*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[Athlai]

Okay, so legitimate question, why is he in the side if he knows he doesn't have what it takes to succeed in England?

Legitimate question can you name a better captain for the job? Or a NZ domestic batsman who would offer more?

Baz would likely make any Test team in the world at the moment and NZ is a country without an incredible amount of depth in batting. It's ridiculous to question his place or role in the team.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

colin munro for captaincy!

 

[Flem274*]

btw did anyone else hear the mitch m interview? apparently corey j was walking down the tunnel or onto the field or something with sachin at an indian stadium and the crowd was going nuts because sachin. anderson puts his arm around sachin and says "god they love me around here don't they?"

 

[OverratedSanity]

btw did anyone else hear the mitch m interview? apparently corey j was walking down the tunnel or onto the field or something with sachin at an indian stadium and the crowd was going nuts because sachin. anderson puts his arm around sachin and says "god they love me around here don't they?"

So it's not just the Indians after all.

 

[harsh.ag]

So it's not just the Indians after all.

Perfect.

 

[harsh.ag]

because a strong defensive game is only one route to success?

because he has what it takes to succeed in england and made good contributions on previous tours even when he was a keeper batsman?

Legitimate question can you name a better captain for the job? Or a NZ domestic batsman who would offer more?

Baz would likely make any Test team in the world at the moment and NZ is a country without an incredible amount of depth in batting. It's ridiculous to question his place or role in the team.

Got it. Then why so much criticism then? Can't have it both ways - "That's the way he plays" and "**** off McCullol"

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Got it. Then why so much criticism then?

because (PLOT TWIST) not all NZ fans have the same opinions

 

[Zinzan]

btw did anyone else hear the mitch m interview? apparently corey j was walking down the tunnel or onto the field or something with sachin at an indian stadium and the crowd was going nuts because sachin. anderson puts his arm around sachin and says "god they love me around here don't they?"

Interview source?

 

[harsh.ag]

because (PLOT TWIST) not all NZ fans have the same opinions

So you don't find merit in the opinion that when his team is 3 down in an unfavourable position in a series which they 1-0 down in, the captain should not play whac-a-mole with the ball on the first ball he faces in the innings and of a new session, and instead should be looking to build an innings properly?

 

[Flem274*]

Interview source?

veitch on sport. i chucked the radio on in the car to listen to some accounts of the days play so got all the goss.

 

[Hurricane]

So you don't find merit in the opinion that when his team is 3 down in an unfavourable position in a series which they 1-0 down in, the captain should not play whac-a-mole with the ball on the first ball he faces in the innings and of a new session, and instead should be looking to build an innings properly?

The 1-0 down is a point against your argument. We probably need to chase the game a bit to even things up. If we were 1-0 up there would be a greater case for him to be restrained.

 

[Flem274*]

So you don't find merit in the opinion that when his team is 3 down in an unfavourable position in a series which they 1-0 down in, the captain should not play whac-a-mole with the ball on the first ball he faces in the innings and of a new session, and instead should be looking to build an innings properly?

the strategy was to go hard at england and keep hitting them off their lengths. hesson has said pretty much this to nz media. he didn't want nz to fight hard in the blocking way and be 180/6 at the end of play and being behind in a must win game.

mitch m also said the hyper-aggression nz show are because we need to win tests, not just series but lots of tests, to get up the rankings and we play so many two test series so we need to win as much as we can.

admittedly he also shane warned hard by mentioning (can you finish this sentence?)...

 

[hendrix]

Oh come on!

yeah that lst part is a ridiculous call, and im the most biased watling fan on the internet barring his mum.

ronchi is the archetypical plunket engine room cricketer and he's also the best at that role (Munro his only rival). he and Lord Colin don't have the all round game Watling has and they can't play "like batsmen" but Ronchi is really really good at what he does and this is the second time he's done this to world class bowlers in tricky conditions with his team under the pump and he's had limited opportunities to show it.

I would call Colin Munro a pinch hitter in the context of a Test series in England too, btw.

It's really no exaggeration to say that Ronchi doesn't have much of a defensive game. It's not much of a criticism either, given that he's coming in at 7, and there have been some damn useful players (Prior, Haddin) with similarly styled games.

 

[Flem274*]

Prior can block...

 

[Flametree]

There's plenty of times where it's fair to criticise McCullums shot selection but he was trying to pump a half volley to the fence and got the execution wrong. It happens.

The description on the radio didn't call it a half-volley, just a length ball. But if it was a half-volley that's almost worse - McCullum is good enough to hit a half volley along the ground to the fence. It's only going nuts at it that causes a miscue to mid-off.

 

[Dan]

Man the knees are jerking hard today.

 

[harsh.ag]

The 1-0 down is a point against your argument. We probably need to chase the game a bit to even things up. If we were 1-0 up there would be a greater case for him to be restrained.

Have nothing against trying to chase the game, but that can be done once you have your eye in, and not from the first delivery you face. What all of this is doing is pardoning a batting strategy that is too reckless, and doesn't have enough benefits.

Not enough is being talked about the fact that McCullum could have been out a few times before his 41 as well. So this whole strategy is baloney.

the strategy was to go hard at england and keep hitting them off their lengths. hesson has said pretty much this to nz media. he didn't want nz to fight hard in the blocking way and be 180/6 at the end of play and being behind in a must win game.

mitch m also said the hyper-aggression nz show are because we need to win tests, not just series but lots of tests, to get up the rankings and we play so many two test series so we need to win as much as we can.

admittedly he also shane warned hard by mentioning (can you finish this sentence?)...

As I said above, this strategy could well have left NZ 150/6 had a few edges went differently. Trying to bat seriously usually leads to better results. And by seriously, I do not mean blocking. First get your eye in, and then start hitting. Even Gilchrist and Viru didn't do things this way.

 

[Dan]

In another case of the knee-jerk, I think it's entirely likely that Ronchi now holds the Test spot and BJ has to earn the right to represent New Zealand all over again. From what I'm hearing, Hesson's very much on #TeamDonkey and isn't exactly a fan of Watling.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

So you don't find merit in the opinion that when his team is 3 down in an unfavourable position in a series which they 1-0 down in, the captain should not play whac-a-mole with the ball on the first ball he faces in the innings and of a new session, and instead should be looking to build an innings properly?

You're making the assumption that McCullum would score more runs if he batted more carefully. He wouldn't. He bats like this because that's the way he's gonna score the most runs.

 

[Flem274*]

from the accounts i've heard the hitting caused england to bowl shorter lengths. shorter lengths are a good thing on a pitch doing a bit with unfaithful bounce. sure you might cop one on the body but that's better than it surprising you when it's pitched up and all three dismissals are in play.