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***Official*** New Zealand in Zimbabwe and South Africa 2015

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year
Ronchi will still be there in January to play Pakistan, you all know it. Possibly only eight ODIs for NZ between now and October 2016 too, so you can deffo see Watling fans denied.
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
Oh and Sodhi has generally been pretty decent too.

For SA, De Kock has to come back ASAP. I think it might be worth having AB keep so he can just focus on his batting.
 

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year
No more Devcich unless he's down in a humble trolling No. 8 position, is the best part of it from my perspective.
 

Niall

International Coach
For SA, De Kock has to come back ASAP. I think it might be worth having AB keep so he can just focus on his batting.
AB hates keeping in limited overs cricket though, they have a few massive test series coming up as well, so they won't risk him getting hurt in limited overs cricket.

I suppose for the champions trophy if they are in the exact same predicament that they are now, then yeah I'd definitely give him the gloves.

Surely their has to be some other wicket keepers in South Africa that at least have youth or potential? Vilas any use in 50 over cricket?
 
Tom Latham averaging over 40 as opener in tests and odis.

Tests;
All-round records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo


ODIs:
All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Probably the first NZer since Glenn Maitland Turner to do that (about 40 years ago)

And he is 23
With a SR batting #2 of 71.95, its as though Latham is aiming to open with Turner SR 71.6 for an openers berth in the 1970's Cricket Team ODI team.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Read through the remainder of the thread (all of what, four pages) and assumed our spongy middle order was where we fell short - it kinda was though those low strike rates up top didn't help and one of the usual soft suspects (sorry Steve) was second last out.

Really though, didn't expect much from number 4 down, barring Elliott, and that's what they delivered.

Also, Rabada looks quite good and I see is only 20 - test debut any time soon (if there's an injury)?
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
With a SR batting #2 of 71.95, its as though Latham is aiming to open with Turner SR 71.6 for an openers berth in the 1970's Cricket Team ODI team.
Yeah man we should put a pinch hitter up top against Steyn, Philander, Abbott and Rabada. Worked pretty well for Ronchi.

Read through the remainder of the thread (all of what, four pages) and assumed our spongy middle order was where we fell short - it kinda was though those low strike rates up top didn't help and one of the usual soft suspects (sorry Steve) was second last out.

Really though, didn't expect much from number 4 down, barring Elliott, and that's what they delivered.
Nah I know I'm a Latham fanboy but there's a difference between a 50 (70) when you're turning over the strike (which both Latham and Guptill were doing) and one where you're not getting bat on ball and the pressure is building. Even Williamson was somewhat slow, but it was composed slow and we felt in control when the top order was batting. Not to mention the fact that Steyn was bowling a beautiful spell and Rabada, Abbott and Philander are pretty handy.

If you were following either of the chases were they pretty well set up by the top order, they just failed to kick on and the middle order failed to do the job after them. Most of the middle order didn't get out trying to up the run rate; they weren't slogging. they just aren't good enough frankly. Worker missed a straight one, Munro and Ronchi gonna Munro and Ronchi.

Only Elliott really got ou with a slog and I think that was an error of judgement.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Nah I know I'm a Latham fanboy but there's a difference between a 50 (70) when you're turning over the strike (which both Latham and Guptill were doing) and one where you're not getting bat on ball and the pressure is building. Even Williamson was somewhat slow, but it was composed slow and we felt in control when the top order was batting. Not to mention the fact that Steyn was bowling a beautiful spell and Rabada, Abbott and Philander are pretty handy.
.
It's ok I'm not criticising golden boy Latham, who has been very impressive, and I know the top order also had to contend with good fast bowling. Really just a comment on expectations vs performance:
- Expectations of Worker, Munro, Ronchi are subterranean and they overachieved relative to that - almost up to basement carpark level.
- I've grown spoilt and unused to seeing something like 39(59) from Williamson, who has been able to strike at close to 100 for many of his recent LO innings.
 
Hendrix,

We all understand that you are a card carrying member off the Tom Latham Appreciation Society, doing your best to be elected president. But despite your campaigning, the fact is Latham started the innings with a Required Run Rate of 5.67 and finished with the RRR at about 7.5. A chase of 280 off 50 overs should not be reduced to a 160 run chase off the final 20 overs with 7 wickets in hand.

SA made it difficult for batting, and Kane Williamson even had a slower strike rate than Latham. But the criticism of Latham's regular slow scoring in ODI cricket is fair.
 
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hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
Hendrix,

We all understand that you are a card carrying member off the Tom Latham Appreciation Society, doing your best to be elected president. But despite your campaigning, the fact is Latham started the innings with a Required Run Rate of 5.67 and finished with the RRR at about 7.5. A chase of 280 off 50 overs should not be reduced to a 160 run chase off the final 20 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
.
Err yeah, most successful chases of 280 tend to be around this rate. A RRR of around 7.5 is not ideal, no, but you shouldn't be disappointed in your top order with that effort. Elliott still had time to work things around for a wee bit.

Anderson or Neesham could well have seen that chase home.

Having McCullum blast 50 (18) certainly makes things easier at the top of the order. More than one way to skin a cat though.
 

kiwiviktor81

International Debutant
- I've grown spoilt and unused to seeing something like 39(59) from Williamson, who has been able to strike at close to 100 for many of his recent LO innings.
Williamson often has a mediocre strike rate when he gets out for less than 40, especially if we lost an opener early. It's during his longer innings where he ups the strike rate near the end and finishes on around 100.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
I think the Latham Guptill style start is fine when we're at full strength but this particular lower order isn't really the best at blasting runs with wickets in hand.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I think the Latham Guptill style start is fine when we're at full strength but this particular lower order isn't really the best at blasting runs with wickets in hand.
This particular lower order would be even worse at rebuilding if the top order went too hard early though. I think if you're going to trust Munro-Ronchi-Sodhi to do anything it's got to be accelerating after a good platform; it's not like #6-8 is Elliott-Watling-Santner or something.

At the end of the day, when you're not at full strength you're probably going to score less runs in general. That's pretty obvious, but if you're chasing a decent score with this side I definitely think the plan should be for the top three to really try to build substantial innings as opposed to trying to go at close to a run a ball throughout and increase the risk of getting out. You weren't going to chase this with everyone making breezy forties; you could've got there if one of the top three made a big (even if initially slowish) score and then one of the lower middle order played a cameo though. The top order all got starts and then got out which means you lost but I think the methodology was fine. I'd be more critical of Latham's scoring rate in a better side with more genuine resources than this one.
 
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Flem274*

123/5
Yeah the team has four proven batsmen and none of them tonned up.

2-1 to SA away from NZ with half the first team missing is good imo. We have some depth, even if it's not smart to play all the reserves at once. Take Amla, AB, Steyn and Tahir out and SA would be stoked with a similar resultagainst a full strength ir near full strength NZ
 

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