***Official*** England in New Zealand 2018

[thierry henry]

Does CdG actually do "icing" or is he someone who does best when everyone else is struggling or when a target seems a little out of reach? Maybe I don't have the sample size to prove this but he seems to be at his worst when there's a platform and he's expected to accelerate with a running start. More of a 0-100 man.

 

[CM Punk]

Rolling over =\

 

[Prince EWS]

Does CdG actually do "icing" or is he someone who does best when everyone else is struggling or when a target seems a little out of reach? Maybe I don't have the sample size to prove this but he seems to be at his worst when there's a platform and he's expected to accelerate with a running start. More of a 0-100 man.

This innings was kind of icingish I guess, but I watched it and even though he didn't get out he really didn't look very good at all. He didn't really score at the rate you would have guessed if you heard "Colin came in at 3/213 in the 42nd over and finished not out" either.

5th ODI, Pakistan tour of New Zealand at Wellington, Jan 19 2018 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

So far I think you've basically been right in that his one fifty came in superfast time when no-one else could hit it off the square, but I think it's just a quirky coincidence; he hasn't really played enough ODI cricket yet to say.

 

[thierry henry]

This innings was kind of icingish I guess, but I watched it and even though he didn't get out he really didn't look very good at all. He didn't really score at the rate you would have guessed if you heard "Colin came in at 3/213 in the 42nd over and finished not out" either.

5th ODI, Pakistan tour of New Zealand at Wellington, Jan 19 2018 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

So far I think you've basically been right in that his one fifty came in superfast time when no-one else could hit it off the square, but I think it's just a quirky coincidence; he hasn't really played enough ODI cricket yet to say.

He also sort of lost us a series (hyperbole but you get my point.....) in India when he couldn't score fast enough in a very gettable chase. And the recent T20 against England finished in sort of a weird way when he was required to hit a boundary and just hit a crisp drive down to long-off for 1.

I think there might be something to this theory. CDG is at his best when he "just bats". If he just comes in and bats he strikes at 150. If you tell him "your job is to win the game by striking at 150" or "your job is to put the icing on this so far pretty good innings by striking at 150" it complicates things for him a bit. I also wonder if his fairly simple, surprisingly textbook method isn't the best against death bowling.

 

[thierry henry]

Of course, sometimes when he "just bats" he does stuff like that....

 

[Cabinet96]

Wtf are they doing?

 

[Prince EWS]

He also sort of lost us a series (hyperbole but you get my point.....) in India when he couldn't score fast enough in a very gettable chase. And the recent T20 against England finished in sort of a weird way when he was required to hit a boundary and just hit a crisp drive down to long-off for 1.

I think there might be something to this theory. CDG is at his best when he "just bats". If he just comes in and bats he strikes at 150. If you tell him "your job is to win the game by striking at 150" or "your job is to put the icing on this so far pretty good innings by striking at 150" it complicates things for him a bit. I also wonder if his fairly simple, surprisingly textbook method isn't the best against death bowling.

If this is true he'd probably be a gun LO opener. Not that NZ need one or should risk the change I'm about to semi-advocate, but with his technique more textbook than Munro's be might be less vulnerable to good bowling up front -- there might be a parallel universe in which CdG opens, Munro bats six and it works better.

 

[Cabinet96]

Pretty great fielding performance by England though.

 

[Prince EWS]

"Something you'd never associate with NZ over the years -- headless cricket." ~ Nasser

Right. But you are talking about the wickets of de Grandhomme and Southee here.

 

[thierry henry]

If this is true he'd probably be a gun LO opener. Not that NZ need one or should risk the change I'm about to semi-advocate, but with his technique more textbook than Munro's be might be less vulnerable to good bowling up front -- there might be a parallel universe in which CdG opens, Munro bats six and it works better.

Maybe. I can also imagine CDG being more prone to conventional opener-type dismissals with his more conventional technique. The niceties of swing and seam can sometimes seem a bit irrelevant when Munro is trying to hit everything for 6 over square leg, which perversely might be why he's a handy opener.

 

[Moss]

TBF that runout was more Santner than Southee. Both dismissals were sheer stupidity nevertheless.

 

[thierry henry]

My friend sent me a video of the run-out with no commentary and SURELY that's on Santner?

 

[thierry henry]

Ferguson seems to fit into the Wagner category of gritty and "technically not the worst" tail enders but it's still funny to me that he's ahead of Boult. Does Boult just covet the #11 spot?

 

[thierry henry]

When you think of Santner as a bowler who can provide some handy runs and possibly a bit of an insurance policy at 8 he suddenly seems like a pretty damn good cricketer. As an "all-rounder who can't bat", not so much.

 

[Prince EWS]

Maybe. I can also imagine CDG being more prone to conventional opener-type dismissals with his more conventional technique. The niceties of swing and seam can sometimes seem a bit irrelevant when Munro is trying to hit everything for 6 over square leg, which perversely might be why he's a handy opener.

He was actually a pretty normal opening batsman as a youth cricketer in Zimbabwe. Didn't score especially quickly, certainly didn't slog, rarely ever bowled. His career trajectory in NZ has been surprising af to me.

 

[Athlai]

As Santner is one of the best limited overs spinners in the world, I think you'd be crazy to think of him as the latter.

 

[Moss]

When you think of Santner as a bowler who can provide some handy runs and possibly a bit of an insurance policy at 8 he suddenly seems like a pretty damn good cricketer. As an "all-rounder who can't bat", not so much.

That debut at Adelaide and his first few ODI innings were misleading. As long as they keep him away from the top 6 he's fine.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ferguson seems to fit into the Wagner category of gritty and "technically not the worst" tail enders but it's still funny to me that he's ahead of Boult. Does Boult just covet the #11 spot?

People would probably get a bit angry about Boult's batting if he batted higher than eleven, in the way we all do about Southee's sometimes. So he probably wants to be there.

 

[thierry henry]

As Santner is one of the best limited overs spinners in the world, I think you'd be crazy to think of him as the latter.

Without a doubt, and I'm hopeful that even Joe Public and Jane VeitchyOnSport are starting to figure this out.

 

[thierry henry]

People would probably get a bit angry about Boult's batting if he batted higher than eleven, in the way we all do about Southee's sometimes. So he probably wants to be there.

Yeah, it's like his whole batting mindset is "bat like a number 11" and it's made him the best damn number 11 there ever was. On statzzzz alone he's a better bat than Lockie.