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

[Flem274*]

Both keep getting injured though. Hesson has already been happy to include both at once in the right situations, and would probably be happy to include them for batting only at #6 if their injuries were minor enough.

i think hesson's long term plan is to have two or three allrounders in the team to stack the batting while not sacrificing the bowling. that's why santa came out of nowhere - he wants a spin bowling genuine allrounder to make it work.

 

[Zinzan]

Munro would be our test no. 5 to take BMac's vacant spot in any other universe. Most talented bat in NZ after KW, RT & TL. Oh but that's right, he plays for Auckland, so his FC average of close to 50 doesn't count.

 

[Hurricane]

Munro would be our test no. 5 to take BMac's vacant spot in any other universe. Most talented bat in NZ after KW, RT & TL. Oh but that's right, he plays for Auckland, so his FC average of close to 50 doesn't count.

LOL.

I think his performance against SA in tests was of deep embarrassment to NZ cricket. He simply didn't look as though he knew what end of the bat to hold.

Look for him to get a test recall in 2025.

 

[Hurricane]

That said - I think he is a decent limited overs performer and is a must for the T20 team in particular.

 

[Zinzan]

LOL.

I think his performance against SA in tests was of deep embarrassment to NZ cricket. He simply didn't look as though he knew what end of the bat to hold.

Look for him to get a test recall in 2025.

Deep embarrassment? Hyperbole of the century that statement. Yeah, he played 1 Test in which we got spanked by an innings and 200 runs and where Watling was our only batsmen to look like he could hold a bat. Glad we didn't judge Ross Taylor the same way after his failed debut in the republic back in '07.

But yeah, let's stick with Nicholls who unbelievably managed to look village against Zim when every other NZ batsmen was making runs for fun, not an easy feat.

BTW, it may well turn out that Munro isn't up to it, but to cite 1 Test where the whole team was humiliated and where he only faced 1 delivery in the first innings hardly warrants being singled out as being 'deeply embarrassing'. Jeez, talk about knee-jerking.

 

[Hurricane]

Deep embarrassment? Hyperbole of the century that statement. Yeah, he played 1 Test in which we got spanked by an innings and 200 runs and where Watling was our only batsmen to look like he could hold a bat. Glad we didn't judge Ross Taylor the same way after his failed debut in the republic back in '07.

But yeah, let's stick with Nicholls who unbelievably managed to look village against Zim, not an easy feat.

LOL. Hyperbole is the best form of colourful debate possible on CW. It is my trademark. Don't take that away from me. LOL.

Seriously though his inning brought red faces to the New Zealand cricket management and coaching staff. It did not look as though he was a competent first class batsman. By memory in the second inning as soon as he walked out to bat the South Africans thought so little of him that they put six men around the bat against some rank spinner with only mid and mid off saving the single. It was a humiliating moment to Munro as the field had been ordinary and orthodox to all the batsman before him. To Munro's credit he responded by slugging the first offering one bounce for four which forced South Africa to abandon the insulting field. He ended up floundering out there for a few overs batting like it was a T20 and then to everyone's relief he was out, including palpably Simon Doull's who let out a sigh of relief.

Embarrassment is the right word.

 

[Hurricane]

I'll see if I can format this post nicely. Forgive me if I guff it.

I took a trip down memory lane.

Here is what ciricinfo said about his inning in the commentary:

Morkel starts round the wicket Matt: "Geez you make Munro sound like he is going to get out any ball. Is he looking THAT unconvincing?" I think till this over, he looked all at sea against the spinners. That's why the delay with the new ball. Anyway, NEW BALL taken now
81.1
Morkel to Munro, no run, and beats the batsman immediately with one that cuts away after pitching on short of length
81.2
Morkel to Munro, no run, more off that seam movement off the pitch, Munro stays on the crease and gets beaten
Are you reading this Matt?
81.3
Morkel to Munro, FOUR, I spoke too soon, Munro gets a fuller delivery which he drives through cover all the way to the boundary
81.4
Morkel to Munro, no run, back of length, angling in, Munro defends off the back foot

Morkel to Munro, OUT, caught at third slip! Oh I can say it was coming. Morne bowls it at short of length angling into the batsman, but Munro stays on the back foot and plays inside the line. The ball takes a healthy edge to Alviro who gobbles it up easily.

Quotes on Munro after his second test inning by esteemed CW members and pundits

wellAlbidarned
Oh god Munro reaching outside off

Does this guy think there's a three strikes rule? That's three balls in a row he should've left... Mehs. Off the mark.

benchmark00
Jeez Munro looks like a proper *******.

NZTailender
wtf? Did Munro get his technique out of a Kinder Surprise?


straw man
Munro to charge cos he has no other options

wellAlbidarned
lol. just lol.

KiWiNiNjA
Munro really is special. His head position is proper mental.

wellAlbidarned
We'll see your Elgar and raise you a Munro

benchmark00
This dude seriously looks like the worst specialist bat I've seen play a test match for a long time.

Howsie
Well you can see why Munro was batting at 11 in club cricket just a few years ago, he's ****ing terrible.

wellAlbidarned
With that many blokes in his grill he's got to have a go otherwise he's a sitting duck. Fair plan from him.

straw man
Nah Munro is awesome. Two fours. Take that suckaz

NZTailender
Quote:
________________________________________
so would you guys rather have James Franklin?
________________________________________
Munro. it's sad when Franklin is terrible, but it's only funny that Munro is.

ohnoitsyou
Quote:
________________________________________
Would you rather be eaten by ants or lions?
________________________________________
Lions, it ends quicker and is more painfull, kind of like Munro's batting

Days of Grace
So it's confirmed: Munro is village.
Did he leave a single ball in his innings?

Howsie
One and only test?
Seriously though whoever decided that Munro was good enough to play test cricket deserves to lose their job, worst test selection I've seen New Zealand make in the past few years and their have been plenty.


KiWiNiNjA
Quote:
________________________________________
Seriously though whoever decided that Munro was good enough to play test cricket deserves to lose their job, worst test selection I've seen New Zealand make in the past few years and their have been plenty.
________________________________________
It's almost like they just picked him by looking through some scorecards on cricinfo.

NZTailender
Quote:
________________________________________
One and only test?

Seriously though whoever decided that Munro was good enough to play test cricket deserves to lose their job, worst test selection I've seen New Zealand make in the past few years and their have been plenty.
________________________________________
Seems strange or wrong but he's made big scores in domestic cricket this season, and he wouldn't have played if Franklin didn't get injured anyway. He's been exposed as being not up to it so, as the wise Mitchell and Webb once said, 'now we know'.



Other notable quotes from that thread - here is an ill fated draft we ran on how many wickets we would lose before lunch in the first test.

Teja.
0 Teja
1 Daemon
2 Hurricane
3 Zinzan, morgieb
4 Blakey
5 Phlegm
6
7
8
9
10 wellAlbidarned

 

[SteveNZ]

Munro would be our test no. 5 to take BMac's vacant spot in any other universe. Most talented bat in NZ after KW, RT & TL. Oh but that's right, he plays for Auckland, so his FC average of close to 50 doesn't count.

To paraphase a line from around here, 'SteveNZ to not comment'....

I'd be picking Young before Manu. In terms of swashbuckle, I'm not sure Munro/Anderson is where you want to be with your Test middle order. And unfortunately for a guy who debuted at No.11 at FC level, Manu's bowling isn't an asset. Otherwise Anderson/Jimmy's spot would be under threat.

If Young's issue is concentration which it looks like it could be (6 50s - interesting all back-to-back first and second innings ones - and 11 scores between 19 and 85 in his last 6 FC outings), great. We have sport psychologists. We have the ability to give a guy lots and lots of game time. He might not get a county posting like Tom to benefit from, but 100s are 100s on any field. Let's keep getting him involved in A tours, get him playing for Gloucestershire 2nds, all that sort of stuff. Nicholls I can see being a limited overs player but there's so much technically to not like about him in the Test game. For mine, he's a long-term project at best - I don't see runs coming any time soon, or soon enough to save his spot over someone like Will Young who may end up demanding the spot (after this summer).

2 100s and 20 50s is a horrendous record, however. You'd want to see an equal share at least this summer before Young gets a crack.

 

[hendrix]

counterpoint: we say the same stuff when Dhoni bats...

 

[SteveNZ]

And if we're considering Manu, there's absolutely no relevance to what he did in his first Test. He was thrown into a situation he wasn't ready for, and he is a significantly different and better player than he was then. He's played bugger all FC cricket for anyone but Auckland, so probably needs to address that if he wants back in. Unlikely given his IPL and CPL involvement that he's sniffing out a Test spot with any great urgency, however.

 

[Hurricane]

counterpoint: we say the same stuff when Dhoni bats...

This a wind up so please take this as a joke. I found this gem from you while trawling through the thread

hendrix
Williamson is no number 3.
It's nothing to do with the fact that he plays spin well. And I don't care that he's scored a couple of centuries, he's not compact enough.

Which I guess was true at the time, but it did not turn out to be prophetic.

 

[hendrix]

whatever way you look at it, giving a guy just one or two isolated tests is garbage selection policy.

 

[hendrix]

This a wind up so please take this as a joke. I found this gem from you while trawling through the thread

Which I guess was true at the time, but it did not turn out to be prophetic.

I'm not embarrassed by that in the slightest.

IIRC I was advocating for Ryder at 3. At that time he was just straight up a better batsman, in pretty much all ways, but most importantly in terms of his compactness to pace bowling.

 

[Hurricane]

And if we're considering Manu, there's absolutely no relevance to what he did in his first Test. He was thrown into a situation he wasn't ready for, and he is a significantly different and better player than he was then. He's played bugger all FC cricket for anyone but Auckland, so probably needs to address that if he wants back in. Unlikely given his IPL and CPL involvement that he's sniffing out a Test spot with any great urgency, however.

And I don't think he needs to. Why does everyone have to play all three forms of the game. What is wrong with being a very good limited overs international player and possibly helping new zealand win the next world cup. I just don't see the need to push him for tests. Let him focus on his strengths. And he has many strengths.

 

[Hurricane]

whatever way you look at it, giving a guy just one or two isolated tests is garbage selection policy.

This post is sponsored by the letter W and Peter Ingram.

 

[SteveNZ]

And I don't think he needs to. Why does everyone have to play all three forms of the game. What is wrong with being a very good limited overs international player and possibly helping new zealand win the next world cup. I just don't see the need to push him for tests. Let him focus on his strengths. And he has many strengths.

100% right.

 

[Hurricane]

100% right.

 

[Flem274*]

Munro would be a perfectly fine #7 tbh

nz just have heaps of those

 

[SteveNZ]

Munro would be a perfectly fine #7 tbh

nz just have heaps of those

Yeah but would you want a specialist bat at 7? Much as I love the bloke, his bowling isn't international standard. You'd have to have Santner at 5 and Watling at 6 in that scenario, then either four seamers or Craig/Ish.

If there was an injury crisis around the middle order, or spectacular form slump, then yeah he'd get a look in. He's coming from back in the pack though.

 

[Athlai]

Munro by ground
The Home of CricketArchive

Perhaps not quite as concerning as Ravals by ground but yeah, a lot of runs on what you'd consider to be the roads of NZ domestic cricket