Any updates on NZ's tour of Oz later this year?

[CaptainGrumpy]

Looks like he won't be picked for the First Test...

That is one hell of a selection head ache Australia has. It will be worse when Pattinson back to full steam.

Bird and Bollinger must be miffed about their test careers.

 

[Skyliner]

Its not tempting the fates. Its maths. A third seamer like Wagner can bowl more overs a day than Boult. Can Milne bowl as many overs as Wagner? If not - Boult will have to bowl more. Unless you bowl Craig - but I am not sure he makes a four prong pace attack team. Plus, he is a second innings bowler, not a first innings bowler.

Its just managing the work loads for maximum effectiveness.

Look if Milne is match fit and ready for test cricket, then when looking at the pitch - it may be the best move. But you're giving the team a long tail starting at 8 without Craig's batting. Or if Craig plays, you're putting more pressure on the other bowlers to carry someone who could well be injured and/or ineffective.

Milne is averaging over 30 in FC cricket with a high economy rate. I fear, at this stage of Milne's career, that that will be cannon fodder for Aussie batsmen in a test match. They'll get over the shock of a kiwi with wheels pretty quickly in a test. Milne is far more effective as a ODI pacer for shock value. The shock doesn't necessarily take wickets, but can stop the batsmen scoring until they adjust to the pace.

If Milne bowls down wind - who bowls upwind? Boult? All day? I cannot see Tim being too happy about having to bowl upwind. Plus you want the wind to determine the cross breeze ends for the Boult and Southee, not because of Milne wanting an easier run up.

Can you imagine a long tail facing Starc, Johnson and Hazelwood?

I dunno how they would fit everyone in, haven't thought it all through.
I think Mark Craig is an outstanding, gutsy cricketer who finds a way to hang in there when batting & scores runs via a good method. So I'm not overly worried about long tails. It's about taking 20 wickets and if Tom, Kane, Ross, Baz and Watling don't stand up and score a truckload of runs then 'bolstering' the batting with an extra allrounder or something is going to be neither here nor there - the top six are going to have to do the bizo a la Smith , Warner , Clarke. And our lower order will have to show the fight and guts that the Aussie lower order always do.

 

[Skyliner]

The Aussies carry Watson or MMarsh in their ranks. If Rhino breaks down in a test in the Ashes, they will probably retire him. Mark my words.

Plus Rhino is a proven performer averaging under 25. He is worth the risk.

I personally wish Bond had retired from tests and had had a long illustrious ODI career with many great victories and maybe some silverware.

Starc and Johnson (until recently) are regular 150 +, they're not walking injuries. Lee played a lot of tests. Pace isn't everything.

Bond bowled us to a series win away against the Windies, in conjunction with Butler. Their pace took the dead pitches out of play, they went through the Windies in that first test like a dose of salts. And then Bond carved up India here, and the Windies again here when victory looked out of reach - just a Herculean effort. And did the same to Pakistan. Those efforts are what stands out for me from his career, and his superb ODI efforts against Australia.
The test stuff always stands out for me, and he was often magnificent in his short test career.

 

[hendrix]

Pattinson
Bird

Both of these bowlers are freaking gun.

Starc should be the one to miss out really.

 

[Skyliner]

Looks like he won't be picked for the First Test...

That surprises me. I reckon he'll feature at some stage.

 

[Hurricane]

Its not tempting the fates. Its maths. A third seamer like Wagner can bowl more overs a day than Boult. Can Milne bowl as many overs as Wagner? If not - Boult will have to bowl more. Unless you bowl Craig - but I am not sure he makes a four prong pace attack team. Plus, he is a second innings bowler, not a first innings bowler.

Its just managing the work loads for maximum effectiveness.

Look if Milne is match fit and ready for test cricket, then when looking at the pitch - it may be the best move. But you're giving the team a long tail starting at 8 without Craig's batting. Or if Craig plays, you're putting more pressure on the other bowlers to carry someone who could well be injured and/or ineffective.

Milne is averaging over 30 in FC cricket with a high economy rate. I fear, at this stage of Milne's career, that that will be cannon fodder for Aussie batsmen in a test match. They'll get over the shock of a kiwi with wheels pretty quickly in a test. Milne is far more effective as a ODI pacer for shock value. The shock doesn't necessarily take wickets, but can stop the batsmen scoring until they adjust to the pace.

If Milne bowls down wind - who bowls upwind? Boult? All day? I cannot see Tim being too happy about having to bowl upwind. Plus you want the wind to determine the cross breeze ends for the Boult and Southee, not because of Milne wanting an easier run up.

Can you imagine a long tail facing Starc, Johnson and Hazelwood?

Logic Shmogic. Get fired up Grumpy. This is Australia. This is the WACA. If Boult is fit this is our best chance in a generation to knock them off. We need to use all of our assets at our disposal.
We need to grab opportunity with both hands. Insert more cliches here. If you are a red blooded Kiwi then you should at least be sympathetic to wanting to see the Aussies hurried up by ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY KMH thunderbolts.

Milne is one of the fastest bowlers in the entire world. He is a real asset and more so at a ground like the WACA. Its recent slower history and wind notwithstanding.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Both of these bowlers are freaking gun.

Starc should be the one to miss out really.

Yeah - I think Pattinson is a fantastic bowler.

Bird has less chance of a long test career now because of Hazlewood, but I agree he is a gun.

They have amazing seam bowler resources in Australia. Peter Siddle should have bought lottery tickets - he is the luckiest Australian test seamer, probably in the history of test cricket.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Logic Shmogic. Get fired up Grumpy. This is Australia. This is the WACA. If Boult is fit this is our best chance in a generation to knock them off. We need to use all of our assets at our disposal.
We need to grab opportunity with both hands. Insert more cliches here. If you are a red blooded Kiwi then you should at least be sympathetic to wanting to see the Aussies hurried up by ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY KMH thunderbolts.

Milne is one of the fastest bowlers in the entire world. He is a real asset and more so at a ground like the WACA. Its recent slower history and wind notwithstanding.

He could bowl 160 km/h and I'd hold the same view. At 175 km/h you've got me convinced.

But as you say - Boult is the decisive factor. So he should be consulted - who do you want bowling with you and Tim on this pitch? Unless you want to drop Southee for Milne? That could work, with Wagner and Craig. But I wouldn't.

 

[Skyliner]

Logic Shmogic. Get fired up Grumpy. This is Australia. This is the WACA. If Boult is fit this is our best chance in a generation to knock them off. We need to use all of our assets at our disposal.
We need to grab opportunity with both hands. Insert more cliches here. If you are a red blooded Kiwi then you should at least be sympathetic to wanting to see the Aussies hurried up by ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY KMH thunderbolts.

Milne is one of the fastest bowlers in the entire world. He is a real asset and more so at a ground like the WACA. Its recent slower history and wind notwithstanding.

Notwithstanding the piss-taking, I do enjoy the blood-and-thunder aspect of playing Milne - in all 3 tests.
Logic be damned....more like caution be damned.
This is the era of the mighty BMac charging wildly from ball one, we've earnt the right to be agressive, caution thrown to the wind.
Cooler heads not prevailing and all that.

 

[Hurricane]

Rod Marsh reckoned Thomson got it through at 180 on a very good day.

 

[hendrix]

It doesn't matter how many overs Wagner can bowl if he doesn't take wickets.
Similarly, it doesn't matter how sparsely the third seamer bowls if he manages to break partnerships regularly so that Boult and Southee can come back and rip in.
The problem with picking Neesham ahead of Craig is that he will absolutely get smashed if he bowls dross at the WACA. But I think it's likely Craig will get smashed too anyway.

Give us Milne and Neesh. It's worth a gamble, I reckon.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Rod Marsh reckoned Thomson got it through at 180 on a very good day.

At 180 kmh wickets will happen. Its a question of how many runs from nicks going 6 it costs. But wickets will happen.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

It doesn't matter how many overs Wagner can bowl if he doesn't take wickets.
Similarly, it doesn't matter how sparsely the third seamer bowls if he manages to break partnerships regularly so that Boult and Southee can come back and rip in.
The problem with picking Neesham ahead of Craig is that he will absolutely get smashed if he bowls dross at the WACA. But I think it's likely Craig will get smashed too anyway.

Give us Milne and Neesh. It's worth a gamble, I reckon.

So Neesh batting at 8? Attack Milne, Boult, Neesh and Southee....

That could work... Kane Williamson to play the Murali on 5th day role? Or Santner or Craig to bat at 6 (more likely Neesh at 6 and these two fight for 8)?

At least there is some thought going into team balance now. Ronchi may well play the tour warm up matches, if he gets runs, he will be seriously thought about in the test team.

 

[Skyliner]

It doesn't matter how many overs Wagner can bowl if he doesn't take wickets.
Similarly, it doesn't matter how sparsely the third seamer bowls if he manages to break partnerships regularly so that Boult and Southee can come back and rip in.
The problem with picking Neesham ahead of Craig is that he will absolutely get smashed if he bowls dross at the WACA. But I think it's likely Craig will get smashed too anyway.

Give us Milne and Neesh. It's worth a gamble, I reckon.

That's the Hendrix spirit. Play searing licks, play with your teeth, burn your guitar...no timid noodling, wuss-rock.
Neesh is a bit of a golden-arm, as per PAK tests. And we have a goldener arm than him, KW.
So pace, swing, seam, spin and golden arms x 2 is my recipe for victory over Aus.
There's a bit of a paradigm between Watto and Corey, both not quite cutting it as test batsmen, and not quite cutting enough as bowlers. Both look like all rounders as envisaged by the God of cricket.
Néesh has at least one really strong suit, his test batting has been excellent, his bowling gets you through some overs.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Both of these bowlers are freaking gun.

Starc should be the one to miss out really.

Not sure Bird will get back.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

That's the Hendrix spirit. Play searing licks, play with your teeth, burn your guitar...no timid noodling, wuss-rock.
Neesh is a bit of a golden-arm, as per PAK tests. And we have a goldener arm than him, KW.
So pace, swing, seam, spin and golden arms x 2 is my recipe for victory over Aus.
There's a bit of a paradigm between Watto and Corey, both not quite cutting it as test batsmen, and not quite cutting enough as bowlers. Both look like all rounders as envisaged by the God of cricket.
Néesh has at least one really strong suit, his test batting has been excellent, his bowling gets you through some overs.

Neesh doesn't like high quality spin. Could be a way to rate Lyon.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Harris purportedly missing because he couldn't get up for this tour match.

 

[Skyliner]

So Neesh batting at 8? Attack Milne, Boult, Neesh and Southee....

That could work... Kane Williamson to play the Murali on 5th day role? Or Santner or Craig to bat at 6 (more likely Neesh at 6 and these two fight for 8)?

At least there is some thought going into team balance now. Ronchi may well play the tour warm up matches, if he gets runs, he will be seriously thought about in the test team.

Yes, Yes, Yes. You've got the spirit, I'd love to see Ronchi in the side. Tora, Tora, Tora!

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Not sure Bird will get back.

Tell him to move to NZ. We'll take him.

 

[Hurricane]

All right lads its been a slice tonight. Special thanks to Skyliner and Grumpy for the chat.

We have another 4 months to wait so I don't know what we will discuss tomorrow and the next 120 days. But I am sure we will manage.