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

[Kippax]

When we stop picking a provincial 4th seamer as a test match opening bowler.

Nope, not necessarily. You can give a mong like Kuggeleijn two sessions to get Rajvinder Sandhu, McClenaghan or Brent Arnel out, he often won't.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Nope, not necessarily. You can give a mong like Kuggeleijn two sessions to get Rajvinder Sandhu, McClenaghan or Brent Arnel out, he often won't.

Even if Kuggleijn had been picked instead of a spinner, it would be better to give CDG the new ball.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Hope Latham's fielding feeds into his batting

 

[Fuller Pilch]

We got a review! Now score some runs

 

[Days of Grace]

Styris doesn't realize that the discrepancy in the numbers means that one player represented NZ and another country.

 

[hendrix]

Extremely testing period but been some great batting so far. Latham has definitely done some work, and Raval is a scrapper.

 

[Athlai]

Glad we dropped Latham

 

[straw man]

CdG has performed well tbh.

I hate to say it but again, it's a captaincy issue and bowling plans issue. So partially KW but we have a specialist bowling coach - what is he advising Williamson and the bowlers?

Agree that CDG has performed as best you could hope from him with the ball. He's done well with the role given to him. It's a shame (for him) that he's been picked for a role that doesn't exist in any sane team.

When you're picking a domestic part-timer to open the bowling in a test match then literally every domestic opening bowler with 50 wickets to their name can feel a little stiff that they're not there instead. Rance, Arnel, N. Patel, Nuttall, Van Beek, Bennett, Baker to pluck a few names (that aren't injured). The logic being, well if CDG can, why couldn't I?

 

[hendrix]

Agree that CDG has performed as best you could hope from him with the ball. It's a shame (for him) that he's been picked for a role that doesn't exist in any sane team.

When you're picking a domestic part-timer to open the bowling in a test match then literally every domestic opening bowler with 50 wickets to their name can feel a little stiff that they're not there instead. Rance, Arnel, N. Patel, Nuttall, Van Beek, Bennett, Baker to pluck a few names (that aren't injured). The logic being, well if CDG can, why couldn't I?

Certainly the likes of Arnel would be at least equivalent. Is he still playing though?

 

[Shady Slim]

i suppose that they're using CDG as someone who "can bat" as well

 

[hendrix]

I don't think the likes of Bennett, Nuttal etc are at all equivalent though.

Gee Raval's pull is ***y.

 

[veganbob]

Laughable that people are trying to blame the tail getting away on cdg. He has done well. The tail getting away has been a problem for a long time. If southee was playing, chances are sa would have scored 350 plus.

Raval is the best opener we have had since Richardson ( not that we have had any good ones). Ive seen enough in this series vs Rabada, morkel and philander to convince me of this

 

[hendrix]

Actually, the best equivalent who is undoubtedly a better batsman and probably bowler too is...Jesse Ryder but let's not go there

 

[Grasshopper]

Andrew Alderson - NZ Herald

In the 79th over he rifled a delivery at Keshav Maharaj which climbed on him, rapt the gloves, and found its way to B-J Watling.

You've gotta love NZ sports journalism.

 

[hendrix]

Raval is the best opener we have had since Richardson ( not that we have had any good ones). Ive seen enough in this series vs Rabada, morkel and philander to convince me of this

Nah that's Latham (and McCullum too actually)

 

[Shady Slim]

we'll happily give you guys mitchell marsh in exchange for the great man if you're willing

 

[veganbob]

Nah that's Latham (and McCullum too actually)

Latham could be very good but he still struggles a lot more vs movement than Raval. At this stage latham is likely to dominate lesser attacks but Raval gives me that safety confidence that he will survive 10+ overs on most occasions vs good attacks.

I don't mind if he gets out for 30- 60 too much if he can be that solid consistently.

 

[_Ed_]

50-run partnership! This is the longest Kane has had to wait to bat for a while.

 

[hendrix]

Latham could be very good but he still struggles a lot more vs movement than Raval. At this stage latham is likely to dominate lesser attacks but Raval gives me that safety confidence that he will survive 10+ overs on most occasions vs good attacks.

I don't mind if he gets out for 30- 60 too much if he can be that solid consistently.

We've only seen Raval in NZ. He's also 4 years older than Latham and very much knows his game. Don't get me wrong he's done bloody and I was about the one person screaming for his inclusion for years, but it would be a surprise to me if he performed as well as Latham did in the UAE, for example.

Either way this is absorbing cricket right now.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

awesome work from these two