trent, but we're going to try this other guy just in case he's Dale Steyn in disguise" to Wagner, then?

Looking beyond the superficial average Wagner has for 2014 he really doesn't take as many wickets at all.

 

[NZTailender]

Looking beyond the superficial average Wagner has for 2014 he really doesn't take as many wickets at all.

Can we do the same for Bracewell and his 2014 performances?

 

[NZTailender]

Anyway, wanting to get out of the circles we're going in, it seems we're mostly agreed he plays the second Test. If he fails he fails and there's the rest of the PS season and the Eng tour matches for Wagner, Bracewell and Henry to duel it out for third seamer role. He has bowled poorly at times but he's also bowled superbly (yes, he bowled some absolute gems in the second dig and if you didn't see them then you literally were not watching him bowl at the time) and he's someone who can pull a wicket out when it's not happening for Southee and Boult. He offers more options when the surface isn't receptive and can bowl 12 overs on the trot to boot.

 

[Flem274*]

Andrew Fernando article.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-sri-lanka-2014-15/content/story/815165.html?CMP=chrome

For so long the sport's spirited overachievers, 2014 has been a year in which New Zealand have earned a place at cricket's top table. In Tests, they have won five of their nine matches - three of those, overseas - and have been impressive home and away in ODIs as well.

The improvements, New Zealand coach Mike Hessson said, are thanks to a new team ethos, coupled with the development of high-quality cricketers. Among those is Brendon McCullum, whose rich year with the bat coincided with a purple patch for the side. He possesses just the qualities required to lead a team that aims to be greater than the sum of its parts, Hesson said.

"If he can back up 2015 with another year like 2014, it will be brilliant," he said. "He's a very selfless player. I think we've seen that in the way he goes about things in all three forms."

Hesson had backed McCullum for the captaincy in a controversial leadership-reshuffle in late 2012. The pair had known each other since their time together at Otago, where Hesson also coached.

"I've known Brendon for quite some time and I've always enjoyed his company, but there's no doubt that he's more of a mature individual now. He's a family man, and a mature calculating guy. The guys love playing for him. He's what New Zealand cricket fans want to see - a guy who's willing to take the opposition on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But he drags a few people along."

New Zealand's rejuvenation after several dark years had in part been because of serious introspection in 2013, and a sharp focus on the team's needs, which has evolved in the past 18 months. Hesson said that collective philosophy has been universally embraced within the unit.

"Everyone thinks of the team. You can't have a team-first mentality if only a few people are buying into it. A lot of teams talk about it, but I think it's more about what you do. When you have players sacrificing their own personal records for what the team needs, that's what it's all about.


"We've also been pretty consistent in how we've gone about things in terms of selection, in terms of the way we want to play the game, and in terms of the people we think fits that mix. We've given them time to try and grow into the game. By doing that you end up playing for the team, rather than trying to just stay in the team. When you're fighting for your place all the time the team aspect can be neglected, and we certainly don't do that in this group." 



While the team's star players - the new ball pair, and the middle-order featuring McCullum, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor - have been in exceptional form in the past few months, Hesson also reserved praise for the supporting players who have been a part of their success.

"When you have roles, you might not get a 100 every game, but you have to play the way the team requires. That gets the best out of the group. The way our openers batted the first hour against Sri Lanka after losing the toss, was them fulfilling a role. They might not have made a lot of runs individually, but it was important for the team."

Hesson said the team would reassess their combination in light of the heavy workload the fast bowlers shouldered in Christchurch. Tim Southee delivered 49 overs in the Boxing Day Test, while Trent Boult bowled 50 overs. Though they are now up 1-0 in the series, New Zealand would not cease to press for a second win, he said.

"We've been proactive in the way we play our cricket in the last 18 months. At times we've been aggressive, maybe risking a result not going our way - but that's the way we want to play. That's the way we want to move up the rankings and be acknowledged as a good cricket side. All we're thinking about is the next Test at the Basin Reserve. We're not even thinking about the World Cup."

Drink

Also nice to see Vic vindicated a bit in there with the "playing for the team, not fighting to stay in the team" bit.

But it looks like Rutherford got a tick for this test which is itstl.

 

[Bahnz]

Which is what the tour matches in the England series will be perfect for, for that series. There's also a tour of Sri Lanka and then Zimbabwe between England and the Australia series. Plenty of time to see who is up to chop and who isn't.

There isn't actually, the tour of Sri Lanka was under the old FTP and from what I've read it's been canned as a part of the new FTP negotiations. And a tour to Zimbabwe is even less useful as an estimator of Henry's qualities than him just staying in New Zealand playing domestic cricket.

 

[NZTailender]

There isn't actually, the tour of Sri Lanka was under the old FTP and from what I've read it's been canned as a part of the new FTP negotiations. And a tour to Zimbabwe is even less useful as an estimator of Henry's qualities than him just staying in New Zealand playing domestic cricket.

Aww man, when did that happen? Guts. Actually changes things a bit but I doubt Henry or Bracewell will find them on the outside of either squad for those two tours.

 

[morgieb]

The Zimbok series is only limited overs I think.

Oddly according to the new FTP you play Sri Lanka at home against next season.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, nothing's been confirmed yet, but as I understand it SRL Cricket didn't want another series featuring NZ as we're not a big draw card. You would like to think that would've changed given our performances in the last couple of years, but the fact that the PCB was recently whingeing about how little money NZ brings in probably goes to show that people's expectations are generally fairly slow to shift. From the sounds of it, we won't be going to the major sub-continental countries at all in the next few years, which makes me wonder if we'll just cycle back and forth between WI and Bangladesh for our off-season match-ups in the near future.

 

[Athlai]

Can we do the same for Bracewell and his 2014 performances?

I'm no big Bracewell fan. Would prefer to see Milne in all honesty. Bracewell has some kewl tats though

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah, nothing's been confirmed yet, but as I understand it SRL Cricket didn't want another series featuring NZ as we're not a big draw card. You would like to think that would've changed given our performances in the last couple of years, but the fact that the PCB was recently whingeing about how little money NZ brings in probably goes to show that people's expectations are generally fairly slow to shift. From the sounds of it, we won't be going to the major sub-continental countries at all in the next few years, which makes me wonder if we'll just cycle back and forth between WI and Bangladesh for our off-season match-ups in the near future.

Do they mind coming here and taking a cut of the turn out and viewing figures from Basin tests and all those ODIs?

Because I'd love Hafeez and Southee to have a rematch at the Basin. Blink and you miss it material.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah, nothing's been confirmed yet, but as I understand it SRL Cricket didn't want another series featuring NZ as we're not a big draw card. You would like to think that would've changed given our performances in the last couple of years, but the fact that the PCB was recently whingeing about how little money NZ brings in probably goes to show that people's expectations are generally fairly slow to shift. From the sounds of it, we won't be going to the major sub-continental countries at all in the next few years, which makes me wonder if we'll just cycle back and forth between WI and Bangladesh for our off-season match-ups in the near future.

Yeah we won't be a draw card at all unless we genuinely move up to #1-2 in the rankings after beating Australia or South Africa.

Until then every major team in the world will be disappointed to play us at home and very disappointed to lose any against us.

 

[Bahnz]

The Zimbok series is only limited overs I think.

Oddly according to the new FTP you play Sri Lanka at home against next season.

Yeah, I noticed that as well, pretty similar to how things were 10 years ago when Sri Lanka toured in each of 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07. I'm not sure whether it's before or after the Australia series. Also, on a tangential note, I saw that the NZC is pushing hard to play in the MCG boxing day test next summer. Have mixed feelings about it (Christchurch did such an excellent job this year), but generally think it would be pretty awesome and would definitely go over for a couple of days to watch it. However, I have to wonder whether CA will decide that a sentimental favourite like WI will make a better draw card than an increasingly competitive but historically ***less New Zealand side.

 

[NZTailender]

So no new FTP out? boo.

Also we had two tests pencilled in against Zimbabwe to go with some ODIs.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah, I noticed that as well, pretty similar to how things were 10 years ago when Sri Lanka toured in each of 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07. I'm not sure whether it's before or after the Australia series. Also, on a tangential note, I saw that the NZC is pushing hard to play in the MCG boxing day test next summer. Have mixed feelings about it (Christchurch did such an excellent job this year), but generally think it would be pretty awesome and would definitely go over for a couple of days to watch it. However, I have to wonder whether CA will decide that a sentimental favourite like WI will make a better draw card than an increasingly competitive but historically ***less New Zealand side.

If anyone at CA has been watching us play, and after we beat them at Hobart, you'd hope they'd be hungry to play us to give them a decent challenge, tbh.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah we won't be a draw card at all unless we genuinely move up to #1-2 in the rankings after beating Australia or South Africa.

Until then every major team in the world will be disappointed to play us at home and very disappointed to lose any against us.

Yeah, I noticed that as well, pretty similar to how things were 10 years ago when Sri Lanka toured in each of 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07. I'm not sure whether it's before or after the Australia series. Also, on a tangential note, I saw that the NZC is pushing hard to play in the MCG boxing day test next summer. Have mixed feelings about it (Christchurch did such an excellent job this year), but generally think it would be pretty awesome and would definitely go over for a couple of days to watch it. However, I have to wonder whether CA will decide that a sentimental favourite like WI will make a better draw card than an increasingly competitive but historically ***less New Zealand side.

We will never ever get any credit for being anything other than spirited hard working triers and we will never be a drawcard. We could turn up with Bradman reincarnate and still be expected to lose by Joe Public.

Nobody wants us. We're the fat friend of world cricket. The labrador. The last kid picked for lunch sport. The sooner we accept this and stop hoping for acceptance, the faster we can getting on with winning and being as humble about it as your average Pakpassion poster.

Glory in the tears.

 

[Bahnz]

I did notice that in a near unprecedented move, the Ch 9 commentary team were talking NZ up on Monday afternoon after we'd finished up the first test. Maybe an early move to stoke general interest ahead of a scheduling announcement next year?