*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[SteveNZ]

Black Caps legend BJ Watling to call time on career following tour of England

Dependable wicketkeeper-batsman will step away from cricket following Black Caps' tour of England and the world test championship final.

i.stuff.co.nz

As quite a few of you had predicted..

I wish he’d stick around for the India tour, he was immense in NZ’s last two subcontinental series (Pak and SL) and would have been invaluable enough as a specialist bat. That apart, can’t argue with the timing - a WTC final is a pretty fitting way to end a solid career, and it’s about time Blundell (and possibly Cleaver?) gets a proper shot at what should be his primary role in the side.

BJ, what a man. It is time, and what an epic Test career he's had.

 

[thundaboult]

The best keeper-bat in recent red ball cricket history.

A great decision to bow out at this time as well. Conway, young, blundell are waiting.

 

[honestbharani]

Is your power taking the most rancid of bait

Wat else is there to do in a lockdown?

 

[honestbharani]

Something to do with having a hotel close by?

Try a hotel on the ground campus.

 

[JOJOXI]

The best keeper-bat in recent red ball cricket history.

A great decision to bow out at this time as well. Conway, young, blundell are waiting.

Sad times, for someone who isn't a Kiwi and doesn't especially care how they do (- it's nice to see them break a potential 'Big 3' hegemony in all formats but aside from that I'm meh) the news from Watling really came as a shock and I really rate him highly but I guess its good he bows out on his own terms.

 

[honestbharani]

BJ Watling's role in the McCullum 300 is under rated. I still think we would have won that test but for him. Amazing player, rather under rated but I felt like he was not quite his best self in the 2020 series when we toured there. Excellent career. Well done to him.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

One of my favourite players ever. I wish him a good tour and a great life after test cricket.

 

[Moss]

BJ Watling's role in the McCullum 300 is under rated. I still think we would have won that test but for him. Amazing player, rather under rated but I felt like he was not quite his best self in the 2020 series when we toured there. Excellent career. Well done to him.

The partnership with McCullum was definitely his coming of age as a test batsman, and his century at Headingley 2015 when he played as a specialist bat was great too. Couple of his knocks in the UAE 2018 victory were super important in a tight series.

Considering he began as another tried-and-discarded NZ opening bat before taking up the gloves, definitely a test career to be proud of.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Also don't forget he outdid the McCullum partnership with the Williamson one back at the Basin a couple of years later vs SL too. Who says lightning can't strike twice in the same place?

 

[slippy888]

What BJ mean to new zealand fans

 

[nzfan]

Outstanding player BJ, probably the best WK batsman in the last decade. Very underrated just because he is from NZ.

Many years ago when he was just growing up I had heard from the camp that he's the exact opposite of Brendon. Brendon was brash, over confident and at the opposite end was BJ. He didn't feel all that confident so he built his cricket on pure hard work and detail to the tee. The guy used to practice keeping in his backyard with a massive slope before heading to the UK tour to simulate Lord's ground infamous slope. It's a different matter the tour was a disaster for us. Remember clearly we were rolled for like 60 or 70 on that tour with Broad and Anderson running amok. Sheer hard work, application and never taking things for granted got him there. His values are enviable.

 

[hendrix]

Watling pretty much single handedly drew us a test series in England which is phenomenal

 

[nzfan]

I think Ross will probably call it quits too if he wants to extend his one day career. CDG will disappear soon too, he's not getting any younger.

I can see in about 6 to 8 months the line up will be made up of

Young
Ravindra (Or Phillips will open)
Kane
Conway
Latham
Nicholls
Mitchell/Ravindra (Depending on conditions)
Tom Blundell

 

[Moss]

Find it interesting to compare Watling with someone like Parore. They'll end up having played nearly the same number of tests (Watling 76 to Parore's 78), and despite the latter being a superior gloveman and a more technically gifted batsman, BJ has far better numbers.

Granted, Parore played in an era where it was acceptable for your keeper-batsman to average in the mid 20s and Watling's greater dismissal count is most likely down to NZ having a much better bowling attack. Mainly noting the contrast in both their personalities and their output - Parore for me underachieved given his natural gifts and his ceiling (that century in Aus vs a crazy-good Australian attack is something Watling doesn't have on his CV) while Watling started out makeshift but has ended unquestionably as one of the top two of his era.

 

[Flem274*]

watlings the goat for kiwi keepers. the only competition would be splicing specialist batsman mccullum with keeper mccullum's glovework.

 

[NZTailender]

I think Ross will probably call it quits too if he wants to extend his one day career. CDG will disappear soon too, he's not getting any younger.

I can see in about 6 to 8 months the line up will be made up of

Young
Ravindra (Or Phillips will open)
Kane
Conway
Latham
Nicholls
Mitchell/Ravindra (Depending on conditions)
Tom Blundell

why would one of our most successful openers of all time drop to 5 when we have a backlog of middle order batsmen who can't break into the team?

Latham
Young
Williamson
Conway
Nicholls
CdG/Ravindra/Mitchell/other all-rounder
Blundell+

 

[Kippax]

Just figures Latham averages about 27 after 20 tests against the more intimidating cricket countries, the ones that tend to hold their catches and may well have a rugby world cup title in their histories.

Also that theory that Ravindra will be another Blundell, in the sense that he racked up endless hours on indoor carpet, therefore can often be undone by a slower stick-in-the-wicket ball, yet thrives on Fergusons and Kuggeleijns with their 145+ pace.

 

[nzfan]

why would one of our most successful openers of all time drop to 5 when we have a backlog of middle order batsmen who can't break into the team?

Latham
Young
Williamson
Conway
Nicholls
CdG/Ravindra/Mitchell/other all-rounder
Blundell+

Just liked the idea I read in NZ Herald by Dylan Cleaver pitching for Latham to bat in the middle order. I think with that move Latham is capable of being a 50+ average guy. Besides Ravindra is a proper opener and Will Young fits that bill too. Just sacrifice them if you we can. Personally I think Ravindra is best suited in the middle order and bowl.

 

[nzfan]

Just figures Latham averages about 27 after 20 tests against the more intimidating cricket countries, the ones that tend to hold their catches and may well have a rugby world cup title in their histories.

Also that theory that Ravindra will be another Blundell, in the sense that he racked up endless hours on indoor carpet, therefore can often be undone by a slower stick-in-the-wicket ball, yet thrives on Fergusons and Kuggeleijns with their 145+ pace.

The second part is 100% correct. Lot of our batters are like that. I can't be sure but I don't think Kuggs or Henry or Jamieson may not have got Blundell/Ravindra out as much.

 

[nzfan]

Five Question Marks Over The New Zealand Test XI Ahead Of The England Tour

New Zealand have announced a 20-strong squad for their Test tour of England, and the World Test Championship final.

wisden.com

Interesting stats that... spinners average 64 in NZ. That is the highest in any test playing nation.

Runs per wicket average are lot less scored in England surprisingly. I thought it'd be harder to score here than in England. At least once in a while they get drier flat pitches in England. I suppose the reason the average runs per wicket is lower is because none of the teams that visit our shores adapt meanwhile Kane, Nicholls etc score aplenty.

Time to make a team for Lords, my preferred XI is

Tom Latham
Will Young
Kane
Devon Conway
Nicholls
BJ (Tom will be playing full time cricket anyways after this tour)
CDG
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner
Henry

Second test

Tom Latham
Will Young
Kane
Devon Conway
Nicholls
BJ (Tom will be playing full time cricket anyways after this tour)
Mitchell
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner (Boult if he's available)
Ajaz

Santner, Blundell, Ravindra and few other guys miss out but that's probably all right. With the two teams above we will be able to make a call for the WTC final the best playing XI.