**Official** England in New Zealand 28 Nov-18 Dec 2024 - 3 Tests

[anonymouskefe]

Isn't it universal cricket logic that the best guys bat 3/4/5 and the openers are battlers/grafters/sacrificial lambs? I didn't see it as an NZ thing or a conditions dependent thing. Most clubbies don't want to open even on an artificial pitch, cos you're still facing the best and fastest bowlers with the shiny new ball.

let alone on some of the grass pitches going around. Played on a few in recent times with weeds growing half way down

 

[Zinzan]

So Southee should've retired when?

At the end of the Test Championship win in 2021 with his good mate Ross.

 

[Flem274*]

Can confirm the aversion to opening starts at school.

Latham began his FC career at 5 and keeping, Conway was a 3 and Young was a 3. Rachin was an opener lol but he's too airy fairy to be trusted there.

 

[andruid]

Highlight of the tour for me was the triceratops milking the applause on a lap of the ground just before the end of play.

Great hundred by Brook at Wellington, scratchy at Christchurch. Pope playing beyond expectation with both gloves and bat, Bethell is a find and Carse looking very very good.

As for NZ, Williamson not looking his best but still churning out runs, O'Rourke, Henry and Smith looking a good attack (shame about Southee) and Young and Santner proving they need to stay in the side.

Fun tour but lots of poor cricket mixed with the good on both sides.

They were milking a what? Ooops, misread the sentence.

 

[danzydab]

Kyle Jamieson is playing for Canterbury A today.
#ComebackTrail

Sears, Jamieson, Henry, O'Rourke, Santner would be the perfect attack.
Santner scoring the runs that phillips that is supposed to.

 

[James]

Sears, Jamieson, Henry, O'Rourke, Santner would be the perfect attack.
Santner scoring the runs that phillips that is supposed to.

Unfortunately the tail is too long playing them all together ?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Unfortunately the tail is too long playing them all together ?

Smith playing would help. Plus he deserves a place on what we saw at Christchurch and Wellington.

 

[Skyliner]

Unfortunately the tail is too long playing them all together ?

6. Blundell / Hay
—
7. Santner
8. Jamieson
9. Henry
10. O’Rourke
11. Sears

 

[Skyliner]

I think the paradigm has changed now that Boult / Wags / Southee have all departed the scene. You’ve got one experienced old hand in Henry, O’Rourke is a lock, but for the other spots it should be all on. Competition is healthy. Let’s start picking some of these guys like Fisher in the ODI squad to see what they can do at the higher level, to see how they respond.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Smith playing would help. Plus he deserves a place on what we saw at Christchurch and Wellington.

Agree. Zak Foulkes who has played white ball for NZ is also an accomplished bat.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Agree. Zak Foulkes who has played white ball for NZ is also an accomplished bat.

Obviously no idea about him.

What's his bowling like?

 

[James]

6. Blundell / Hay
—
7. Santner
8. Jamieson
9. Henry
10. O’Rourke
11. Sears

I personally think that leaves our batting light though. Another batsman needed in place of Sears.

 

[Howsie]

Obviously no idea about him.

What's his bowling like?

Higher ceiling with both bat and ball imo. Opened the batting in first class cricket, so ability with the bat is there. Bowling wise swings the ball back into the right hander. Very sharp bouncer collects quite a few wickets with it.

Only 22 so four years younger than Smith. Similar types of cricketers but I can see Foulkes replacing or going past Smith as a like for like pretty soon. Although tbf I’m not a massive fan of Smith.

 

[NZTailender]

Unfortunately he had a fatal flaw. Perhaps given enough time he may have overcome it.

I'm a firm believer that openers obviously work better as a partnership (yaknow, like most batting) and Raval+Latham soaked up more overs than any other combo we've had in 20 years. Latham+Conway just went past that combo in terms of runs, in one extra test, at fewer overs faced. So Raval+Latham were the best at seeing off the new ball, even if Latham+Conway would score fractionally more runs in quicker fashion.

Ironically in the 2 years they were partnered, Latham+Guptill had the highest average of our recent combos, the only ones to average over 40 over a decent stretch.

Point being, based on vibes, Latham and Raval will give the middle order a decent cushion from the new ball, whereas it feels like one of Latham or Conway goes early, bringing in Williamson relatively quickly.