***Official*** South Africa in New Zealand 2017

[Prince EWS]

Luke Woodcock IMO.

Will Somerville.

 

[jcas0167]

"We have 100 per cent faith in Tom. We think he's a classy player. He's in a rut, no doubt about that but his numbers speak for themselves. He's working hard. Internally I'm sure he's feeling it, anyone would."

There's no place for legspinner Ish Sodhi, on his home ground, the selectors arguing that they already have the best spinners in the squad, with veteran offspinner Jeetan Patel and left armer Mitch Santner.

"We talk about all the options. Yes he was talked about alongside many other players but we believe we have the right spin combination."

Both Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham hae survived despite poor batting displays. De Grandhomme's seam bowling was tidy but the pair were also there to provide batting depth, and simply didn't deliver."

Cricket: Black Caps unchanged for third test, no Ross Taylor - Sport - NZ Herald News

 

[Bahnz]

It's kinda fascinating that we've done so well against pace in this series. Vern and Rabada have taken a combined 6 wickets at a 52.17 apiece. Morkel's done better, but even his 7 wickets at 27.71 have come at an expensive ER of 3.66.

 

[Immenso]

If they hadn't gone all unnecessarily whackjob with the unsuccessful left field CdG as opening bowler in Wellington.

Then they could afford to go bold with Sodhi for Hamilton.

Now they are second guessing their own third guesses, and paralysed by fear of looking stupid.

Which they are.

Plus losing 12 wickets to spin ..... LOL. They don't know what to do.

I'll suggest Nethula as opening bat. Makes as much sense as CDG as opening bowler.

 

[NZTailender]

The ruthless thing to do would've been drop CdG. Actually, given his ineffectiveness with both bat and ball, drop Neesham, bat CdG at 7, Santner at 8, and play Sodhi, Wagner and Boult/Southee (injury permitting).

 

[jcas0167]

If they hadn't gone all unnecessarily whackjob with the unsuccessful left field CdG as opening bowler in Wellington.

Then they could afford to go bold with Sodhi for Hamilton.

Now they are second guessing their own third guesses, and paralysed by fear of looking stupid.

Which they are.

Plus losing 12 wickets to spin ..... LOL. They don't know what to do.

I'll suggest Nethula as opening bat. Makes as much sense as CDG as opening bowler.

In fairness, de Grandhomme took 3 for 52 with an economy rate of 2.52. The best NZ figures in the first innings.

If they want to bring in Sodhi for Hamilton they could bring him in for Santner who they appeared to lose confidence in at Dunedin.

 

[Immenso]

In fairness, de Grandhomme took 3 for 52 with an economy rate of 2.52. The best NZ figures in the first innings.

If they want to bring in Sodhi for Hamilton they could bring him in for Santner who they appeared to lose confidence in at Dunedin.

No in fairness. CDG got 2 of his 3 wickets because SAF batsmen chipped him to midwicket. Later they put on 100 or whatever in a 10th wicket partnership against the second new ball - Being delivered by a bowling lineup consisting of only 1 new ball bowler.

He got 1 conventional new ball wicket in a match where we had 3 new balls.

 

[straw man]

Yeah, even putting aside the wtf-ery of opening with CDG, I didn't think he bowled his best. Wasn't that accurate with the new ball, getting the batsman playing only half the time, and then later in the match there was a bit more on the pads and more short wide ones. Got some balls to seam or wobble, as you'd expect, which is handy fourth seamer stuff, but amazingly, not enough for a test match opening bowler.

It's not CDG's fault - it was an unbelievably stupid selection to choose him for that role. If he's in the side then he has to bat six, and given what we've seen of his test batting so far, there are definitely better options.

 

[Flem274*]

If NZ play Wagner and a spinner then they don't need a genuine allrounder tbh. Our standard first 3 of the past few years (Boult/Southee/Wagner) plus the spinner of your choice hasn't needed the 5th bowling option prior to Jurgenson taking the reins because they've taken the wickets and all three seamers are extremely fit with Wagner being known for 9 overs on the trot of bouncers. Honestly at Hamilton Kane should bowl himself as the second spinner. He's perfect for that clay.

Put a specialist batsman at six. Since Taylor is out that would make next cab off the rank Brownlie, Guptill or Bruce. Bruce and Guptill can provide yet more jammy part time spin.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

is there a way that we can petition kane to return to fielding at gully and start bowling again?

 

[StephenZA]

It's kinda fascinating that we've done so well against pace in this series. Vern and Rabada have taken a combined 6 wickets at a 52.17 apiece. Morkel's done better, but even his 7 wickets at 27.71 have come at an expensive ER of 3.66.

This is why I`m glad I watched the series and have seen the plays and misses, particularly off Philander, shows how stats can lie.... do think Raval has made a difference for NZ though.

 

[Bahnz]

Put a specialist batsman at six. Since Taylor is out that would make next cab off the rank Brownlie, Guptill or Bruce. Bruce and Guptill can provide yet more jammy part time spin.

Guptill is out injured for the rest of the summer.

 

[Grasshopper]

is there a way that we can petition kane to return to fielding at gully and start bowling again?

Where do I sign?

 

[The Hutt Rec]

The media-fuelled captaincy/coaching debate has started in earnest.

Ease the burden on Kane Williamson and Mike Hesson - before it's too late

I think they're pretty mild/non-extreme suggestions, really. Well, Latham to captain in tests is out there, but the rest I think would be good steps ... and pretty non-controversial.

 

[Days of Grace]

Tom Latham should only focus on being a test opener. Test-class openers are incredibly thin on the ground in NZ cricket history so once you get a half decent one, you don't want to burden them with extra duties or give them different roles. The selection of Latham as a wicketkeeper in ODIs was a blunder. One of the younger domestic keepers should have been tried out.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Tom Latham should only focus on being a test opener. Test-class openers are incredibly thin on the ground in NZ cricket history so once you get a half decent one, you don't want to burden them with extra duties or give them different roles. The selection of Latham as a wicketkeeper in ODIs was a blunder. One of the younger domestic keepers should have been tried out.

I would like Nicholls to be given a crack as a stopgap keeper-batsman (no 5) in the ODIs against Ireland etc before the Champions Trophy. He can't do worse than Ronchi and Latham batting wise in ODIs.

 

[Moss]

New Zealand shot themselves in the foot - Dane Piedt | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

Piedt has a point here. If you decide not to go with seamer-friendly pitches because you feel it will play into the opposition's hands, it also means the superior seam attack of the opposition is more likely to get anything out of the surfaces than you are, which only magnifies the gap.

I suppose Hesson was hoping for a repeat of England's 2013 visit when Anderson and Broad got nothing out of the pitches but Southee and Boult were able to effectively employ swing all the same.

 

[StephenZA]

Agree Piedt has a point... think Kepler made the same point on commentary that by making the wickets less seam friendly it has shown the gulf between attacks (even if all the wickets are falling to SA spinners).

But I dislike that SA management sent Piedt out, who has just arrived on tour, to criticize the NZ tactics..... not his place.

 

[StephenZA]

"To allow a spinner like him to take 6 for 40 is unacceptable," Larsen said.

I am also getting tired of the way Maharaj has been written off by NZ management/players. He has bowled well, accurate good flight. He got into the SA team for a reason. He is not Murali.... but I still think he is better than anything NZ have offered up in the spin department, in what was meant to be their superior area.

 

[Neil Young]

I am also getting tired of the way Maharaj has been written off by NZ management/players. He has bowled well, accurate good flight. He got into the SA team for a reason. He is not Murali.... but I still think he is better than anything NZ have offered up in the spin department, in what was meant to be their superior area.

What have NZ management and players said about Maharaj?