*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka

[Fuller Pilch]

IMO this is NZ’s second biggest big-picture problem, after the spin attack. They’ve not introduced a single specialist opener since Raval many moons ago. Blundell, Conway and Young have all partnered Latham in that time, started well and tapered off. Really hope someone like Abbas lives up to his promise and breaks through.

Abbas bats 5 or 6.

Dale Phillips might be an option even though he's a MOB. He's far less aggressive than his older brother (not a white ball player) but still a top fielder and quick between wickets. He scored a lot of runs at 3 last year.

 

[Athlai]

The plucky young Wellington opener was Rachin

 

[Bahnz]

Abbas bats 5 or 6.

Dale Phillips might be an option even though he's a MOB. He's far less aggressive than his older brother (not a white ball player) but still a top fielder and quick between wickets. He scored a lot of runs at 3 last year.

I suspect Abbas may move up the order this season, but yeah definitely more of a long term 4 or 5

 

[DougieRydal]

Rhys Mariu might be the next best specialist opener on the horizon rather than once again shoe-horning in middle order batsmen (D Phillips, Abbas, Conway, Young, Blundell etc)

 

[Howsie]

Id say the days of New Zealand having any young, talented batsman opening in first class cricket and wanting to be an opening test bat are over. No money in it. Everyone wants to bat 4-5-6 and bowl some handy spin. The skills you need to do the job properly don’t transfer to the other forms of the game at all.

 

[NZTailender]

Id say the days of New Zealand having any young, talented batsman opening in first class cricket and wanting to be an opening test bat are over. No money in it. Everyone wants to bat 4-5-6 and bowl some handy spin. The skills you need to do the job properly don’t transfer to the other forms of the game at all.

Hasn't this been the norm for like, ever

Although I guess it was always handy medium pace and not spin

 

[Zinzan]

Id say the days of New Zealand having any young, talented batsman opening in first class cricket and wanting to be an opening test bat are over. No money in it. Everyone wants to bat 4-5-6 and bowl some handy spin. The skills you need to do the job properly don’t transfer to the other forms of the game at all.

Sadly I think you're right unless it's a Sehwag/Warner/McCullum (to a lesser extent) style Test opener, which are rare as hen's teeth.

 

[SteveNZ]

Sadly I think you're right unless it's a Sehwag/Warner/McCullum (to a lesser extent) style Test opener, which are rare as hen's teeth.

Yeah and theyre going to be even rarer going forward. Those guys were raised before the proliferation of T20 and built their games on a solid base of technique. That happens less so now. It's quite often all about the wack across the line and the hand eye

 

[govinda indian fan]

Nz fans what is going to be your squad when you guys visit us? How do you rate your Chances over here? Nz is my second team can wait for clash between my two favs

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Nz fans what is going to be your squad when you guys visit us?

The same squad of 15 was picked for the tests against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and India.

How do you rate your Chances over here?

Slim to almost zero.
NZ's only chance is to win the toss, bat big, and then let the pitch and pressure do the rest.

Thanks for your kind words. Answers are above in bold.

 

[Chin Music]

Yeah and theyre going to be even rarer going forward. Those guys were raised before the proliferation of T20 and built their games on a solid base of technique. That happens less so now. It's quite often all about the wack across the line and the hand eye

To be honest, there are very few teams who seem to have 'conventional' test match openers these days. You probably have to go with the flow and have the most 'complete' aggressive player who has a modicum of technique defensively.

 

[straw man]

The last few pages of discussion have just reinforced that the current top four is the best we have, in about the right positions. In an ideal world Conway might move back to 4, Latham's continual failures vs high quality bowling or in seaming conditions would see him left out (or maybe move to 5), Williamson in his later years might drop a spot to 4, and Rachin looks well suited to... 4. But someone has to open, and Conway + Latham is it, probably until they retire from tests in 2-3 years or maybe if Latham's form is terrible while someone is scoring huge domestic runs.

At least we do have one under-30 year old amongst that top 4. Love watching Rachin bat.

 

[straw man]

Blundell surprises me, this is a guy who doesn't play franchise stuff and isn't particularly considered for limited overs honours. His record since the last England tour is ghastly, and it's a pretty big sample size.

Thought (from highlights) Blundell looked more proactive and better than he has recently in the first test, with the bat. Got starts both times and then got out to the reverse sweep. I'm not a reverse-sweep hater but that was frustrating - first one a little unlucky, second one an error where failed to cover the line of the ball with his pad.

He's always had whole series where he's been either great with the bat, or terrible - guess that points to there being some conditions and some bowling he doesn't handle well. The most obvious was his last tour of India; that was awful. I still rate Blundell, though I'm biased towards players that can score runs against quicks on bouncy surfaces. He's 34, so Hay, Chu and other possible successors need lots of experience and A tours in the next 18 months to get ready to replace him anyway.

 

[SteveNZ]

To be honest, there are very few teams who seem to have 'conventional' test match openers these days. You probably have to go with the flow and have the most 'complete' aggressive player who has a modicum of technique defensively.

Yep, absolutely. At the moment, unfortunately, we have one guy who (maybe used to) have a Test match opener's temperament but his game is shot to ribbons, and another guy whose technique is pretty good but hasn't figured out how to ruthlessly cash in on his starts.

The last few pages of discussion have just reinforced that the current top four is the best we have, in about the right positions. In an ideal world Conway might move back to 4, Latham's continual failures vs high quality bowling or in seaming conditions would see him left out (or maybe move to 5), Williamson in his later years might drop a spot to 4, and Rachin looks well suited to... 4. But someone has to open, and Conway + Latham is it, probably until they retire from tests in 2-3 years or maybe if Latham's form is terrible while someone is scoring huge domestic runs.

At least we do have one under-30 year old amongst that top 4. Love watching Rachin bat.

Yeah I have no issue with the top 4 as it is. Young for Conway doesn't offer much, especially going to India. Bumrah's innie would have Young on toast. And I'm glad they're being intelligent enough to not move Rachin - he might be the best equipped to open right now, certainly better than Conway, but that won't help his game.

 

[thundaboult]

Nz fans what is going to be your squad when you guys visit us? How do you rate your Chances over here? Nz is my second team can wait for clash between my two favs

i know its a 3 match series but india is winning this one 5-0

 

[Bahnz]

Dagnabbit.

 

[_Ed_]

Disappointed, but not surprised to see an unchanged XI. On brand for Stead.

 

[straw man]

Dumb. On a pitch that is going to play similarly to the first test, which helped O'Rourke, how on earth can you not pick Henry? Can't blame uncertainty about the conditions this time, it won't be a pitch that totally nullifies fast bowling.

Don't even care which of Southee or Santner, one of them needed to sit out.

 

[SteveNZ]

They picked the same ****ing team? I'm seeing this wrong aren't I?

 

[Silver Silva]

Southee strikes first over