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*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka

Chin Music

State Vice-Captain
Phillips looked our best spinner, he gets the most turn. Santner was useless, should of played Henry instead! Santner isnt up to Tests cricket imo.
Surely Santner is picked as much for his batting as his bowling, no? Seems a waste of a pick if he is because he is clearly little more than an ok support bowler at best in tests IMO.
 

Big_Gun

Cricket Spectator
Surely Santner is picked as much for his batting as his bowling, no? Seems a waste of a pick if he is because he is clearly little more than an ok support bowler at best in tests IMO.
No he averages 24, he's more a spinner who can bat a bit. Can never bat higher than 8, struggles with short and full balls in Tests
 

Big_Gun

Cricket Spectator
If Southee gets dropped id like Phillips to be our captain, he seems in the Mcullem mold. He is in the team for his batting and to bat with the tail and be aggressive, but his bowling is really coming on good. He also got a 5fer vs Aussie earlier this year turning it big.
 

Migara

International Coach
Phillips looked our best spinner, he gets the most turn. Santner was useless, should of played Henry instead! Santner isnt up to Tests cricket imo.
If New Zealand can score somewhere close to SL, and on 3rd and 4th innings in Galle Santner will come in to play. All spinners who flight it and turn it will become less effective - difficult to score, but easy to survive. It is spinners who push it through that will become most dangerous in Galle. Harbhajan in the Ajantha Mendis series destroyed Sri lankan batting with darting the ball in to a pitch that was taking turn under any circumstance.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
It was thought that Santner had improved as a spin bowler leading into the Bangladesh tour last season, which is why he was re-selected after being (rightly) dropped from the test side a couple of seasons prior. Only played the second test, took 6/116. I'm ok that he got picked here again, though with both Ajaz and Rachin already in the side he needs to perform and 0/64 doesn't look a great start (he didn't make much of the highlights package so can't say if he bowled better than that or not).

Ajaz a little rusty I guess, as with every time he gets picked for an off-season Asia tour. Will probably do better as the series progresses - he was slow to get into the last Bangladesh tour too.

Great ball from Phillips to bowl DDS. Phillips such an asset as a spin-bowling all-rounder on these wickets.

Looks like Kamindu lived up to the hype.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Surely Santner is picked as much for his batting as his bowling, no? Seems a waste of a pick if he is because he is clearly little more than an ok support bowler at best in tests IMO.
That would be a Stead edict to pick him for his batting, it's always overpromised and underdelivered at international level (did finish off the Bangladesh Test impressively last year, I'll give him). Similar to the mindset that got Michael Bracewell 8 Tests. Numbers are pretty similar, picked on ceiling of ability rather than tangible results.
 

thundaboult

International Debutant
Got a feelin i'm gonna hate mitch santner the bits n pieces test cricketer... as much as tim southee the test/odi cricketer by the end of this subcontinent bukaki fest

i'm expecting zero wins

hopefully o'rourke, sears develop massively ....and phillips permanently solidifies himself as the best AR we have who plays exciting, positive minded cricket....ravindra is already a surefire hit and our rock to lean on for the present and future

what a brilliant last 10 or so months phillips has had in the test arena
 

Silver Silva

International Regular
If New Zealand can score somewhere close to SL, and on 3rd and 4th innings in Galle Santner will come in to play. All spinners who flight it and turn it will become less effective - difficult to score, but easy to survive. It is spinners who push it through that will become most dangerous in Galle. Harbhajan in the Ajantha Mendis series destroyed Sri lankan batting with darting the ball in to a pitch that was taking turn under any circumstance.
For that they will need Kane Williamson to come to the party, Williamson doesn't have fond memories of Galle...

4 innings - 14 runs - Batting Average 3.50. The worst record for Williamson at any cricket ground he has played at.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
It was thought that Santner had improved as a spin bowler leading into the Bangladesh tour last season, which is why he was re-selected after being (rightly) dropped from the test side a couple of seasons prior. Only played the second test, took 6/116. I'm ok that he got picked here again, though with both Ajaz and Rachin already in the side he needs to perform and 0/64 doesn't look a great start (he didn't make much of the highlights package so can't say if he bowled better than that or not).
Tbf he should've had Kamindu when he was on about 30. That drop shaping up to be a key moment in the match.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Tbf he should've had Kamindu when he was on about 30. That drop shaping up to be a key moment in the match.
Oh didn't see that - Kamindu was on 21. Somehow this didn't make the highlights on SLC youtube.

Santner to Kamindu Mendis, 1 run
Oh is that a drop?! Think it might be. Kamindu goes for the big sweep, but doesn't connect. Midwicket though completely misjudges it and comes in, but it ends up going over him. Phillips of all people was the man, as he ends up having to course correct and stick out a right hand, only to palm over. Santner is not a happy camper
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
Excuse my ignorance and laziness. But can someone tell me what's up / where's up with Matt Henry?
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
Left out to play Santner. There's a page or two worth of hand-wringing about it earlier in the thread.
Oh wow.

I'm coming in cold off the off-season. Couldn't be bothered searching back in Thread, but did a Google news search and got zilch (I'd have to scroll past pages of world cup injury news).
 

vandem

International 12th Man
[Henry] Left out to play Santner. There's a page or two worth of hand-wringing about it earlier in the thread.
I think "Left out to play O'Rourke" perhaps more correct. To me the earlier Stead comments about Southee perhaps not playing every game implied Southee + Henry and Henry + O'Rourke would be the rotating starting players if only 2 seamers needed .... so perhaps O'Rourke was extra impressive in warm up nets?
 

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