*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Nintendo]

Bit of a dissapinting squad bar Jamieson being back IMO.

 

[Nintendo]

I know Wagner is an NZ goat but c'mon I think everyone who's watched him recently knows he's been past it at test level for a solid year, Tickner averages 35 with the ball in FC FFS. There are a million bowlers better than him. Shipley and smith are better bowlers and can bat, Bracewell has done better in the Plunkett shield recently, guys like Keene are younger and better, FFS even someone like Duffy would be a better pick them tickner. Nicholls being persisted with after the PAK tour when Phillips is available is even worse. Send Nicholls back to FC cricket until he sorts out his **** vs off-spin.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah would’ve liked to have seen Smith and Phillips being trialed in this series. If at least one of them isn’t part of the side that plays Sri Lanka then it’s time to bin the selection group.

 

[Immenso]

Fellas, posting the squad would have actually been useful .....

Black Caps test squad to face England: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Blair Tickner.

 

[Immenso]

I think I know the 11 the selectors will pick. E.g. Nicholls at 4, Bracewell at 7 and the 4 seamers.


My preference.
I definitely want Young over Nicholls, that is a no-brainer.

As for the bowling/allrounder mix and positions 7, 8 and 9 in the batting order. I genuinely don't know the balance I would prefer.

This is in part because of the natural decline / injury concern over our old ball seamers Jamieson and Wagner. In part because bazball could/should throw us off our natural rythym (but really that releates to point 1 about our old ball decline). Which then makes picking Sodhi more tempting if England will be batting like it is an ODI.

I kind of think this would be my favourite 11 (Mitchell as 5th bowler, Sodhi taking a full spinners workload, no longer having 4 seamers. Gulp, an era is passing):

1. Latham
2. Conway
3. Williamson
4. Young
5. Nicholls
6. Mitchell
7. Blundell
8. Sodhi
9. Jamieson
10. Henry
11. Southee

 

[Flem274*]

I'm biased as hell and think Tickner has big upside if he clicks but idk how he gets so much more faith as the aggressive project than Ferguson or Sears. Ferguson did mention Tickner in particular as impressive behind the scenes the other day so that plays a part obv.

Also we're falling into the same trap as the English in that our form bowlers are all right arm 135 outswing.

 

[ataraxia]

I know Wagner is an NZ goat but c'mon I think everyone who's watched him recently knows he's been past it at test level for a solid year, Tickner averages 35 with the ball in FC FFS. There are a million bowlers better than him. Shipley and smith are better bowlers and can bat, Bracewell has done better in the Plunkett shield recently, guys like Keene are younger and better, FFS even someone like Duffy would be a better pick them tickner. Nicholls being persisted with after the PAK tour when Phillips is available is even worse. Send Nicholls back to FC cricket until he sorts out his **** vs off-spin.

Just on this bit, er no. Been **** for 6 straight FC matches. His career start was genuinely just a massive fluke IMO.

 

[Athlai]

Tickner ain't it fam

 

[straw man]

Just on this bit, er no. Been **** for 6 straight FC matches. His career start was genuinely just a massive fluke IMO.

Imitation Danny Morrison including mullet afaics

 

[Nintendo]

Just on this bit, er no. Been **** for 6 straight FC matches. His career start was genuinely just a massive fluke IMO.

He's got 30 fc wickets @21 and is only 21. Clearly he has a higher ceiling than most. Getting him around the test squad/A-team to develop is ALOT better than a 30 year old who takes his wickets @35 and is a #10 on a good day.

 

[straw man]

Is Sears injured again? He's one I definitely would have picked over Tickner as he's a prospect (on the raw side) but ready to test at the next level and avoids the curse of right-arm-medium-pace - that's the problem with Shipley/Smith/Duffy when our attack is already Jamieson+Southee+Henry.

Jamieson back makes an enormous difference to the look of this side. I'd assumed he wouldn't make it as hasn't played an FC match since return, so this is great news (as long as we're not returning him prematurely and going to break him).

 

[Immenso]

Jamieson. Apart from the T20s, has played 2 List As since his return.

So, building back up. But that is a max of 2 x times he has bowled 9ish overs in a day.

I think he makes the team "look" better, but reality will probably be different. I'd still pick him, though. But, a declining Wagner and and underdone Jamieson will potentially make for an ugly time from overs 30 to 8-0 if NZ persist with modus-operandi of approach and selection the last 7 years. Which they 100% will do.

 

[Immenso]

Yes, Sears has been injured since pre-xmas.

 

[Immenso]

Just on this bit, er no. Been **** for 6 straight FC matches. His career start was genuinely just a massive fluke IMO.

Last 6 FC matches. 7 wickets at 62.57

23 wickets in his first 3 matches.

 

[straw man]

The Stuff article says Jamieson "will get the opportunity to play some long form cricket as part of the New Zealand XI squad to face England in their warm-up match next week at Seddon Park." which helps.

I'd assumed above they'd pick Henry but yeah it's possible Wagner will be preferred, or they pick both and Macewell at 7.

 

[NZTailender]

Fellas, don't rule out a boneheaded move from nzc to actually drop Nicholls (good) but play Conway at 4 and keep Young opening (daft).

 

[NZTailender]

As for Tickner, one assumes and hopes he's the reserve seamer for the right arm seamers. It's also entirely possible if Boult was available they'd have picked him and left Wagner out. Wags may just be there for variation as opposed to being a continued first choice.

 

[Flem274*]

yeah we should let keene play 2-3 seasons before judging where he's at. i'm all for promoting talent but it should be results based, not just a yeet.

Fellas, don't rule out a boneheaded move from nzc to actually drop Nicholls (good) but play Conway at 4 and keep Young opening (daft).

omg you're right.

 

[Immenso]

I'd assumed above they'd pick Henry but yeah it's possible Wagner will be preferred, or they pick both and Macewell at 7.

I think Henry is nailed on as the opening bowler alongside Southee. His current abdominal injury notwithstanding.

He's not really competing with Jamieson and Wagner.

Although Jamieson has opened the bowling on occasions when Boult or Southee haven't played, but that hasn't been the best use of the collective resources.

 

[Immenso]

As for Tickner, one assumes and hopes he's the reserve seamer for the right arm seamers. It's also entirely possible if Boult was available they'd have picked him and left Wagner out. Wags may just be there for variation as opposed to being a continued first choice.

Tickner has actually performed reasonably well for NZ A as a 3rd seamer. Not earth-shattering, we are talking averaging mid 30s. It would be a huge step down from peak Wagner and Jamieson. But, I think that is what has earnt him squad inclusion, and fair enough.

He has at least overlapped his career with the flat era plunket shield, as opposed to e.g. aforementioned Keene and late-improved Shipley. Which have been almost entirely in the last few years of PS green wickets and the dukaburra.

I wouldn't particularly back him at test level (it's a very tough role), but I'd back him way more than any other current domestic 3rd seamer options I can think of that isn't Jamieson/Wagner/CdG (or any of the domestic new ball bowlers who look like they could be 3rd seamer adaptable).

Unless we went the path of debuting a young speedster in that role and expecting some growing pains, but they're all injured anyway, so moot.