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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

Flem274*

123/5
Flem, we all know you think that Latham scoring 264 against a Sri Lanka team that went on to role SA twice doesn't count because reasons, but even if you set that aside, at the end of the day, there's no strong basis for saying Raval is a better player of quick bowling.

Against Pakistan both players average 31, against WI both average low 40's, against England Latham holds the advantage, and against SA Raval does. Your entire argument is built on a solitary test series (SA's tour in 2017). Raval has never toured any of the fast bowling dominant countries (Aus, England, SA, WI), and has played neither of the two best fast bowling attacks in the world currently, so please spare us about how obviously clearly superior he is against pace.
this argument is not built around one series, you can see the full breakdown above. that series was also much better than latham's england series being bandied around as some kind of clincher.

raval has not yet toured some countries, which i acknowledged in the aforementioned post, so that shouldn't be getting used as a gotcha.

neither player has played against the two current best, who i take you mean as australia and england, which is probably still pretty harsh on sa. against the best both have faced, latham was terrible.

latham should absolutely be one of if not the premier opener in the world because he so obviously has the talent for it but until he stops his khawaja impersonation im going to be pretty staunchly arguing against the 'raval's spot in trouble, latham forever look 10 test hundreds' line of thinking because when you need them to fulfill their core role the most they're very similar players at best.
 

Jezroy

State Captain
Really feel like we need to figure out a genius plan for Steve Smith, or hope for an injury. Or more sandpaper issues.

That guy is another level at the moment. Could make a lot of hay on some Australian roads...
 

Jezroy

State Captain
https://www.cricschedule.com/ftp/team/new-zealand.html

So was looking at the future tours and noticed NZ is only playing like 3 tests in 2021! And they are playing 3 tests against Australia between 2019 - 2022 (4 years)! Is this schedule set in stone or can it really change?
When you look at the schedule there, it looks TERRIBLE. I’m sure it’s not that bad. It looks like we never play tests overseas...

Feel like this one looks a bit better. Hopefully add a test vs Afghanistan and/or Ireland too

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news/new-zealand-cricket-release-ftp-for-men-2018-2023-721364/amp/
 
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Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
6 tests scheduled in 2021 (2 each v Pakistan, India and Bangladesh...and maybe 1 more if we make the WTC final). That’s undeniably lean, though it’s somewhat balanced out by the 10 tests we’re scheduled to play in 2022 (3 v England, 2 each v SA, Pakistan and SL and 1 v Ireland).

And yeah it sucks that apparently no one’s very interested in arranging an Aus v Nz test series in NZ. Really the schedule is missing 3 series - tours of SA and WI, and a visit by Australia.
 
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Jezroy

State Captain
6 tests scheduled in 2021 (2 each v Pakistan, India and Bangladesh...and maybe 1 more if we make the WTC final). That’s undeniably lean, though it’s somewhat balanced out by the 10 tests we’re scheduled to play in 2022 (3 v England, 2 each v SA, Pakistan and SL and 1 v Ireland).

And yeah it sucks that apparently no one’s very interested in arranging an Aus v Nz test series in NZ. Really the schedule is missing 3 series - tours of SA and WI, and a visit by Australia.
I just don't get why we hardly ever do test tours to the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Guessing it's cost prohibitive for these teams to host us ie. hard to sell to broadcasters for big $$$

Also strange considering that we seem to be held in pretty good regard at the moment - both in terms of being competitive and with regard to being a liked team.

I do get why Australia struggle to come here - by the end of their season they aren't really that keen to tack another two tests on (let's be honest - David White wouldn't host them for three tests when we could white ball!), plus they like to give their guys a break before the IPL...
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
England have announced their test squad. James Anderson is out with injury, and Jason Roy has predictably been binned. Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley added. Would expect the XI to be something like:

Denly/Sibley, Burns, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Woakes/Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach

So 2-0 to NZ then :ph34r:
 

Jezroy

State Captain
England have announced their test squad. James Anderson is out with injury, and Jason Roy has predictably been binned. Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley added. Would expect the XI to be something like:

Denly/Sibley, Burns, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Woakes/Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach

So 2-0 to NZ then :ph34r:
No Bairstow though! Buttler taking the gloves.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
England have announced their test squad. James Anderson is out with injury, and Jason Roy has predictably been binned. Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley added. Would expect the XI to be something like:

Denly/Sibley, Burns, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Woakes/Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach

So 2-0 to NZ then :ph34r:
I'd say Woakes, Archer and Broad are more than capable of knocking us over for FA on an early season NZ deck.

Bairstow is dropped, incidentally.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
I'd say Woakes, Archer and Broad are more than capable of knocking us over for FA on an early season NZ deck.

Bairstow is dropped, incidentally.
Check out Woakes' average with the kookaburrah.:sick: Might not be as bad if they open with him, but Root seems set on using his shiny new toy to partner Broad.
 

nzfan

International Vice-Captain
These are the squads:

England T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince

England Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

The test team doesn't look all that convincing. No matter what form Bairstow, Mooen Ali et al were just their names on the paper would add to the strength of the English side. I don't know about the above squad to be honest. Fair bit short with regards to international experience in the squad I feel. Sam Curran can be a handful on our pitches though. The lad can bat and bowl.
 

nzfan

International Vice-Captain
NZ Under 19s playing Bangladesh Under 19s from this weekend guys... https://www.nzc.nz/news-items/nz-u19-squad-puts-focus-on-development

Two lads, Jesse Tashkoff, Ryan Jackson and Devan Vishvaka from Wellington in the team. Hear Ollie White is quite an aggressive and a good bat... Son of the NZC CEO David White.

Is this under 19s going to throw some good names like Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Nathan Smith, Josh Clarkson etc? Haven't really heard of any from the current U19 mentioned on this form.
 

vandem

State Captain
...The test team doesn't look all that convincing. No matter what form Bairstow, Mooen Ali et al were just their names on the paper would add to the strength of the English side. I don't know about the above squad to be honest. Fair bit short with regards to international experience in the squad I feel. Sam Curran can be a handful on our pitches though. The lad can bat and bowl.
Disagree.

IMHO this team has a stronger top XI than the team that drew the Ashes.

Anderson is the only missing top XI player. Bairstow is struggling in red ball cricket, averaging 18 since taking the gloves back from Foakes in 3rd test in Windies. Buttler keeping allows an extra top order batsman. The extra top order batsman will be an opener which allows Denly at #3 and Root to return to his favoured #4 slot, so expect more runs from Root. All 3 openers are red-ball openers, no more converted white-ball hitters. Moeen wouldn't have made the starting XI anyway.

You could say "The test squad 12th-15th players don't look all that convincing" and I then would agree. No reserve keeper - when they took 3 keepers on the last test tour (Bairstow, Buttler, Foakes). Parkinson as 2nd red ball spinner? There were more conservative options to cover a late pre-game injury to Leach.

Will be interesting to see how they juggle Pope-Curran-Woakes. 3 fighting for 2 spots in the playing XI. Potential vs potential vs experience.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Will be interesting to see how they juggle Pope-Curran-Woakes. 3 fighting for 2 spots in the playing XI. Potential vs potential vs experience.
I don't see them as competing. England would never play Curran and Woakes but not Pope as that means Buttler is at 6.

For me you pick Woakes as I don't think Curran is good enough with the ball to be 4th seamer, let alone 3rd. I also think he's a much better batsman.

Suspect Curran will play though.
 

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