***Official*** New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa 2016

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

Joylord Gumbie at 0:29 ftr. I'll be hoping for more joy than just 10 runs if there's a second chance for him to bat on day 3.

 

[Kippax]

Wow, Taibu and Ntini really were on the verge of craziness.

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/07/22/williams-roped-outcry/

Yesterday, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced a 16-man squad, including Williams, but the original squad, leaked to NewsDay Sport on Wednesday which was published in yesterday’s issue had only 15 players excluding the left hander.

It took the intervention of captain Graeme Cremer, who sources said had not been consulted over the squad selection, for Williams to be included in the squad.

The original 15-man squad was selected by convenor Tatenda Taibu, coach Makhaya Ntini and Zim A coach Dougie Hondo.

Williams was visibly unhappy on Wednesday at practice after learning that he had been omitted from the Test squad.

After missing part of the India series last month due to injury, he has recovered to start training with the rest of the squad.

He will be involved in the three-day warm-up match starting this morning at Harare Sports Club together with wicketkeeper/batsman Regis Chakabva, Tino Mawoyo, Sikandar Raza Butt and seam bowler Tendai Chatara, who are all part of the Test series that will be played in Bulawayo.

Williams’ omission was as puzzling as the inclusion of Njabulo Ncube, who has not been playing cricket, but only returned to figure for Zim A in their unofficial two-match Test series against South Africa A.

Williams faces spin better than any other Zimbabwean batsmen and with the series taking place at Queens Sports Club, his omission was a surprise.

 

[Howsie]

Sodhi is a lock for the first test surely..... Southee, Boult, Wagner, Sodhi and Santner. Then when we head over to South Africa just 'leave' Mark Craig behind, he'd make a decent bat for the Zimbo's.

He might need a bucket of black paint though.

 

[NZTailender]

Seems like they're giving the bowlers a chance at batting but Craig yet to bat itstl. Latham retiring out on 24 a bit of a waste imo he and Raval in particular needed the most time in the middle out of anyone. Taylor has been adding to the 'yet to bat' list so I guess he's in country now?



Seems like Sodhi and Santner are locks.

 

[Zinzan]

Sodhi is a lock for the first test surely..... Southee, Boult, Wagner, Sodhi and Santner.

Agree, this should be our 1st test attack. Forget Bracewell, Henry & Craig to start with unless form or injury force a change.

Incidentally, if you take out Zimbabwe out of the equation, since Hobart in late 2011, Bracewell's played 21 tests and taken a paltry 48 wickets @ 48 a piece (makes the likes of Ishant's numbers look good). He has no business being anywhere near the test side imho. And while we're there, can we finally admit Henry isn't quite the bowler many of us thought after seeing him early-doors 18-24 months ago?

Although Henry is still probably there or thereabouts in terms of the top 5 pacers in the country (for Test cricket), whereas I'm not sure Bracewell is anymore... and if he is, it's a sad state of affairs.

 

[Kippax]

Tom Latham uses 'silly season' to prepare for Africa | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

"Before I came over, we played 22 out of 24 days, so that's without training, that's just playing days. That's just the amount of cricket you play, they call it the 'silly season' over there."

Latham did not complain about the fixtures and instead said that such a phase helped batsmen more than bowlers, and that it had kept him occupied.

 

[hendrix]

Seems like they're giving the bowlers a chance at batting but Craig yet to bat itstl. Latham retiring out on 24 a bit of a waste imo he and Raval in particular needed the most time in the middle out of anyone. Taylor has been adding to the 'yet to bat' list so I guess he's in country now?



Seems like Sodhi and Santner are locks.

Tom Latham uses 'silly season' to prepare for Africa | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

I mean, for a batsman who's known for throwing away his wicket after getting starts, it seems weird to retire him after a start. Whatever.

 

[Bahnz]

Agree, this should be our 1st test attack. Forget Bracewell, Henry & Craig to start with unless form or injury force a change.

Incidentally, if you take out Zimbabwe out of the equation, since Hobart in late 2011, Bracewell's played 21 tests and taken a paltry 48 wickets @ 48 a piece (makes the likes of Ishant's numbers look good). He has no business being anywhere near the test side imho. And while we're there, can we finally admit Henry isn't quite the bowler many of us thought after seeing him early-doors 18-24 months ago?

Although Henry is still probably there or thereabouts in terms of the top 5 pacers in the country (for Test cricket), whereas I'm not sure Bracewell is anymore... and if he is, it's a sad state of affairs.

Need more time on Henry. He is one of the better ODI opening bowlers out there. Time will tell whether that translates to long form cricket, though I don't see any obvious reason why it shouldn't. But for the moment he's definitely short of test standard (both in terms of quality and length).

 

[Zinzan]

I'm not giving up on him as a Test prospect yet, but needs work. Overdoes the short one, and seems to try for the perfect delivery every time rather than just being patient there or thereabouts. Exactly what you'd expect though for a bowler who finds that step below of NZ FC cricket level relatively easy.

 

[Kippax]

Henry hasn't found FC too easy in recent years, I don't think. He's another Ben Wheeler to me in a lot of ways. Bought into the 'Southee and Boult aren't going anywhere soon, so I need to change my physique and develop a point of difference, gain more pace and stamina' argument. Now the formerly really tight pitch map seems to be ****ed and he just can't master the seam orbit thing. Capricious swing at best.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

Sodhi the bet of the page there? The turn a bit sharper and faster at Bulawayo than Harare, do you know Cribb?

 

[Kippax]

Zimbabwe's Tendai Chatara ruled out of New Zealand Tests with ankle injury | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Zimbabwean Howsie's thoughts:

The decision to bring in Chinouya was made by Makhaya and Cremer. Apparently Taibu was against this. Taibu is back in the UK now. Taibu wanted one of Shingi, Nyauchi or Aliseni to replace Chatara. Yep your Captain and coach are clueless.. Cremer brought in his boy from Rhinos even though this bowler picked up 3 wickets in the Logan Cup last season. The best possible attack would have been Nyauchi, Tiripano, Shingi/Aliseni and Chisoro. Chisoro is by far the best spinner in the country at the moment.

 

[Kippax]

Not exactly bouncing twice before it reaches the keeper. Might add Wagner to the ticket.

 

[Peaceful5583]

Ish Sodhi with Santner good enough right now in spin department.
Jeetan was good bowler but he is over from grace (just like Bresnan )
For test matches

 

[Zinzan]

Henry hasn't found FC too easy in recent years, I don't think.

Actually you're right, his FC average has crept up the last 18 months or so, I recall it being about 22 but it's now north of 28.

 

[Kippax]

Henry by season -
The Home of CricketArchive

Wheeler by season -
The Home of CricketArchive

Bracewell by season -
The Home of CricketArchive

 

[Meridio]

FMD, even by Moonda/Cricinfo standards, this is pretty horrendous:

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Doug Bracewell 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mark Craig/Michael Santner 11 Trent Boult/Matt Henry/Neil Wagner

If that's our lineup, I'll eat my hat.

 

[Athlai]

Guptill
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Santa
Watling
Sodhi
Henry
Southee
Boult

^ probably the most conservative team we could pick here