You bastard, I'm at the Seddon Park one.Have tickets for all of the Basin test and the Saturday at Hagley. If anyone else is in attendance, let me know and we can grab a beer or two.
Intriguing one - Stead has always liked to play Santner, even when he was averaging 45 per wicket and not scoring runs. Now he's a match winner, and has made 3 reasonable contributions with the bat. But if you play Santner at 8, it's three seamers, with Daryl Mitchell's very un-useable wobblies as a 4th. I don't think Santner in NZ conditions worries England at all.Are NZ unlikely to play a frontline spinner?
I wouldn't be a fan of that, but I didn't just coach a side to a historic win in India, I guess.what f he leaves GP out and bats Santner 7, Southee 8 and plays your 3 other seamers?
Bloody hell, he went and played two days with that on his mindStokes robbed while he was away in Pakistan. Absolute scum doing it at all let alone with his young family there too.
Not really sure which thread was best for this. Or whether worthy of a new thread.
Guess could this impact his involvement in the series.
Depends what you mean by frontline, I suppose.Are NZ unlikely to play a frontline spinner?
Isn't the Mount the most spin friendly in NZ? Has the Basin changed in that respect?Depends what you mean by frontline, I suppose.
If Santner is considered frontline, then probably yes. But may miss selection for first test at Hagley.
If frontline means specialist spinners (Ajaz and Sodhi). Then almost definitely not.
I'd hazard a guess that in the 95 years NZ has been test nation, there has never been a test match start in November. And to compound it that test is at Hagley where a NZ specialist spinner last took a wicket 11 seasons ago. But then the next 2 tests are at the most spin friendly venues in NZ.
Dougeh!My guess is the attack will be Southee, Henry, O'Rourke and Smith. Not sure what other bowlers would be in the mix. Surely they can't go back to SP again? Duffy I guess. Maybe Rae?
My bad, I thought the other 2 were at Hamilton and Tauranga.Isn't the Mount the most spin friendly in NZ? Has the Basin changed in that respect?
Thumbs up for that one. If Southee is in then that may help Smith, as Duffy is more similar to Southee and we would want Smith's batting at 8.Team I'd love to see: Latham, Conway, KW, Rachin, Mitchell, Phillips, Blundell, Smith, Henry, O'Rourke, Duffy.
Wow, that's a stat. Mark Craig, 2014 v Sri Lanka? Took him 38 2nd innings overs to get it, too.And to compound it that test is at Hagley where a NZ specialist spinner last took a wicket 11 seasons ago.
The only issue I see with Smith/Southee, and actually it's a Duffy issue, too, is those guys are pitch it up swing/seam bowlers. As I said before, Sears is a massive loss.It's pretty hard to make a case for Santner at home, especially early season, when NZ have not just Phillips but also Rachin's spin from the top order. I'm not leaving out Phillips either - he's basically a specialist batsman even if we like to bat him at 7.
Thumbs up for that one. If Southee is in then that may help Smith, as Duffy is more similar to Southee and we would want Smith's batting at 8.
Hard to call him a specialist spinner when he was actually incredibly valuable as a batsman during his limited tenure in the team. Both his Test and FC records hardly make him look like a specialist.Wow, that's a stat. Mark Craig, 2014 v Sri Lanka? Took him 38 2nd innings overs to get it, too.
Yep you can certainly forgive his performance in the two games.Bloody hell, he went and played two days with that on his mind
Has to be Smith, as a contracted player, or Duffy. Foulkes a bolter.My guess is the attack will be Southee, Henry, O'Rourke and Smith. Not sure what other bowlers would be in the mix. Surely they can't go back to SP again? Duffy I guess. Maybe Rae?