Not a bad thing though, we have been struggling with lower order runs for quite some time now. The top order will get struck in, no doubt about that once the test series starts. Good thing is even Ajaz is looking like a reasonable batsman. Wagner looked like a middle order batsman. Kyle also scored some runs. I guess the practice games are valuable for these reasons.Twice in this match the lower order has bailed out the top order for NZ. Not great signs tbh.
Good to see Porter back in form though. Just in time for the Championship hiatus though. Sigh.
OK yeah I have heard the balls are doing less, and I didn't know it'd been a dry summer. Will be interestingDon't see this at all, the weather has been pretty good this year so far, the County Championship has been full of runs and it's looking Sunny for the week, either team leaving out a spinner a rather sus move IMHO.
If you think about it, there is a certain amount of retirement/injury induced change going on. Taylor, Watling, plus Kane’s fitness and Boult’s reduced availability. CdG and Wagner aren’t too far away from retirement either. I feel like the excessive focus on T20 world cups has distracted from issues around the test team (and we’ve momentarily forgotten that the 50 over format is a thing).It's quite a fitting warmup for these guys tbh. They've clocked out, this isnt a retirement/injury induced decline like 1989 and 2004.
Too good to drop, not really enough depth to voluntarily replace the world class players, but they're phoning it in.
Its novel, we've never been here before ..
It doesn't look like Southee or Boult featured in the warm up games in 2015 while McCullum was a late arrival. Atherton wrote a famously brutal article when Vettori & McCullum arrived late due to IPL commitments in 2008 although McCullum hit 97 at Lord's in the first test.Was the overlap with the IPL as big a factor on previous tours? Feels like the preparation is quite suspect though I suppose any warmup is good warmup these days.
If you think about it, there is a certain amount of retirement/injury induced change going on. Taylor, Watling, plus Kane’s fitness and Boult’s reduced availability. CdG and Wagner aren’t too far away from retirement either. I feel like the excessive focus on T20 world cups has distracted from issues around the test team (and we’ve momentarily forgotten that the 50 over format is a thing).
2007 a better bet for that cutoff I think. The team from 2005-2007 kinda muddled through, but then starting in 2007 they lost Astle, McMillan, Bond, Fleming, Mk 1 Franklin and Styris (in tests) within 18 months.there's definitely an ominous feeling that 2021 was 2004 or 1989 and we're about to hit NZ 2005/1990.
i think this lot have muddling in them.2007 a better bet for that cutoff I think. The team from 2005-2007 kinda muddled through, but then starting in 2007 they lost Astle, McMillan, Bond, Fleming, Mk 1 Franklin and Styris (in tests) within 18 months.
Yeah and that was an interesting era for our bowling stocks imo. I feel like the likes of Mills, Franklin, Martin, Tuffey etc have become a bit of a byword for mediocrity in the ensuing years but in fairness they were more like handy or promising performers who never quite kicked on. Tuffey and Franklin in particular had phases of looking like they would be legit good red ball bowlers and both faded away as serious bowlers well before they were even 30. Not sure if that says more about my youthful optimism about their abilities, mismanagement, or individual weakness.That 06 series v SA was also probably the most competitive I’ve ever seen NZ be in the Republic. Despite the 2-0 scoreline, NZ were in strong positions in all 3 games (all the more impressive given Bond’s absence) which you can’t exactly say for their other tours there over the past 30 years.