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

[straw man]

Terrible timing for Astle - despite delivering a very mixed bag last match he did enough to hold his spot ahead of Sodhi, and that should've seen him on the plane to UAE/Malaysia for the next tour. He might still get there but now has given Sodhi a roaring opportunity to overtake him.

 

[_Ed_]

Poor guy - that would have probably been his only chance at a test on his home ground.


EDIT: Whoops - I forgot that he'd played in this one.

 

[Bahnz]

Poor bloke, did everything asked of him at Eden Park and now he's back in the queue again.

Still, probably what you really want - for all the talk of Astle's qualities as a bowling allrounder, his FC batting record isn't that much better than Sodhi's (26 plays 21) and the later is clearly the form slow-ball bowler in first class cricket atm. Still, de Grandhomme at 7 and Southee at 8 doesn't exactly leave me with huge confidence in the durability of that middle/lower order, even with Southee's improvement this season. Just can't help but feel that we're short a proper batsman, especially with Watling having only just come back into the side.

 

[cnerd123]

How does bowling the way Todd Astle bowl lead to a side strain? How does it strain anything?

 

[_Ed_]

How does bowling the way Todd Astle bowl lead to a side strain? How does it strain anything?

He did celebrate his wickets quite vigorously.

 

[Immenso]

Poor bloke, did everything asked of him at Eden Park and now he's back in the queue again.

Still, probably what you really want - for all the talk of Astle's qualities as a bowling allrounder, his FC batting record isn't that much better than Sodhi's (26 plays 21) and the later is clearly the form slow-ball bowler in first class cricket atm. Still, de Grandhomme at 7 and Southee at 8 doesn't exactly leave me with huge confidence in the durability of that middle/lower order, even with Southee's improvement this season. Just can't help but feel that we're short a proper batsman, especially with Watling having only just come back into the side.

That's no way indicative of their current batting abilities though.

Sodhi's batting is getting worse every year at the moment.

Astle has been operating as a FC averaging 30 batsman now for about 5 years since his poor early career returns.

 

[Athlai]

That's no way indicative of their current batting abilities though.

Sodhi's batting is getting worse every year at the moment.

Astle has been operating as a FC averaging 30 batsman now for about 5 years since his poor early career returns.

His poor early career returns, as a batsman. Opening the batting.

Tastlespud

 

[Immenso]

His poor early career returns, as a batsman. Opening the batting.

Tastlespud

Yip, and his first few years as a spinner.

He had a FC average about to dip below 20 IIRC. Only about 4 or 5 years ago.

 

[Moss]

Terrible timing for Astle - despite delivering a very mixed bag last match he did enough to hold his spot ahead of Sodhi, and that should've seen him on the plane to UAE/Malaysia for the next tour. He might still get there but now has given Sodhi a roaring opportunity to overtake him.

It's more likely he's competing with Santner for the same spot, and him going to the UAE will depend on Santner's fitness.

Well if he doesn't play any more tests, he'll end up with 100 percent win record and the knowledge that he played crucial roles in 2 of them.

 

[straw man]

It's more likely he's competing with Santner for the same spot, and him going to the UAE will depend on Santner's fitness.

Well if he doesn't play any more tests, he'll end up with 100 percent win record and the knowledge that he played crucial roles in 2 of them.

How do you figure that? Because they can both bat? Don't really agree - reckon there's no way we play two legspinners so Sodhi and Astle are inevitably in competition with one another.

If Santner is not fit perhaps they'll take Ajaz Patel. Or Mark Craig, though he hasn't had a great season.

 

[Moss]

How do you figure that? Because they can both bat? Don't really agree - reckon there's no way we play two legspinners so Sodhi and Astle are inevitably in competition with one another.

If Santner is not fit perhaps they'll take Ajaz Patel. Or Mark Craig, though he hasn't had a great season.

Yeah this is probably correct, I didn't think of if it from the angle of playing two legspinners. Did feel that in Santner's absence (and with Southee being Southee) it's a long tail and they'd look for some batting ability in there. Which does make Craig a bit of a possibility still. But yes all of the above considered, hard to see Astle making the tour.

 

[Bahnz]

I tend to think NZ will take 3 spinners and possibly play all of Tastle, Sodhi and Santner, with CdG sitting the series out. That’s what we did with Vettori, Craig and Sodhi in 2014.

 

[Immenso]

I tend to think NZ will take 3 spinners and possibly play all of Tastle, Sodhi and Santner, with CdG sitting the series out. That’s what we did with Vettori, Craig and Sodhi in 2014.

They'll definitely take all 3 spinner on tour. But I think only 2 will play.

 

[TheBrand]

Craig has a lacklustre season domestically but he's also returning from injury, I would love to see him back in the squad at least.

 

[91Jmay]

Bayliss is embarrassed over another team cheating, he embarrassed over 58 all out or his away record?

 

[SeamUp]

I remember seeing Dick and Dickman in that scorecard and I thought it must have been a grave error

There's no way SA have two players at u23s with those names, at the same time.

Had to look it up....

They both named Jacob too and from Northern Territory

Jacob Dick joins Emerging Redbacks | Northern Territory Cricket

 

[Starfighter]

Bayliss is embarrassed over another team cheating, he embarrassed over 58 all out or his away record?

It's easy to point to someone else's irrelevant failings to deflect from your own.

Anyone rating the chance of Moeen being dropped? I don't see it happening.

 

[morgieb]

It's easy to point to someone else's irrelevant failings to deflect from your own.

Anyone rating the chance of Moeen being dropped? I don't see it happening.

Could happen, but the trouble with dropping Moeen is that his home record is still very good, and people don't really like the idea of horses for courses for some reason.

It's gotten to the point where he's a liability away from home though, surely?

 

[Bahnz]

That's no way indicative of their current batting abilities though.

Sodhi's batting is getting worse every year at the moment.

Astle has been operating as a FC averaging 30 batsman now for about 5 years since his poor early career returns.

I don't think Sodhi's batting is getting worse, it's just that we've only really seen him in ODI's of late and he's a limited slogger. He averaged 30 in the Plunket Shield last season (albeit with quite a few no's and a top score of 33 compared to Tastle's top score of 195).

Fair point that 26 probably isn't a fair reflection of Astle's capabilities as a lower order bat. Sodhi definitely a significant step down in that regard.

 

[Gnske]

Had to look it up....

They both named Jacob too and from Northern Territory

Jacob Dick joins Emerging Redbacks | Northern Territory Cricket

Good to see SA are getting some good NT acquisitions though, clearly grasped Dick with a firm hand.