*Official* New Zealand in Australia 2022

[Flem274*]

mark craig was actually what management are pretending macewell is - a talented offspinner who was way behind in his development (due to long term illness in his 20s).

he didn't make it despite some decent showings, so backing the pretend version of mark craig seems a bit odd.

 

[NZTailender]

To be fair, that 30-34 year group has been the one that has carried us to WTC glory, World Cup finals etc and is a probably never to repeated golden age for our country. But they certainly don't want to paint themselves into a corner where a hell of a lot of them are retiring with the ones below having been starved for game time.

I'd have played Finn Allen at all costs, but I acknowledge that it might not be the best idea on balance/experience etc.

Oh no doubt, but it feels like if we don't blood enough youngsters soon we'll end up with a situation like the late 2000s early 2010s where we have an incredibly shitty side after a bunch of senior players retired or deemed ineligible due to NZCs ineptitude.

 

[thierry henry]

You know, if it wasn't for CW I wouldn't have even realised there was a late 2000s slump. I've just spent 30 years expecting us to lose. Benefits of being a curmudgeon I guess.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Don't come after my man, or I'll bore you to death for weeks with the story of how he was once the 4th choice off-spinner in his club side, and forever stands as a 50-Test wicket man who won a few Tests for his country in the fourth innings - something no one had done for years, then Ajaz showed he might be able to do it and we've dropped him ever since.

Almost can guarantee Mark Craig's Test batting average of 36 won't be beaten by Bracewell, either.

All I know is I saw the guy playing and my club has at least 3 offies that are better than him playing in various grades

 

[SteveNZ]

mark craig was actually what management are pretending macewell is - a talented offspinner who was way behind in his development (due to long term illness in his 20s).

he didn't make it despite some decent showings, so backing the pretend version of mark craig seems a bit odd.

Mark Craig actually never developed, he was a top order bat as a youngster who bowled very occasional off-spin (well, when he did) and when he bowled at club level, often bowled seamers. He didn't take it seriously until he went to Otago after yeah, he'd had chronic fatigue and Dipak Patel guided him. Kinda like Ajaz who bowled seamers up to U19 level but Mark picked it up even later, crazy story really.

Yes, I will take Mark Donald Craig as my Mastermind subject.

I feel like Michael Bracewell is unique. He's this guy who we're backing because he has skills that he's shown at times - not enough to usually warrant national selection - but they're placing great weight on perceived leadership and the fact he has played a couple of very significant domestic innings to ice games. One was the T20 huge hundred at Pukekura, think from memory he scored a big Ford Trophy hundred at some stage in a big game, too? Then further 'vindicated' by the Ireland game he won almost single-handedly. I can't remember another player they backed in as aggressively, based not really at all on consistency or stats, in such a situation.

 

[SteveNZ]

Indeed, and that includes a fair chunk of Vettori's career.

Absolutely, was a key part of my point.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Mark Craig, except he was shoe-horned into a specialist spinner role for some reason

Mark Craig won us test matches overseas with his bowling. Took 10 for the match and scored a 50 when we won in the UAE. Took 8 wickets (4 in each innings) on debut to win in the WI and took key wickets in a win in England. Sure he got absolutely smashed in Australia, but most off spinners do. He was a much better specialist spinner than Bracewell.

 

[Howsie]

Bracewell isn't even really a bits and pieces cricketer, he's a batsman who isn't good enough, being shoehorned into a bits and pieces role because the whole set up is pretending he can bowl a bit. All this while we already have an obviously better bat who can also pretend to bowl, in Phillips. It's bewildering.

It’s ridiculous. Since like 2018 guys like Mitchell (initially) Young, Phillips, Allen, Chapman, Ravindra and Sears seem to get a game here or there and that’s about it. Which admittedly in a strong team will happen.

But then along comes Michael Bracewell, probably the least talented of all those names and he’s pushed into every team possible, never seeming to miss out. Devon Conway obviously forced his way into all three teams but that’s a different story, but we haven’t had anyone else manage to do that in the last 6-7 years other than Bracewell.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Bracewell looks like he's got the material to be a good finger spinner (tbf, who doesn't. Not a difficult skill set)

Just about consistency and getting rid of the bad balls

 

[Howsie]

Bracewell looks like he's got the material to be a good finger spinner (tbf, who doesn't. Not a difficult skill set)

Just about consistency and getting rid of the bad balls

Hi Gary

 

[Fuller Pilch]

It’s ridiculous. Since like 2018 guys like Mitchell (initially) Young, Phillips, Allen, Chapman, Ravindra and Sears seem to get a game here or there and that’s about it. Which admittedly in a strong team will happen.

But then along comes Michael Bracewell, probably the least talented of all those names and he’s pushed into every team possible, never seeming to miss out. Devon Conway obviously forced his way into all three teams but that’s a different story, but we haven’t had anyone else manage to do that in the last 6-7 years other than Bracewell.

And Jamieson but he should've been picked about 2 years earlier.

 

[Skyliner]

‘Australia were 44-5 at the end of the 12th over needing 233 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series and extend their unbeaten run on home soil against the Black Caps to a sixth ODI and a 13th match in all formats.

New Zealand had never taken that many wickets for that few runs and lost before, making it a historic case of them letting their opponents off the hook.’

 

[TheJediBrah]

Mark Craig won us test matches overseas with his bowling. Took 10 for the match and scored a 50 when we won in the UAE. Took 8 wickets (4 in each innings) on debut to win in the WI and took key wickets in a win in England. Sure he got absolutely smashed in Australia, but most off spinners do. He was a much better specialist spinner than Bracewell.

I don't watch cricket outside Australia

 

[trundler]

Bracewell looks like he's got the material to be a good finger spinner (tbf, who doesn't. Not a difficult skill set)

Just about consistency and getting rid of the bad balls

This is how Sami played 36 tests.

 

[Howsie]

And Jamieson but he should've been picked about 2 years earlier.

Yeah but Jamieson isn’t first choice ODI or 20/20, don’t think he’s ever been anyway ?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I don't watch cricket outside Australia

There's this new website called Cricinfo. It covers matches outside Oz.

 

[Skyliner]

Pretty unlucky last night, the number of inside edges that went within a hairs breadth of hitting the stumps in the Aussie innings…God must be an Aussie. Ferguson was particularly hard done by.

 

[TheJediBrah]

There's this new website called Cricinfo. It covers matches outside Oz.

I'll stick to getting all my info from facebook comments, but thanks

 

[Howsie]

Bracewell looks like he's got the material to be a good finger spinner (tbf, who doesn't. Not a difficult skill set)

Just about consistency and getting rid of the bad balls

He’s also played over 300 games of professional cricket, 98 being first class cricket, and only taken 90 odd wickets. He isn’t a bowlers asshole, they’re just trying to fit him in.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Pretty unlucky last night, the number of inside edges that went within a hairs breadth of hitting the stumps in the Aussie innings…God must be an Aussie. Ferguson was particularly hard done by.

Yeah mostly Carey. Bloke could have been out 5 times before he got to 20