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

[Bahnz]

Tbf, on domestic FC form in the last 18 months, Sodhi probably deserves it more than Tastle. He took a metric ton of wickets in the Plunket Shield last year. Though I'm sure Athlai is right in that most 'casuals' back him cause every now and then, in between 4 balls, he gets a wrong'un to land and make a good batsman look like a chump.

 

[thierry henry]

No one takes as aesthetically pleasing wickets as sodhi. And that's entirely it imo

I don't remember him really ripping people out with a big leg break too often. Is a sweet wrong-un through the gate all it takes to be cool these days?

 

[thierry henry]

I mean it's not like Sodhi would be a horrible selection but the Tastle selection seems to make decent cricketing sense as well, right? I'm probably polluting my brain with too much non-CW cricket talk but the public reaction seems very out of kilter with the reality and highly pro-Sodhi.

 

[Immenso]

WTF has Astle been doing for the last week while NZ played two OTHER spinners in the ODIs?

He's bowled 12 balls all Plunket season. Now he's in the test team.

I'm one of the biggest Tastle fans out there. I want him to be set up to succeed. Jeezus H Christ.

 

[Immenso]

It’s not as black and white in red ball cricket, imo. Sodhi has plenty to recommend him.

This season in the Plunket Shield Astle has only bowled 12 balls, but has one wicket at 4. Is he underdone? Sodhi has 9 wickets at 25.55.

Last season Astle took 31 wickets at 26.48, Sodhi 40 at 25.92.

New Zealand A vs India A last year, Astle 2 at 27.5, Sodhi 8 at 26.8 (Astle injured and only played the first game, I think?).

Astle has the big advantage with his batting, of course.

I think your time-period comparison is missing (or should take into account even if Sodhi didn't play in it) the home A series v SL last year where Astle cleaned up - including taking a match 10-fer.

 

[SteveNZ]

I don't remember him really ripping people out with a big leg break too often. Is a sweet wrong-un through the gate all it takes to be cool these days?

Bounce. Hes 6ft2 or 3, hits the splice. Great wrongun so poses a threat to LHers as well. Can probably turn it well enough in the right conditions.

I dont like that Astles batting gets him in, if it does. Hes going to avg what, 25? And Sodhi 10-15? Or do they want crease occupation?

 

[Immenso]

It's over 3 weeks since Astle last payed a game of any type that registers on his cricinfo profile. Why did he miss this resuming round of Plunket Shield?

Recent matches
Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard
1/58, 42 Canterbury v Auckland Auckland 21 Feb 2018 LA
12, 0/40 Canterbury v Auckland Christchurch 7 Feb 2018 LA
1/45 Canterbury v Northern D Whangarei 4 Feb 2018 LA
62, 1/58 Canterbury v Central D Palmerston North 31 Jan 2018 LA
2/63 Canterbury v Otago Dunedin 27 Jan 2018 LA
5 New Zealand v Pakistan Dunedin 13 Jan 2018 ODI # 3949 Insights on
2/50 New Zealand v Pakistan Nelson 9 Jan 2018 ODI # 3947 Insights on
0*, 1/29 New Zealand v Pakistan Wellington 6 Jan 2018 ODI # 3946 Insights on
0/35, 0 Canterbury v Auckland Christchurch 1 Jan 2018 T20
16, 0/27 Canterbury v Wellington Wellington 28 Dec 2017 T20

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I think your time-period comparison is missing (or should take into account even if Sodhi didn't play in it) the home A series v SL last year where Astle cleaned up - including taking a match 10-fer.

That was 15/16, not 16/17. I could go back further, but I should probably be doing some work haha.

 

[Immenso]

For the record I'm very happy with all our 3 spin options.

Excellent depth by NZ standards.

Santner good at his role. Sodhi and Astle more ***ier, so can at least enjoy watching in hope of fun and anticipation. Coz, legspin.

 

[Immenso]

That was 15/16, not 16/17. I could go back further, but I should probably be doing some work haha.

Fair enough. Time flies ......

 

[Athlai]

I don't remember him really ripping people out with a big leg break too often. Is a sweet wrong-un through the gate all it takes to be cool these days?

It's certainly more fun than Santner strangling the runs for 12 overs on the trot while Wagner bowls short at the other end until the batsman inevitably make an error and give Wagner the wicket.

It's a hard statistic to work out but I'd put money on Santner having the best "bowling partnership" average of any spinner we've had since Vettori by a long way.

 

[Athlai]

Bounce. Hes 6ft2 or 3, hits the splice. Great wrongun so poses a threat to LHers as well. Can probably turn it well enough in the right conditions.

I dont like that Astles batting gets him in, if it does. Hes going to avg what, 25? And Sodhi 10-15? Or do they want crease occupation?

an attack of Southee, Boult, Sodhi and Wagner probably means Southee at 8. I can see why Astle's batting helps.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Astle wasn’t named in either of those warm up games either, very strange. Surely that will change?

 

[Immenso]

Astle wasn’t named in either of those warm up games either, very strange. Surely that will change?

Better option would be to just play the next Plunket round.

I haven't looked at the dates, but assume would match up.

Will probably go into 'camp' now, because actual playing is for non-blackcap plebs.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Better option would be to just play the next Plunket round.

I haven't looked at the dates, but assume would match up.

Will probably go into 'camp' now, because actual playing is for non-blackcap plebs.

There’s only one day between the fourth day of the next Plunket round and the first day of the test, so it would be a bit tight.

 

[thierry henry]

It's certainly more fun than Santner strangling the runs for 12 overs on the trot while Wagner bowls short at the other end until the batsman inevitably make an error and give Wagner the wicket.

It's a hard statistic to work out but I'd put money on Santner having the best "bowling partnership" average of any spinner we've had since Vettori by a long way.

Santner turns his stock ball decently well for a finger spinner (maybe this is me straining for a hot take, but arguably in the context of his style of bowling he actually turns it more than Sodhi? Sodhi's action is set up for the wrong-un) and has a dank carrom ball, what could be ***ier??

 

[Immenso]

There’s only one day between the fourth day of the next Plunket round and the first day of the test, so it would be a bit tight.

Right, he definitely won't play in that.

Predictably good planning.

Hopefully his years of honing his craft will prove to be enough to overcome the ineptness of NZC management and scheduling.

 

[Athlai]

Santner turns his stock ball decently well for a finger spinner (maybe this is me straining for a hot take, but arguably in the context of his style of bowling he actually turns it more than Sodhi? Sodhi's action is set up for the wrong-un) and has a dank carrom ball, what could be ***ier??

Yeah I'm all about Santner personally, but I make an effort to not slap the haters in the face directly and try understand why they're wrong.

 

[Kippax]

https://livestream.com/NZC/events/8108678

 

[straw man]

Santner out for 6-9 months - oof, that's a big blow.

This has the feeling of one of those hospital-pass callups for Astle. Almost like Sinclair and Matthew Bell, who scored millions of domestic runs season after season and then finally got a belated selection into the NZ side, once their form had dipped. I hope Astle goes well, he is certainly deserving of a chance, but having barely played FC cricket this season is going to make it tough. Especially for a legspinner. Good luck to him.